China, Russia use 'attractive' women to spy on Silicon Valley professionals, 'We're no longer chasing a KGB agent'

According to a report by The Times, Chinese and Russian intelligence operatives are using “sex warfare” to seduce and spy on Silicon Valley professionals. According to counterintelligence experts, both nations use ordinary people instead of trained agents. They use investors, tech workers and academics, making such operations more difficult to detect. China has also been accused of hosting American startup competitions to steal business ideas and sabotage American firms. A US House committee earlier warned that the Chinese Communist Party had carried out more than 60 espionage attempts in the past four years. Experts believe this number could be much higher. A senior US counterintelligence official told The Times: “We are no longer chasing a KGB agent in a smoky guesthouse in Germany.” “Our adversaries — especially the Chinese — are using a whole-of-society approach to exploit all aspects of our technology and Western talent,” the official said. James Mulvenon was among several men recently targeted by foreign women trying to steal American technology secrets. The chief intelligence officer at Pamir Consulting said he received numerous sophisticated LinkedIn requests from attractive young Chinese women. The trend has increased sharply in recent times, he told the publication. Two “attractive” Chinese women used detailed event information and attempted to enter a recent business conference in Virginia. However, they were denied entry. “It’s a phenomenon. And I’ll tell you: it’s weird,” said Mulvenon, an espionage expert for 30 years. ‘It’s sex warfare’ Such “honey trap” tactics present a real weakness for the US, he warned. “We, by law and by culture, don’t. So, they have an asymmetric advantage when it comes to sex warfare,” Mulvenon said, referring to American culture. US government warns startups The US government has warned startups against participating in international “pitch competitions” run by Chinese investors. Such events can be used to steal business ideas and sensitive data, the authorities warned. Winners of such competitions are often required to move their intellectual property to China to claim cash prizes or investments. Officials said some events even require business strategies, personal details and photos before participation. A senior counterintelligence official warned that China could exploit or patent these ideas, harming American innovators. Young entrepreneurs and academics are particularly at risk, reports The Times.