China poses the most significant threat to the security of the United State, the director of the FBI told a congressional committee on Thursday.
“There’s no country that presents a more significant threat to our innovation, our ideas, our economic security, our national security than Chinese government, said agency director Christopher Wray. “And that’s why we’ve grown the number of investigations into threats from China about 1300%.”
Testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee, Wray said the threat from China is “unparalleled,” particularly in the the realm of cybersecurity.
“They’ve got a bigger hacking program than every other major nation,” said Wray. He has previously noted that the FBI opens a new counterintelligence case against China about twice a day.
Wray also said China ultimately seeks to undermine and infiltrate American government institutions and silence dissent wherever it arises.
The Chinese Communist Party aims to win American leaders’ loyalty through money or intimidation and “to undermine our democratic process by influencing our elected officials.” Wray said in February. The CCP is patient in this pursuit, aiming to recruit early-career politicians—often at the state and local level—who can then be called on to do Beijing’s bidding when their power and influence grow.
Read more at ABC News
