The China Threat
Protecting the Cornerstones of Our Society
FBI Protecting Fundamental Freedoms from Chinese Government Attacks
The Chinese government is undermining our democracy and threatening our individual freedoms.
The government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is trying to surpass the U.S. as a global superpower and influence the world with a value system shaped by undemocratic, authoritarian ideals and actions.
The PRC exploits every opportunity—financial, technological, educational, and diplomatic—afforded by our country’s free and open society to develop and maintain a strategic edge.
The FBI uses every available tool to investigate and hold those who violate our laws accountable.
The FBI will protect the cornerstones of our society from systematic attack by the PRC, consistent with the FBI’s mission:
Report a Tip
The FBI is investigating threats from the Chinese government.
If you have information to share, contact your nearest FBI field office or report it at tips.fbi.gov.
Fundamental Human Rights
Everyone in the U.S. has fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution regardless of race, citizenship status, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, disabilities, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
The PRC has no regard for human rights and is currently engaged in massive human rights violations within its own borders.
The Chinese government no longer limits repression just to people in its own borders. The PRC routinely targets, threatens, and harasses U.S.-based Tibetans and Uyghurs, Falun Gong members, Taiwan and Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates, and any others who question the legitimacy or authority of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Transnational Repression
Some countries’ governments harass and intimidate their own citizens living in the U.S. This violates U.S. law and individual rights and freedoms.
Democratic Norms
The PRC seeks to undermine our democratic processes and institutions at all levels of government.
Relationships that may begin as seemingly overt and grounded in shared interests actually undermine some of our most cherished freedoms. China seeks to use these seemingly benign relationships and engagements to push its own policy objectives secretly, while hiding the fact that Beijing is behind the request or narrative.
The PRC also holds U.S. officials and businesses hostage to positions that are in line with China’s best interests, primarily financially. The PRC engages in outright criminal activity, violating U.S. federal law regarding campaign finance, for example, in an attempt to corrupt our democratic processes.
Combating Foreign Influence
The FBI, as the lead federal agency responsible for investigating foreign influence operations, established its Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) to identify and counteract these operations targeting the U.S.
Economic Security
American economic and national security are inextricably linked.
Our academic institutions, research enterprises, and private sector drive the U.S. economy and are the envy of the world. They are also targets.
The PRC is engaged in a well-resourced and systematic campaign to:
- steal our intellectual property
- compromise the integrity of our academic institutions
- put our companies out of business
The Chinese government does not abide by the concept of a free and fair market. Its economic strategies subvert the open international system championed by the U.S. and put all U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
Inside the FBI Podcast: Technology and Espionage
On this episode of Inside the FBI, we discuss some of the ways the government of China and the Chinese Communist Party threaten the economic well-being, national security, and democratic values of the United States.
The Rule of Law
In the U.S., we use the rule of law to advance fairness and justice. The Chinese government uses it to compel behavior beneficial to the party and punish those who don’t adhere to the party’s interest.
The PRC brazenly violates well-established sovereignty norms and the rule of law in pursuit of those it has accused of alleged crimes against the regime. The PRC is working to undermine our impartial judicial system and weaponize its own courts against U.S. businesses and individuals.
Counterintelligence
The FBI is the lead agency for exposing, preventing, and investigating intelligence activities, including espionage, in the U.S.
Chinese Talent Plans
Learn more about Chinese talent plans, how they work, and risks to U.S. businesses, universities, and laboratories—as well as to talent plan participants.
Made in Beijing: The Plan for Global Market Domination
This film helps the private sector recognize the urgent need to protect their intellectual property against sustained and ongoing industrial espionage by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Visit fbi.gov/chinathreat to learn more.
