Major US technology companies have reportedly stepped up background checks on employees and job applicants, which experts say is necessary to counter China’s cyber espionage threat.
While background checks are being ramped up for applicants and employees of all races, those with family ties to China are thought to be particularly subject to pressure from the Beijing government.
Zheng, a Chinese student majoring in computer science at an American university, hopes to turn his ties to China into an opportunity for profit.
He declined to reveal his full name, fearing possible retaliation from the Chinese government. But he added that he has recently focused on cyber security in hopes of increasing employment opportunities in the United States.
“The goal is somewhat ambitious, but I think I know more about China as a person born and raised there. I hope that my characteristics will become a strong point in the field of cyber security, and play a role in the fight against Chinese cyber attacks,” says Zheng, who has applied for political asylum in the United States.
He says he’s not overly concerned that the increased background checks will affect his job prospects, but adds that many international students he’s studied with worry they won’t be able to secure a job. , in the field of cyber security.
Google, OpenAI and Sequoia Capital are among the technology companies offering investment capital that have increased security checks for employees or potential employees, according to a recent report by The Financial Times.
The paper cited sources at these companies who said they were responding to warnings from the US government about a growing threat from Chinese espionage over the past two years.
Concerns about Chinese cyber espionage
In an April memo, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the Chinese government has tried to steal “intellectual property, technology and research materials” from American industries.
In response, the US government has increased security measures over the past two years, including updating export control regulations aimed at limiting China’s ability to provide advanced computer microprocessors and artificial intelligence.
Part of this response are the reinforced warnings to American companies.
Ivan Kanapathy, senior representative of Beacon Global Strategies, a company that operates in the field of national security, told VOA that Silicon Valley leaders share the same concern as the US government.
“In recent years, technology companies have become more cautious, they don’t want to fall victim to the Chinese strategy to acquire technology,” he said.
“Companies don’t have the luxury of facing competitors that would drive them out of business, and we’ve seen this happen in many industries. “It is natural for American and allied technology companies to be concerned and take steps to minimize the risks of Chinese state-sponsored espionage,” he said.
Ray Wang, CEO of Silicon Valley-based Constellation Research, said the theft of American intellectual property has become more rampant since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. He adds that Beijing targeted people with ties to China.
Mr. Kanapathy says that China can also obtain American technology through what is known as the “talent poaching” practice, meaning that they recruit someone with experience in a particular technology and ask him to obtain information on the technology for opened a new company in China. Although ethically this practice is controversial, it is sometimes legal.
“It is likely that China will also try to place its people, including engineers, in some companies that have technologies of interest to it. It is a multifaceted strategy,” he adds.
In a statement to VOA, Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said he was aware of the allegations, but added that the US government had “failed to provide solid evidence”.
“We firmly oppose the baseless accusations and slander against China, and we hope that relevant parties will view China’s development objectively and fairly,” he wrote.
Spokesman Liu also noted that last year, the World Intellectual Property Organization ranked the Chinese economy first in the world among middle-income countries and 12th overall in terms of independently creating intellectual property rights.
“China’s scientific and technological achievements are never made through “theft”. The Chinese people, including intellectuals, have made such achievements with their talent and hard work,” he wrote.
Concerns over control over security elements
Mr. Wang said that increased control measures are implemented for the security elements of all employees. The companies Google and OpenAI have imposed stricter controls on Chinese employees, and Microsoft is transferring some of its most important Chinese engineers from China to other regions of the world; NVIDIA corporation has also been very vigilant in their scanning process.
Microsoft employees in China, mainly engaged in the field of computer data storage, were recently offered the opportunity to work in the United States, Australia or Ireland, as well as other countries, a government source said at a article. The Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft asked about 800 employees, mostly engineers of Chinese nationality who work in the field of computer data storage and artificial intelligence, to consider the idea of relocating.
He said companies should be careful to avoid fueling xenophobia. “So almost every new employee, not just Chinese nationals, has to go through the same vetting process. I think it’s really important,” he said.
So far, that hasn’t been a problem for Joey Wu, a Chinese computer engineer in California. He told VOA that he has not seen stricter measures against Chinese citizens, nor has he been treated differently because of his nationality.
“I think the United States is relatively tolerant and open,” Mr. Wu said. “It is not easy for a large technology company to have so many foreign employees. Chinese companies, such as Huawei, are full of Chinese employees, with very few foreigners, and it is unlikely that Americans will be hired to such an extent that they will play a more important role.”
Mr. Kanapathy noted that the founders of many tech companies are themselves from China or India, and they are demanding security checks for Chinese citizens.
VOA reached out to Google, OpenAI and Sequoia for comment, but did not receive a response by the time this article was published./VOA
