UK spy chief says China’s tech aims are a ‘threat to us all’

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The head of Britain’s cyber-intelligence agency is accusing China of using its economic and technological clout to clamp down at home and exert control abroad. GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming says Beijing’s aggressive stance is driven by fear and poses “a huge threat to us all.” In a speech later Tuesday, Fleming will accuse Beijing of using technologies such as digital currencies and satellite systems to control China’s population and increase its influence around the world. Relations between Britain and China have grown increasingly frosty in recent years, with U.K. officials accusing Beijing of economic subterfuge and human rights abuses. British spies have given increasingly negative assessments of Beijing’s influence and intentions.