China's Espionage Dynasty: Economic Death by a Thousand Cuts

The criminal culture of theft that has been injected into virtually every line of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan is unprecedented. From state sponsored smash and grab hacking and techno-pilfering, to corporate espionage and targeted theft of IP, the threat is real, the economic implications are devastating and Western Nations are the primary target of China’s desperate effort to steal in order to globally compete. Never before in recorded history has IP transfer occurred at such a rapid velocity. The all-encompassing, multifaceted onslaught of cyber-physical Chinese espionage targets industry genres from satcom to defense and from academic research to regional factories manufacturing proprietary blends of industrial materials. China seeks to not only steal but to economically interrupt and cripple. Economic warfare is just as much a part of the strategy as catching up to Western innovation and becoming less dependent on foreign technology. Chinese student and scholar associations, trade organizations, legions of strategically placed insider threats and yes, even criminal organizations such as the Triad, all play their key role in the purloining of intellectual property in contribution to the Chinese agenda. This report covers the primary structure of Chinese espionage initiatives.