Chinese economic espionage is only one aspect of China’s larger strategic endeavour to obtain the technological expertise required to support its economic expansion and disrupt the present geopolitical order. Over the past few years, there have been many cases of Chinese economic espionage around the world, especially in intellectual property (IP) theft, trade secrets, military technologies and cyber espionage. This is not only done by businesses and individuals but is mostly sponsored by the State authorities. China’s efforts not only provide support to its local industry and improve its economic competitiveness, but they also enable China to demonstrate its influence on the global stage. The Chinese government employs various tactics, including leveraging businesses, institutions, and individuals, to obtain proprietary information from around the globe, especially in the United States and Europe. These methods range from acquiring companies with valuable intellectual property to coercing joint ventures with Chinese firms, to outright theft and cyberattacks. While cyberattacks can be challenging to link directly to the Chinese government, digital footprints have been traced back to hacker groups with ties to Beijing. Additionally, China exploits its diaspora in the West, particularly Chinese students, faculty, and employees, by recruiting spies and emphasizing allegiance to China regardless of nationality. This approach blurs the line between loyalty to one’s homeland and sharing sensitive information. In recent years, China has been recruiting those it considers expat nationals through “thousand talents” programs, which identify experts in American schools and industries to help fill specific gaps in knowledge back home. Numerous instances over the past decade involve individuals associated with Chinese entities attempting to steal trade secrets across various industries, from agriculture to high-tech products like locomotives and semiconductors. Such cases underscore China’s ongoing efforts to acquire proprietary information from the United States and other Western countries. On the other hand, domestically China has detained foreign businesspeople on espionage charges, citing National security reasons. Foreign companies operating in China have complained about unclear laws on corporate espionage.
