Chinese spies targeted Dutch industries, including chipmaker ASML, to strengthen military, intelligence agency says
- Dutch intelligence first publicly attributed cyber espionage to China in February, when they said state-backed cyber spies gained access to a Dutch military network
- Last year, the Netherlands joined a US effort to keep certain chip making technology from China for national security reasons
“China wants to be independent from western knowledge and technology [and] wants to build a military that can match any other,” the MIVD said.
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“To do so, it needs advanced technology it doesn’t yet fully possess. It tries to get this abroad, using legal means such as research and investments, but also through its intelligence agencies.”
Dutch intelligence agencies first publicly attributed cyber espionage to China in February, when they said state-backed cyber spies had gained access to a Dutch military network last year.
Earlier this month, the US government also pressed the Netherlands to stop ASML from servicing some tools in China, according to people familiar with the matter.
In its annual report, the MIVD said China continued to target western armed forces for their knowledge on modern weapon systems and operational expertise, while also seeking out other advanced industries.
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Chinese universities also play an important role in gathering intelligence, it said, as scientists who work with western companies often also work for China’s security services and state companies.