Tourists Or Spies? Over 100 Chinese Visitors Accused Of Trespassing On US Military Bases
Benzinga Chinese individuals, occasionally posing as tourists, have reportedly trespassed onto U.S. military bases and other secure locations several times in recent years,sparking concerns of potential espionage, the Wall Street Journal reported.
These infiltrations, dubbed gate-crashing by U.S. officials, range from Chinese nationals crossing into amissile range in New Mexicoto supposed scuba divers near a rocket launch site in Florida.
TheDefense Department,Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies reviewed these incidents last year to limit their frequency. The incidents are perceived as attempts to test U.S. military and federal site security practices.
TheChinese Embassy in Washingtonrefuted the allegations, labeling them as ill-intentioned fabrications. The incidents have raised enough concern for Representative Jason Crow to suggest the possibility of legislation addressing the issue.
These breaches may be low-level intelligence collection efforts by the Chinese government, according toEmily Harding, a senior fellowat the Center for Strategicand International Studies in Washington.
