Originally published September 4, 2023 10:42 am PDT
Washington has raised alarm bells following around 100 recorded incidents involving unauthorized entry attempts by Chinese nationals into American military bases and other secure locations.
These acts, often under the guise of tourism, are being perceived as potential espionage threats by U.S. authorities, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.
There’s a growing sentiment among U.S. officials that these incidents could be orchestrated by Beijing to evaluate the security protocols of American military and federal establishments.
Typically, the intruders are believed to be Chinese citizens acting under governmental directives.
“The relevant claims are purely ill-intentioned fabrications,” argued Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington.
He further urged 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.”
These breaches range from individuals trespassing on a missile range in New Mexico to supposed tourists discovered swimming near a government rocket launch site in Florida.
Often, the incidents happen in secluded areas with sparse tourist activities.
When confronted, they frequently provide rehearsed statements, asserting they’re lost tourists.
One particularly notable incident occurred at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
A group of Chinese individuals attempted to bypass security, insisting they had hotel reservations on the base, which is a strategic point for Arctic warfare training.
Representative Jason Crow (D-CO), a member of the intelligence committee, expressed his concerns.
He stated that current legislation primarily addresses trespassing at the state and local levels, leaving a void at the federal level.
“We need to work closely with our state and local partners to train them and equip them,” Crow emphasized.
He believes local authorities are currently ill-equipped to handle these situations.
Not every breach appears malicious.
Some culprits claim they’ve been mistakenly directed by navigation tools like Google Maps to military bases while seeking fast-food joints.
But the sheer volume and nature of some of these incidents can’t be brushed aside.
A defense analyst noted, “The advantage the Chinese have is they are willing to throw people at collection in large numbers.”
If captured, these infiltrators often only face trespassing charges, making it a low-risk strategy for the Chinese government.
In stark contrast, if Americans were caught on Chinese soil, the penalties would be severe.
To mitigate these issues, the Pentagon has undertaken multiple security reviews since 2018, emphasizing physical security aspects of military base gates among other concerns.
Sue Gough, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, revealed that every day more than 10,000 individuals are turned around at military bases, usually due to confusion.
However, she clarified, “The incidents are generally low-level, and so far none of them indicate espionage.”
Nonetheless, a few incidents, such as Chinese nationals photographing a U.S. Army range or using drones for potential surveillance, are grave enough to be worrisome.
Recent history also reveals similar concerns.
In 2020, three Chinese individuals were sentenced for illegally accessing a naval air station in Key West, WSJ notes.
Moreover, in 2019, two Chinese diplomats were suspected of espionage and expelled after trespassing onto a vital U.S. military facility.
While no espionage charges have been officially lodged, the recurring unauthorized access incidents have certainly heightened vigilance among U.S. authorities.
