Chinese Regime Invests Heavily in Cyber Army

Chinese leaders are pouring millions of dollars into training a new and highly specialized branch of its military—an Internet attack and defense force.

This news has Western governments and companies that do business in China questioning the regime’s motives.

[Li Baohua, China Political Commentator]:
"I think the Chinese military's Internet development and that of local governments are coordinated, and support one another. The development serves both political and military purposes, and it's very important for safeguarding the regime."

Chinese hackers have repeatedly targeted governments and businesses around the world. News that the Chinese Communist Party seems to be massing these hackers into an organized branch of its military is disquieting to some.

U.S. diplomatic cables published on WikiLeaks suggest the United States government suspects Chinese hackers of attacks on targets ranging from Google to the Dalai Lama.

According to Chinese state media, the “cyber force” includes an elite 30-member core team based in Guangdong Province. They routinely engage in what the regime’s People’s Liberation Army calls “cyber warfare drills.”