Joshua Meservey

Senior Policy Analyst, Africa and the Middle East

SUMMARY

Beijing may have better surveillance access to Africa than anywhere else in the world. Chinese companies have constructed or renovated (or both) at least 186 sensitive African government buildings; Chinese telecommunications firms have built at least 14 intra-governmental, “secure” telecommunications networks; and the Chinese government has gifted computers to at least 35 African governments. As the world leader in economic espionage and foreign influence operations, Beijing almost certainly uses its engagements in Africa to surveil American and African officials and business leaders. The Chinese government could use the information it harvests to advantage its companies competing against American and other firms, glean insights into U.S. security assistance and counterterrorism programs, and recruit or influence senior African government officials. The U.S. should, among other efforts, work to understand the nature of Chinese surveillance and how it contributes to Beijing’s influence operations, educate U.S. companies on the risks, and train its officials on techniques to complicate Beijing’s information gathering in Africa.

If it produces technology the Chinese government or one of its companies covet, that technology would be at great risk of being poached. Chinese companies have already done this in West Africa, enabling them to dominate the region’s wax-print fabric industry and force out indigenous competitors.

Chinese eavesdropping could gain valuable information on African governments’ negotiating strategies, competitors’ bids, and other relevant information: There are reports of Chinese hackers stealing just that sort of information in other parts of the world.

coputa:
The china made mobile phones used in (africa) poor countries has in build spy ware that monitors everything you do.

coputa:
The china made mobile phones [/b]used in (africa) poor countries has in build spy ware [b]that monitors everything you do.

SarkinYarki:
African are too careless about everything

Neonspook:



The chinese are known for their intellectual property theft so it's foolish to give them a back door to spy through. Africa's tech sector will grow and they will continue their nefarious policies.