TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China has launched a large-scale espionage campaign against the US and its global partners, the Center for Strategic and International Studies warned in a report published on Tuesday.

CSIS interviewed 100 officials and experts from many countries, including Australia, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, and the UK. It also interviewed US officials responsible for overseeing American alliances.

China seeks to “penetrate US and partner militaries and governments” and has reportedly stolen weapons systems designs, including for the F-35, the Aegis ballistic-missile defense system, and the Patriot PAC-3 missile system, CSIS said.

In 2023, Mike Burgess, the director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, acknowledged that Australia faced “unprecedented” Chinese threats, according to CSIS.

CSIS said that while the US has suffered many data security breaches, enemies consider American allies “even more vulnerable," including some key partners against China. It cited a foreign official as saying that their intelligence office was reluctant to share with the Philippines due to Chinese infiltration in the country.

Some partners are frustrated that the US delays sharing intelligence and passing on operational plans, especially regarding China in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. 

“At times, allies felt that the United States tried to dictate strategic priorities without sufficient consultation,” CSIS said. For example, pushing partners to boost support for Taiwan's security or cutting trade with China created tension, particularly with Germany, France, and South Korea.

The think tank called on the US to reduce bureaucratic and technical barriers and create a culture of intelligence sharing. It also recommended the US rethink certain policies and “invest more seriously in the institutional foundations and political relationships that underpin effective allied cooperation.”