In a post-Cold War era and the age of terrorism and counter-terrorism, you’d think that we would have known exactly where the threat is coming from. Turns out it can come from another direction and in another form – old but very familiar. Yup, espionage is alive and well and it’s Chinese.

It’s not James Bond, folks.
Espionage as depicted in film and literature certainly carry with it some sort of romantic adventurism. Even the deadly bullets and life-extinguishing ballistic missiles seemed cool. Back when the CIA and their main counterpart, the KGB were in a who-blinks-first staring contest, much of the mystique seemed overly worked. Since glasnost and the rest of history, espionage somehow took a backseat, at least in the public’s consciousness.

That is, until recently, when an American was accused of sharing information regarding national defense to two Chinese men. The man, Gregg Bergersen, was an analyst for the U.S. Defense Department. The Chinese conspirators, furniture store owner Tai Shen Kuo and his employee Yu Xin Kang, apparently received information in exchange for money.

Should you be worried?
Before things get out of hand and you start looking towards the East with suspicion, consider a few things: turns out the information Bergersen gave to the Chinese duo was unclassified (read: available to the rest of us). The Chinese contact also appeared to be interested in a communication system that Washington seemed to share with Taiwan – hardly the type of information that puts fear in the hearts of men. In exchange for the information, Bergersen was paid for his thoughtfulness.

What the CIA says
In 1998, the CIA, along with other agencies, produced a report that declared information losses from the U.S. ‘were extensive’, particularly with the Energy Department. There have been classified information as well as unclassified and declassified material, not just to China but to other countries as well. Some of the extent of information loss was provided to the U.S. by one an ex-spy who defected.

Some years later, the Cox Report appears, declaring that there is some reason to be concerned. China has indeed stolen information about the design of advanced thermo-nuclear weapons. Although China is still developing similar weapons, it is expected that they would feature certain design elements taken from the stolen information.

So whom should we believe and should we be on our toes once again?

As things have been going, it’s a tough world when ideas (particularly about defense) are fair game. The right inclination paired with the right price can jeopardize and expose the most tightly-guarded secrets. It would be a huge mistake to assume that just because the Cold War is over that another one can’t be begun. Seems like yes, when it comes to the security and safety of what we love best, we still have to look over our shoulders. It’s not paranoia – it’s common sense.

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