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Chinese espionage in Hawaii
Hawaii is one of the targets of the People's Republic of China's intelligence gathering in the United States. The state hosts a large U.S. military presence in the Pacific Ocean. Chinese intelligence activities have included reconnaissance by sea, air, and space, traditional forms of espionage, as well as cyberwarfare and information operations.
The geostrategic and military importance of Hawaii due to its location in the Pacific has been recognized by American diplomats and heads of state for well over a century. Hawaii hosts key commands from all branches of the United States Armed Forces, including United States Army Pacific, United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, United States Pacific Fleet, Pacific Air Forces, and United States Space Forces – Indo-Pacific, all of which report to United States Indo-Pacific Command. It serves as the forward edge of their operations in the Indo-Pacific. The National Security Agency's Hawaii Cryptologic Center also serves important functions for military intelligence.
China has conducted apparent technical collection by sea, air, and space. The U.S. Navy has confirmed several instances of spy ships of the Chinese PLA Navy loitering off the Hawaiian coastline. In 2014, the Chinese spy ship Beijixing was reported in waters close to Hawaii during the RIMPAC military exercises. In 2018, another Chinese Type 815 spy ship was reported nearby during RIMPAC.
In 2023, a high altitude spy balloon launched from central China overflew Hawaii on a mission to collect intelligence on U.S. military bases in Hawaii and Guam when it blew off course, causing an international incident which culminated in the balloon being shot down by the United States Air Force.
In January 2023, the Japanese government's Subaru Telescope, located at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii, identified China's Daqi-1 satellite scanning the Big Island with a laser instrument which can be used for precision topographical mapping.
In 2011, a federal court in Hawaii sentenced Noshir Gowadia, an engineer who helped to design the Northrop B-2 Spirit, to 32 years in prison for selling classified information about the stealth bomber to the Chinese government.
In 2019, Assistant General Attorney for National Security John Demers publicly warned of China's industrial espionage against the island after meeting with Hawaiian officials as part of the program known as the China Initiative.
In 2024, Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, a former CIA Operations Officer and FBI Honolulu Field Office translator who resided on Oahu, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for serving as a mole for China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).
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Chinese espionage in Hawaii
Hawaii is one of the targets of the People's Republic of China's intelligence gathering in the United States. The state hosts a large U.S. military presence in the Pacific Ocean. Chinese intelligence activities have included reconnaissance by sea, air, and space, traditional forms of espionage, as well as cyberwarfare and information operations.
The geostrategic and military importance of Hawaii due to its location in the Pacific has been recognized by American diplomats and heads of state for well over a century. Hawaii hosts key commands from all branches of the United States Armed Forces, including United States Army Pacific, United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, United States Pacific Fleet, Pacific Air Forces, and United States Space Forces – Indo-Pacific, all of which report to United States Indo-Pacific Command. It serves as the forward edge of their operations in the Indo-Pacific. The National Security Agency's Hawaii Cryptologic Center also serves important functions for military intelligence.
China has conducted apparent technical collection by sea, air, and space. The U.S. Navy has confirmed several instances of spy ships of the Chinese PLA Navy loitering off the Hawaiian coastline. In 2014, the Chinese spy ship Beijixing was reported in waters close to Hawaii during the RIMPAC military exercises. In 2018, another Chinese Type 815 spy ship was reported nearby during RIMPAC.
In 2023, a high altitude spy balloon launched from central China overflew Hawaii on a mission to collect intelligence on U.S. military bases in Hawaii and Guam when it blew off course, causing an international incident which culminated in the balloon being shot down by the United States Air Force.
In January 2023, the Japanese government's Subaru Telescope, located at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii, identified China's Daqi-1 satellite scanning the Big Island with a laser instrument which can be used for precision topographical mapping.
In 2011, a federal court in Hawaii sentenced Noshir Gowadia, an engineer who helped to design the Northrop B-2 Spirit, to 32 years in prison for selling classified information about the stealth bomber to the Chinese government.
In 2019, Assistant General Attorney for National Security John Demers publicly warned of China's industrial espionage against the island after meeting with Hawaiian officials as part of the program known as the China Initiative.
In 2024, Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, a former CIA Operations Officer and FBI Honolulu Field Office translator who resided on Oahu, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for serving as a mole for China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).