The West faces an “epoch-defining” challenge from China that must be addressed before it becomes the world’s leading technological power, one of the country’s top security chiefs warns today.
Lindy Cameron, head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will say that the UK and its allies cannot afford complacency over the “dramatic rise of China as a technology superpower”.
Beijing is aiming for technical supremacy over western countries rather than parity and, if it is allowed to succeed, the strength will be used to “achieve a dominant role in global affairs”, she will say.
Cameron, who is responsible for the UK’s cyberprotection as chief executive of the organisation, an arm of GCHQ, will warn in her speech: “Bluntly we cannot afford not to keep pace otherwise we risk China becoming the predominant power in cyberspace.”
The speech marks Cameron’s strongest intervention in her two-and-a-half year leadership of the NCSC and comes amid alarm at China’s increased aggression in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
There are fears that if China becomes technologically superior it could use supply chain controls to hobble its competitors and strangle western markets. Spy chiefs also worry that frontier technologies such as quantum computing, the semiconductor industry and artificial intelligence could be weaponised.
Cameron will use the CyberUK annual conference in Belfast, which will attract cybersecurity leaders from around the world, to warn government, business and the public to take heed of the growing threat. She is expected to tell delegates that “we cannot secure future technology without addressing the epoch-defining challenge that we are facing: the dramatic rise of China as a technology superpower”.
She will add: “China has identified several existing and emerging technologies as being vital to its future national security. And it has an aspiration to become a world leader in setting technological standards. So we need to be clear: China is not only pushing for parity with western countries, it is aiming for technical supremacy. It will use its tech strength as a lever to achieve a dominant role in global affairs
“What does this mean for cybersecurity? Bluntly we cannot afford not to keep pace otherwise we risk China becoming the predominant power in cyberspace. Some may dismiss this as far-fetched or scaremongering, but it is a risk I would urge you to take seriously. This is simply not something about which any of us can be complacent.”
Cameron’s language echoes that of Rishi Sunak, who revamped the government’s foreign policy on China last month and warned that it “represents a challenge to the world order”. A series of other spy chiefs have also spoken out about how China represents the greatest long-term threat from a hostile state, which places the West’s security values and democratic institutions at stake.
Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, warned last year that Chinese economic espionage was targeting the UK’s expertise, technology and research and trying to erode its commercial advantages.
The CyberUK conference is hosting discussions on the theme of “securing an open and secure digital future”. Cameron, who took over the NCSC in October 2020, will highlight the “huge advantage” the West possesses through its liberal economy and democratic values, but also the need for everyone working in cybersecurity to take responsibility in addressing the challenge. She will say the UK has taken a “proactive” approach to shape the frameworks that govern cyberspace.
Large language models such as ChatGPT, the AI chatbot, provide benefits such as making economies more efficient and providing a valuable service to customers. However, she will highlight concerns such as the potential for an increase in data privacy breaches, more convincing phishing attacks and the spread of disinformation. Cameron will also warn there is a risk that criminals might use such models to help with cyberattacks.
When Lindy Cameron took over at the National Cyber Security Centre in October 2020, she urged Britain to be “clear-eyed” on China (Fiona Hamilton writes). Its attempts at technological advancement and increased power marked “one of the most significant geopolitical shifts that we will see in this decade”, she said at the time.
Two-and-a-half years later, her language has evolved into a more strident warning that China is seeking to be the world’s technological superpower, a superiority that it would use to achieve dominance in global affairs. The West, she argues, must keep pace.
Cameron’s rhetoric matches the evolution of the threat. Beijing’s military manoeuvres and increased aggression in the Taiwan Strait is causing great alarm. One of the most serious concerns is Taiwan’s position as the world’s leading producer of semiconductor technology, used in everything from smartphones to fighter jets. A Chinese takeover could hobble western markets and create supply crises that could trigger a global recession.
China has also signalled a clear intention to become the superior power in terms of other frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, an area that spy chiefs fear could be weaponised.
Sir Jeremy Fleming, the outgoing head of GCHQ, has warned that China could effectively grab control of the world’s global operating system if it were allowed to dominate key emerging technologies. China is feared to be building a satellite system capable of tracking individuals around the world, which it could use to cement its influence. There are also concerns that it wants a centralised digital currency to insulate itself from international sanctions in the event that it invades Taiwan.
The threat in the UK has already manifested with concerns raised about some university collaborations which have links to malign activities of the Chinese state.
As China seeks to achieve its aims with increased aggression and economic espionage, the public should expect more interventions from Cameron and her colleagues.
Source: The Times
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