China's counter-surveillance industry booms amid heightened espionage fears

Can someone beam an invisible laser into a room sitting several kilometers away and snoop on whatever that is being said? As dramatic and nightmarish as that may sound, China has warned government departments and other entities of exactly this new form of laser-based eavesdropping conducted by foreign spies. And here's what's known. According to China's Ministry of State security. This technology relies on detecting vibrations in glass windows caused by sound waves inside a room. It claimed that a spy can possibly reconstruct speech from within the room by directing an invisible laser beam at a window. Amid heightened fears of foreign espionage and data leaks, the market for counter surveillance equipment in China is only growing. According to South China Morning Post report, one of the key devices in demand, including a monitoring system which is capable of detecting and issuing alerts over incoming laser beams and identifying the direction from which the laser originated. And then there are specialized curtains made from electromagnetic shielding fabric that basically can block electronic signals and devices that can block unidentified Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals. That's not even all. There is a particular demand for equipment that searches for signals emitted by foreign-made devices. So there's a lot. Now, this also assumes significance as some Chinese ministries and agencies have basically banned the use of iPhones at workplaces since 2023 on national security grounds. Since August that year, China repeatedly warned officials, students, tourists against foreign intelligence operatives. In fact, in April 2023, China even amended its counter-espionage law, banning the transfer of documents, data and items related to national security and interests. The sweeping nature of this law is evident from the fact that it does not define what constitutes China's national security and interests. It also expanded classified cyber attacks against state organs or critical infrastructure as acts of espionage. Now, this law enabled investigators probing such cases to ban a suspect from leaving the country. As of now, reports suggest that there are about 10 sizable companies in China which specialize in secrecy protection equipment. Many of them have a connection to the defense industry, reportedly. Now, on the domestic front, military units and government departments are among its main clients, and that's significant. However, these companies are also increasingly expanding their business abroad. For instance, some countries participating in China's Belt and Road Initiative, like Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, are also reportedly buying such equipment. As a complete system is generally priced at up to US$30,000, it is cost-effective for developing countries. and these systems are also provided with support for local languages, interestingly. Now, China's emphasis on counter-surveillance also coming amid growing scrutiny over its alleged espionage activities abroad. For instance, earlier this month itself, the U.S. arrested a 34-year-old California-based woman for allegedly conducting surveillance on the Taiwanese president's son at the behest of the Chinese government. While Beijing opposed peddling this Chinese spy narrative, Taiwan hit out at China over what it called transnational repression. Regarding the reports that U.S. judicial authorities uncovered illegal surveillance by China targeting President Lai's family, this is a classic case of transnational repression. We express our sternest condemnation of such barbaric acts that disregard human rights and intimidate individuals or their families who advocate for freedom and democracy. Such behavior should never be tolerated in the civilized world.