US should spy on Chinese firms to maintain edge in tech race: ex-CIA official
Former CIA deputy director’s call to repeal Obama-era ban on economic espionage comes as Beijing rushes to protect trade secrets
A former CIA official has called for Washington to spy on foreign companies to help US firms stay ahead in the technology race, in what would represent a break from long-standing US policy amid intensifying competition with China.
“The US lead in many crucial advanced technologies is being contested or even erased by China,” wrote David Cohen, who served as deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, in an article published by Foreign Affairs earlier this month.
“By abstaining from economic espionage, the United States has tilted the playing field against itself and magnified the Chinese threat.”
