Chinese nationals accessing sensitive US sites, raising spying fears: report

Sep 05, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Ben Burke (Producer/Editor)

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

According to a Wall Street Journal report, there have been dozens of instances of Chinese nationals accessing military bases and other sensitive sites in the United States in recent years. Some of the nationals even posed as tourists in order to get in.

The Defense Department, FBI and other agencies held a review in 2022 to try to limit instances of these Chinese nationals, dubbed gate-crashers, getting into sensitive sites. Examples of the roughly 100 incidents discovered include gate-crashers crossing into a U.S. missile range in New Mexico and scuba diving in waters near a rocket-launch site in Florida.

According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, this story is a Media Miss for the left. The Media Landscape indicates that while right-leaning and center-oriented outlets are covering this story, fewer – if any – left-leaning outlets are reporting on the topic.

U.S. officials have described these incidents as a form of espionage. According to the officials, the Chinese nationals are testing security practices at military installations and other sensitive federal sites.

The Journal report comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China. The tensions spiked earlier in 2022 after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon after it flew across the country.

That incident, as well as the gate-crasher incidents, raise concerns over Beijing using nontraditional means to gather intelligence on U.S. soil.

“The Chinese government is engaged in a broad, diverse campaign of theft and malign influence without regard to laws or international norms that the FBI will not tolerate,” the FBI said in a statement. Emily Harding, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, added, “If a few of them get caught, it will be very difficult for the U.S. government to prove anything beyond trespassing, and those who don’t get caught are likely to collect something useful.”

Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.

Tags: China, Department of Defense, FBI, Florida, Media Landscape, Media Miss, New Mexico, United States

ACCORDING TO A WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORT — THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS OF INSTANCES OF CHINESE NATIONALS ACCESSING U-S MILITARY BASES AND OTHER SENSITIVE SITES IN RECENT YEARS.

SOME OF THEM EVEN POSED AS TOURISTS IN ORDER TO GET IN.

THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT — FBI — AND OTHER AGENCIES HELD A REVIEW LAST YEAR TO TRY TO LIMIT INSTANCES OF SO-CALLED GATE-CRASHERS GETTING IN TO SENSITIVE SITES.

EXAMPLES OF THE ROUGHLY 100 INCIDENTS DISCOVERED INCLUDE CHINESE NATIONALS CROSSING INTO A U-S MISSILE RANGE IN NEW MEXICO — AND SCUBA DIVING IN WATERS NEAR A ROCKET-LAUNCH SITE IN FLORIDA.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE ON THIS STORY.

AS YOU CAN SEE — THE VAST MAJORITY OF SOURCES REPORTING ARE ON THE RIGHT — WITH ONLY A HANDFUL OF CENTER SOURCES COVERING — AND JUST ONE FROM THE LEFT.

FOR MORE MEDIA MISSES LIKE THIS, HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE — S-A-N-DOT-COM.

U-S OFFICIALS HAVE DESCRIBED THESE INCIDENTS AS A FORM OF ESPIONAGE — MEANT TO TEST SECURITY PRACTICES AT U-S MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AND OTHER FEDERAL SITES.

IN A STATEMENT — THE F-B-I SAID QUOTE “THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS ENGAGED IN A BROAD, DIVERSE CAMPAIGN OF THEFT AND MALIGN INFLUENCE WITHOUT REGARD TO LAWS OR INTERNATIONAL NORMS THAT THE FBI WILL NOT TOLERATE.”

THE JOURNAL REPORT COMES AMID RISING TENSIONS BETWEEN THE U-S AND CHINA — TENSIONS THAT SPIKED AFTER THE U-S SHOT DOWN A CHINESE SPY BALLOON AFTER IT FLEW ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THAT INCIDENT — AS WELL AS THE GATE-CRASHER INCIDENTS — RAISE CONCERNS OVER BEIJING USING NON-TRADITIONAL MEANS TO GATHER INTELLIGENCE ON U-S SOIL.