Rep. Jim Banks said that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) spying capabilities continue to grow, and the United States needs to strengthen its efforts to "defeat" the CCP. Banks shared his statement in an October 15 post on X.
"The #CCP's espionage network is now larger than the Soviet Union's during the Cold War," said Banks. "We need to get serious about defeating the Chinese Communist Party."
According to the Wall Street Journal, China is conducting espionage and spying activities on Western countries on an "unprecedented scale" by "mobilizing security agencies, private companies, and Chinese civilians in its quest to undermine rival states and bolster the country’s economy." In the past month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that a Chinese-linked firm hacked "260,000 internet-connecting devices, including cameras and routers" within the U.S., Britain, France, Romania, and other countries. Beijing has previously denied any allegations of espionage targeting Western countries.
The Wall Street Journal further reports that China’s espionage capabilities pose a security risk for the U.S. and other Western countries because trade with China has supported Western economic growth for decades. In recent years, China has become "more assertive militarily," especially regarding its involvement in supporting the Russian-Ukraine war and Taiwan independence affairs. It is also challenging to spy on China because Beijing's intelligence operations are "decentralized" and operate "largely autonomously."
According to a press release from Senator Rick Scott, the CCP has been "surveilling the United States for years using drones." The Chinese drone industry is producing "over 50% of the drones in the marketplace alone." Scott introduced the "Countering CCP Drones Act" last year to counter security threats posed by Chinese-made drones.
Banks has served Indiana’s 3rd District in the House of Representatives since 2016. From 2010-2016 he chaired the Indiana State Senate Veteran Affairs and Military Committee. From 2014 to 2015, Banks took a leave of absence when he was deployed in Afghanistan during Operations Enduring Freedom and Freedom’s Sentinel.
