Washington — More than 1,000 Chinese researchers have left the US amid a US crackdown on alleged technology theft, top US security officials said on Wednesday, adding that Chinese agents have already been targeting the incoming Biden administration.
The official said the researchers Demers referred to, who US authorities believe were affiliated with China’s People’s Liberation Army, fled the US after the FBI conducted interviews in more than 20 cities and the state department closed China’s Houston consulate in July. William Evanina, chief of the counter-intelligence branch of the office of the US director of national intelligence, told the same event that Chinese agents were already targeting personnel of the incoming administration of president-elect Joe Biden, as well as “people close” to Biden’s team.Biden’s transition team declined to comment. His campaign team said over the summer that it expected cyber-attacks and was prepared for them.
Evanina said Chinese researchers in the US who were under scrutiny of US agencies were “all coming here at the behest of the Chinese government”.