‘For real?’ China denies it poses IP threat to United States

In an 8 July press conference, a spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs vociferously denied that the country posed ‘the biggest threat to US information and intellectual property’ – a claim made in a speech the previous day by Christopher Wray, director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, who said that nearly half of the FBI’s cases underway in the United States are related to China.

In the speech Wray also criticised China’s secretive ‘Fox Hunt’ operation, which Beijing describes as an international anti-corruption campaign but is, said Wray, ‘a sweeping bid by President Xi to target Chinese nationals who he sees as threats and who live outside of China,’ adding, ‘Hundreds of these Fox Hunt victims that they target live right here in the United States, and many are American citizens or green cardholders. The Chinese government wants to force them to return to China, and China’s tactics to accomplish that are shocking.’

Responding to a reporter’s question about Wray’s statement, spokesman Zhao Lijian said: ‘You are buying FBI’s words? For real? We regret that US foreign policies are kidnapped by FBI officials like Wray and other anti-China forces. You mentioned some claims, and I also noticed that Wray said the FBI opens a new case concerning China every ten hours. They’d better think again if they take Chinese security authorities to be amateurs!

‘In response to US remarks on the Fox Hunt operation, I want to stress that combating cross-border crimes is the consensus of the international community. China’s Fox Hunt operation abroad is aimed to repatriate fugitives and uphold the sanctity of law and social justice. In recent years, many countries have conducted law-enforcement cooperation with China on this front. By saying those words, does this US official suggest his country will become a safe haven for criminals?’