Chinese nationals posing as tourists breached US military bases and other sites, raising espionage concerns: Report

Chinese nationals, sometimes posing as tourists, accessed United States military bases and other sensitive locations up to 100 times in recent years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The outlet reported that the incidents have raised espionage concerns among U.S. officials. These trespassers, referred to as gate-crashers, have accessed sensitive sites, either accidentally or intentionally, without proper authorization.

According to U.S. officials, the intrusions appear to be an attempt to test the security practices of the sensitive locations. The individuals take photographs and report information back to the Chinese government.

Some of these incidents included Chinese nationals breaching a missile range in New Mexico and scuba divers exploring a new rocket launch site in Florida. Other trespassing cases involved people following Google Maps directions to the nearest fast-food restaurant, which happened to be on a military base.

Officials also told the WSJ about a group of Chinese nationals who claimed to be tourists and insisted they had reservations at a hotel located on the Fort Wainwright military base in Alaska. The group attempted to push past security guards to access the site.

Pentagon spokesperson Sue Gough said that individuals breach sensitive U.S. sites “often by speeding through security checkpoints.”

Chinese nationals have also accessed sensitive areas of the White House, taking photographs of the property, positions of Secret Services, and communications gear.

In 2019, a Chinese national was sentenced to prison after being convicted of illegally entering former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

When caught trespassing, the Chinese nationals insist they are tourists who have gotten lost. According to officials, they appear to use scripted language when confronted by authorities.

Emily Harding, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told the WSJ, “The advantage the Chinese have is they are willing to throw people at collection in large numbers.”

“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,” Harding added.

None of the cited cases resulted in espionage charges, the WSJ reported.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, stated, “The relevant claims are purely ill-intentioned fabrications.”

“We urge the relevant U.S. officials to abandon the Cold War mentality, stop groundless accusations, and do more things that are conducive to enhancing mutual trust between the two countries and friendship between the two peoples,” Pengyu said.

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