Washington. Tensions between the US and China have increased significantly in the last few years. Recently, the US had given an open warning regarding Taiwan that if China misbehaved then it would have to bear the brunt. American intelligence agencies have intensified their efforts against China amid the tension between the two countries. But this effort has raised concerns among civil rights groups. Because they have growing new concerns about espionage affecting civil liberties. A new report from the Office of the US Director of National Intelligence has made several recommendations.
There is constant pressure on US intelligence agencies that have expanded new centers and programs focusing on Beijing to better understand China’s decisions on a variety of issues, including nuclear weapons, geopolitics and the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Surveillance increased on people of Chinese origin
While the US approach to China enjoys bipartisan support, civil rights groups and advocates are concerned about the disproportionate impact of increased surveillance on people of Chinese descent.
For example, people who talk to relatives or contacts in China may be more likely to be monitored. The US government has a long history of discrimination against groups of citizens in the name of national security.
Example from the time of World War II
Japanese-Americans were held in detention camps during World War II, black leaders were spied on during the Civil Rights Movement of 1960, and mosques were spied upon after the September 11 attacks. Aryani Ong, co-founder of the organization Asian American Federal Employees for Non-Discrimination, said people of Asian descent are sometimes “not fully trusted as loyal Americans”.