China | Not so spooky

China’s spies are not always as good as advertised

They are adept at hacking and harassing dissidents. But in other areas they have a lot to learn

In recent years Western officials have maintained a steady drumbeat of warnings about Chinese spies. In short, the spooks are getting bolder and better. Among other things, they’re accused of hacking into Microsoft’s Exchange email service, stealing Western defence and commercial secrets, harassing Chinese dissidents overseas and bugging the headquarters of the African Union (all of which China denies). Yet, when confronted by overwhelming evidence that Russia was about to invade Ukraine, China’s spies appear to have dropped the ball.

This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Imperfect spies”

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