US CIA Establishes China Mission Center to Strengthen Intelligence on China: "Responding to Hostile China"

CIA Director "China Is the Most Important Geopolitical Threat We Face"
Korea Mission Center Absorbed into East Asia Division

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has established a 'China Mission Center' to strengthen intelligence operations against China.

According to the Washington Post (WP) and Bloomberg News, CIA Director William Burns announced the establishment of the China Mission Center in a statement on the 7th (local time).

Director Burns stated, "The China Mission Center will enhance our collective efforts against the most significant geopolitical threat we face in the 21st century, namely the increasingly hostile Chinese government," adding, "Our CIA will be at the forefront in responding to the greatest geopolitical threat we face in this new era of great power competition."

The Mission Center functions as an independent organization that systematically allocates and manages CIA personnel and resources for specific purposes.

With the establishment of the China Mission Center, the CIA plans to deploy agents, linguists, technical experts, and specialists in various countries to collect intelligence and counter China's pursuit of its interests.

The CIA will also recruit and train Chinese language proficient personnel. Director Burns plans to meet weekly with the head of the China Mission Center to receive reports.

The establishment of the China Mission Center is being compared to the CIA's intelligence activities against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

A senior CIA official told the WP that China is considered a stronger and more complex rival than the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, given its economic scale and international influence.

Bloomberg News noted, "Director Burns referred to China as 'the greatest threat to the United States' during his Senate confirmation hearing in February," and evaluated that "(the establishment of the Mission Center) demonstrates the intention to prioritize responding to China."

The CIA's announcement of the China Mission Center came the day after U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to hold a virtual summit within the year.

William Burns, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
[Photo by Reuters]

This is interpreted as showing the U.S. intention to engage in communication with China while also responding to strategic competition with China.

Former CIA Director John Brennan said, "If there is a country that requires a separate Mission Center, it is China. A country with international ambitions that poses the greatest challenge to U.S. interests and the international order."

The Korea Mission Center and Iran Mission Center, established during the Donald Trump administration, will be absorbed into divisions responsible for the entire East Asia and Middle East regions, respectively.

The Korea Mission Center was established in May 2017, marking the first time the CIA created a separate Mission Center focused on a specific country. In 2018, as dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. developed, then Korea Mission Center Director Andrew Kim visited Pyongyang with then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, leading progress in negotiations.

However, with Director Burns' decision to absorb the Korea Mission Center into the East Asia division, it is effectively being dissolved. The New York Times (NYT) reported that the CIA concluded internally that these countries can be best analyzed within the context of the surrounding region.

Nonetheless, the CIA expressed its intention to treat North Korea issues as a major priority and respond intensively.

In his statement, Director Burns said, "We will continue to focus on aggressive Russia, provocative North Korea, and hostile Iran."

Director Burns also announced the establishment of a Mission Center focused on new technologies. This center will identify new technologies used in CIA intelligence collection and by other countries collecting intelligence against the U.S., and will also handle missions related to multinational issues such as climate change, international health crises, and economic security.

Meanwhile, the CIA is facing a crisis as its overseas intelligence network is shaken. The NYT reported on the 5th that the CIA recently sent a highly classified cable to branches worldwide, warning that the identities of dozens of informants had been exposed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.