According to Pronk, Chinese companies that develop photographic equipment, for example, are obliged to transfer all data captured by cameras to the Chinese government. “One of the things that happens is that a Chinese representative knocks on the door and asks what is seen in the pictures,” Pronk says. “If it hasn’t already been agreed it has to happen.”
The mandatory transfer of information to one’s government serves many different purposes, he points out. Especially since China has set itself the goal of becoming the greatest world power in 2049, when the People’s Republic has existed for a hundred years. “In this sense they want to dethrone the current world power, the United States,” continues Pronk.
‘China wants to become more powerful and gain more influence’
Develop
To achieve this, China is developing and expanding in the political, economic and military fields. “They want to become more powerful and gain more influence,” Pronk continues. “And you can use all kinds of very useful information for that.”
While AIVD director general Erik Akerboom said in BNR’s Big Five last week that 100,000 hackers are active in China every day, Pronk says that number is more than three times that size. They try to break into Dutch companies, but also government institutions and companies around the world to steal data.
Listen to the entire episode of BNR’s Big Five
Holistic
Pronk also calls China “No. 1” when it comes to digital spies, and that’s a scary picture. This is mainly due to China’s large-scale and holistic approach. “They’ve mobilized the whole of society to get their hands on data, which is called the new gold.”
“They have mobilized the entire society to get their hands on data, which is called the new gold”
The Chinese are mainly concerned with obtaining data on other countries and technology. For this reason, an export ban has been imposed on ASML for sending advanced chip machines to China. A wise decision according to Pronk. “We cut our fingers on it and it can detract from the earning power of a company like ASML,” he says. “But on the other hand, we are increasingly involved in the geopolitical power struggle between the United States and China. We’re kind of a toy in that, and so these kinds of painful choices will have to be made.’