New Zealand is determined not to keep China’s espionage a secret

New Zealand recently joined (Opens in new window) with other partners in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network to warn that China is targeting their citizens on job sites through an “aggressive (Opens in new window)” online recruitment strategy to get access to classified or sensitive information. National security clearance holders, military personnel and those with access to sensitive government information are particularly at risk.

It also warned that public and private sectors are being targeted by foreign states and their proxies.

“We see the potential for real harm,” the report says, noting that a highly motivated state will “often use any means at their disposal” and that the security services expect espionage activity to increase in frequency over the next year.

The kind of information the spies are seeking is broader than just classified information. The service warned academics at universities and research institutions to be alert to attempts by foreign states to secure technology that can be repurposed for military development.

“Dual-use technologies have both civilian and military functions, but the distinction has become increasingly blurred with modern warfare now weaponising commercial tools such as AI and off-the-shelf drones,” it says.

In other instances, state-supported actors have tried to deceptively obtain sensitive technology by using international front companies and supply chain intermediaries to present a plausible cover story.

This has been particularly notable in New Zealand’s burgeoning space sector, with the spy service noting that Purple Mountain Observatory, linked to a Chinese state research institution, had tried to install ground-based space infrastructure in New Zealand.

In one case study included in the report, a Russian state-owned organisation sought to acquire specialised components from the offshore subsidiary of a New Zealand-registered company. The technology could have been used to enhance Russia’s military capability, and was therefore prohibited under sanctions.