A Look At The NSA's Team Of Hackers And Spies Targeting America's Enemies Abroad.

(ABC News)

Inside The NSA's Ultra-Secret China Hacking Group -- Matthew M. Aid, Foreign Policy

Deep within the National Security Agency, an elite, rarely discussed team of hackers and spies is targeting America's enemies abroad.

This weekend, U.S. President Barack Obama sat down for a series of meetings with China's newly appointed leader, Xi Jinping. We know that the two leaders spoke at length about the topic du jour -- cyber-espionage -- a subject that has long frustrated officials in Washington and is now front and center with the revelations of sweeping U.S. data mining. The media has focused at length on China's aggressive attempts to electronically steal U.S. military and commercial secrets, but Xi pushed back at the "shirt-sleeves" summit, noting that China, too, was the recipient of cyber-espionage. But what Obama probably neglected to mention is that he has his own hacker army, and it has burrowed its way deep, deep into China's networks.

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Update #1: The NSA Has A Secret Group Called 'TAO' That's Been Hacking China For 15 Years -- Business Insider
Update #2: Secret NSA hackers from TAO Office have been pwning China for nearly 15 years -- Computer World

My Comment: I like to quote Buddha in situations like this one .... if you point a finger at someone, you are actually pointing three at your self. The U.S. has pointed a finger at China over cyber hacking and cyber warfare ....  but as we have learned in the past week with Edward Snowden's NSA revelations .... the U.S. was actually pointing three fingers at themselves.

US-China Summit Ends: News Roundup

US-China Summit Ends With Accord On All But Cyber-Espionage -- The Guardian

Obama's meeting with Xi overshadowed by revelations of NSA's snooping – but deals are made on N Korea and HFCs emissions.

The Chinese contrition over cyber-attacks that Washington had hoped for failed to materialise, but historic talks between presidents Obama and Xi Jinping lived up to their billing in other regards with agreement on issues ranging from climate change to North Korea.

Meeting in the baking heat of a Palm Springs country estate, the two leaders broke with protocol for two days of informal talks aimed at creating a new spirit of co-operation between the world's two economic superpowers.

The common ground they found, however, was not quite what the White House expected as talks on cyber-espionage were overshadowed by revelations of Washington's own cyberwarfare strategy.

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More News On The US-China Summit

White House: Obama, Xi summit 'wide-ranging and successful' -- Politico
Obama, Xi work through range of issues in 2-day summit -- CNN
Obama and Xi conclude summit discussions -- CBS
Xi-Obama summit: US and China agree North Korea must give up nuclear weapons -- The Telegraph
Xi, Obama agree to maintain coordination on hotspot issues in Asia-Pacific -- Xinhuanet (China)
Obama warns Xi that continued cybertheft would damage relations, U.S. officials said -- Washington Post
Cyber crimes confrontation at Obama Xi summit -- The Telegraph
Obama, China Make Climate Change Agreement -- Huffington Post/Reuters
Highlights of discussion between Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping -- Washington Post/AP
Obama-Xi: US and Chinese media on talks -- BBC

The Chinese Plan To Encircle And Contain America

REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang

Rising Red Tide: China Encircles U.S. By Sailing Warships In American Waters, Arming Neighbors -- Bill Gertz, Washington Times/The Washington Free Beacon

China has been quietly taking steps to encircle the United States by arming western hemisphere states, seeking closer military, economic, and diplomatic ties to U.S. neighbors, and sailing warships into U.S. maritime zones.

The strategy is a Chinese version of what Beijing has charged is a U.S. strategy designed to encircle and “contain” China. It is also directed at countering the Obama administration’s new strategy called the pivot to Asia. The pivot calls for closer economic, diplomatic, and military ties to Asian states that are increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment throughout that region.

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My Comment:  These are still small steps by China .... it is what may be coming next that is raising concerns in Washington.

Are Chinese And American Military Chiefs Becoming 'Friends'

U.S. Adm. Samuel Locklear is welcomed by China's Gen. Qi Jianguo in Singapore on Sunday. Reuters

Chinese, U.S. Military Chiefs Break the Ice -- Wall Street Journal

SINGAPORE—Even as tensions run high between U.S. and Chinese militaries over cyberspying and shows of force by both sides in the Pacific, American and Chinese military chiefs at a security conference in Singapore aren't showing it.

They set the thorniest issues aside for the moment and embraced a new approach to break down the barriers between them: small talk—about their military careers, spouses and grandkids. The charm offensive on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue conference this weekend came ahead of a high-stakes summit later this week between their countries.

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Update: Analysis: China turns on the charm at regional security forum -- Reuters

My Comment: China turning on the "charm offensive" ?!?!?!? Please ..... they are sticking to their main uncompromising points.

So Much For Closer U.S. - China Military Ties

Chuck Hagel Rebuked By Chinese General Over US Buildup In Asia -- The Guardian

Confrontation over increased US presence in region comes days ahead of Obama's meeting with Chinese premier in California.

US defence secretary Chuck Hagel was challenged by a Chinese general Saturday to better explain the US military's Asia pivot, just moments after the Pentagon chief warned Beijing over cyberwarfare.

In a speech at a high-profile security conference in Singapore, Hagel said the US administration has concerns about "the growing threat of cyberintrusions, some of which appear to be tied to the Chinese government and military".

The rebuke – coming in China's backyard and in front of a Chinese delegation – was countered by questioning of America's intent in the region, following a reposition of its military strategy.

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Update: China questions expanded US role in the Pacific; Hagel warns Beijing on computer-based attacks -- Washington Post/AP

My Comment: The Chinese are not laying down and taking U.S. criticism .... they are striking back.

U.S. And China Agree To Hold Regular Talks On Issues Of Cybersecurity

Then Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama at the White House earlier this year. Photo: Xinhua

U.S., China To Team Up On Issues Of Cybersecurity -- Globe and Mail/New York Times

The United States and China have agreed to hold regular, high-level talks on how to set standards of behaviour for cybersecurity and commercial espionage, the first diplomatic effort to defuse the tensions over what the United States says is a daily barrage of computer break-ins and theft of corporate and government secrets.

The talks will begin in July.

On Friday, President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping, who took office this spring, are scheduled to hold an unusual, informal summit meeting in Rancho Mirage, Calif., that could set the tone for their relationship and help them confront chronic tensions like the nuclear threat from North Korea.

U.S. officials say they do not expect the process to immediately yield a significant reduction in the daily intrusions from China. Gen. Keith B. Alexander, head of the U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, has said the attacks have resulted in the “greatest transfer of wealth in history.” Hackers have stolen a variety of secrets, including negotiating strategies and schematics for next-generation fighter jets.

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My Comment: President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jingping are meeting this week. I suspect they want the issue off the table so that both leaders can focus on other things (i.e. North Korea, economy and trade, Syria, etc.).

China's Defense Ministry: No Need To Steal U.S. Military Secrets

China Says It Has No Need To Steal U.S. Military Secrets -- Reuters

(Reuters) - China's Defense Ministry dismissed as ridiculous on Thursday a U.S. report that Chinese hackers have gained access to designs of more than two dozen major U.S. weapons systems, saying the country needed no outside help for its military development.

The Washington Post cited a U.S. Defense Science Board report as saying that the compromised U.S. designs included those for combat aircraft and ships, as well as missile defenses vital for Europe, Asia and the Gulf. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng dismissed the report, which the Pentagon and other U.S. defense officials have downplayed as outdated and overstated.  

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Update: ‘We don’t need US military secrets’: Beijing slams White House theft claim. -- RT  

My Comment: No one is believing this claim from China.

Has The Pentagon Made A Mistake In Inviting China To The 2014 Rim Of The Pacific Naval Exercise?

Ships and submarines participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012 exercise are seen underway in close formation during the exercise on July 27. (Chief MCS Keith Devinney / Navy)

America's China Mistake -- L.A. Times Editorial

As Beijing becomes more bellicose, Washington clings to the hope that military-to-military relations will somehow relieve tensions. They won't.

This spring, China's navy accepted the Pentagon's invitation to participate in the 2014 Rim of the Pacific — RIMPAC — naval exercise to be held off Hawaii. This will be the first time China takes part in the biennial event.

Our allies should signal their intent to withdraw from the exercise if China participates. Failing that, the invitation should be withdrawn. RIMPAC is for allies and friends, not nations planning to eventually wage war on the United States. Russia sent ships in 2012, but while its senior officers may occasionally utter unfriendly words, they are not actively planning to fight the United States. Analyst Robert Sutter was surely correct when he wrote in 2005 that "China is the only large power in the world preparing to shoot Americans."

That assessment, unfortunately, remains true today. Beijing is configuring its forces — especially its navy — to fight ours. For instance, China has deployed along its southern coast its DF-21D, a two-stage solid-fuel missile that can be guided by satellite signals. The missile is dubbed the "carrier killer" because it can be configured to explode in midair, raining down sharp metal on a deck crowded with planes, ordinance, fuel and sailors. Its apparent intent is to drive U.S. forces out of East Asia.

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My Comment: China's naval doctrine is focused on countering and defeating U.S. Pacific forces. Why the U.S. has decided to invite the Chinese to such an exercise with no quid pro quo is beyond me .... it is like inviting the fox into the hen house and hoping that it would behave.

Update: In the L.A. Times poll on this subject .... over 83% are of the opinion that this is a bad idea.

Is China Worried About U.S. Weapons?

New U.S. Weapons Have China Worried -- Michael Richardson, Japan Times

SINGAPORE – When the United States carried out a successful test recently of an advanced high-speed, long-range weapon ostensibly designed to reduce U.S. reliance on nuclear arms in a crisis, it set alarm bells ringing in China. Far from reassuring Beijing, the May 1 test of the sleek hypersonic unmanned aircraft, known as the X-51A WaveRider, has added to China’s concerns that U.S. superiority in conventional weapons may make nuclear conflict more, not less, likely.

During the test, the WaveRider’s scramjet engine ignited high above the Pacific Ocean, thrusting the demonstrator to a speed of nearly 6,245 kilometers per hour (KPH), just over five times the speed of sound. Scramjet stands for supersonic combustion ram jet, which has no moving parts. Fuel is mixed with air rushing into the combustion chamber and then ignited to provide power.

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My Comment: Why should they be worried .... they now know (in detail) most of America's weapon systems.

Preparing For Next Week's U.S. - China Summit

U.S. President Barack Obama with China's Vice President Xi Jinping in the Oval Office, February 14, 2012. (Jason Reed/Courtesy Reuters)

China Looking For New Path In Ties With US -- Voice of America

BEIJING — China said it is looking for a new way of interacting with the United States and other major powers. As Beijing prepares for the first major meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Barack Obama in California in June, China said it is seeking a path that is different from the contentious ties that have characterized relations between the major powers in the past.

China’s new leadership has been on a diplomatic blitz, welcoming a range of foreign leaders to Beijing and visiting South Asia, Europe, Russia and Africa.

Earlier this week, Premier Li Keqiang returned from his first trip overseas. The tour featured stops in India, Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany. This Friday, President Xi Jinping will depart on his second tour.

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More News On Next Week's U.S. - China Summit

Obama to discuss cybersecurity with China's Xi: White House -- Reuters
W.H.: Obama will talk hacking with Chinese president -- Politico
White House stresses personal side of Obama-Xi summit -- Space Daily/AFP
China President Says Relations with US at Critical Juncture -- Voice of America
US, China hold talks before Obama-Xi summit expected to be long on issues and short on trust -- Washington Post/AP
Chinese President to Seek New Relationship With U.S. in Talks -- New York Times
US, China Search for New Model of Relations -- Voice of America
Beijing Says Ties With U.S. at a Crucial Point -- Wall Street Journal
Military ties in focus before summit -- China Daily
Cybersecurity at Top of Agenda for Xi, Obama Meetings -- China Digital Times
China, U.S. hold talks ahead of Xi-Obama meeting -- Xinhuanet
At Upcoming Obama-Xi Summit, Don't Expect 'Deliverables' -- Dan Washburn, Asia Society

White House: President Obama Will Talk To Chinese President Xi About Chinese Hackers Hacking U.S. Weapon Systems

U.S. President Barack Obama, right, meets with Xi Jinping, the incoming leader of China, at the White House on Feb. 14, 2012. Photo credit: Bloomberg News

White House: Obama Will Talk To China About Hacking Our Weapon Systems -- Washington Examiner

Chinese hackers gained access to some of the top weapon systems in the United States military, especially those that project American power in the Pacific, according to a Pentagon report prepared by a Defense Department advisory council, a topic that President Obama’s spokesman said would be discussed at his next meeting with Chinese leaders.

“I’ve seen the report,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said during the press gaggle Tuesday. “I would refer you to the Pentagon for specifics about the potential hacking of weapon systems. But I would note, as you’ve heard from the president, his national security adviser and others, as well as myself, cybersecurity is a key priority of this administration. It is a key concern that we have. It is an issue that we raise at every level in our meetings with our Chinese counterparts, and I’m sure will be a topic of discussion when the president meets with President Xi in California in early June. It was certainly a topic of conversation when National Security Adviser Donilon was having meetings in China, from which he is just returning now.”

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My Comment: Here is an easy prediction .... the Chinese are not going to listen to him or anyone else.

U.S. Wants Closer Military Ties With China

China's President Xi Jinping meets US National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. Yao Dawei / Xinhua

US Calls For Closer Military Ties With China -- Voice of America

The United States is calling for closer military cooperation with China, even as fresh reports of Chinese cyber attacks on critical U.S. defense systems are causing tensions between the two powers.

White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said Tuesday the two sides should boost "non-traditional" military activities, such as peacekeeping, fighting piracy, and disaster relief. He made his comments in Beijing alongside top Chinese General Fan Changlong.

"The central part of building a confidential relationship, but building a new model of relations between great powers is ensuring that we have a healthy, stable and reliable military-to-military relationship," he said.

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More News On U.S. - China Relations

White House security adviser calls for deeper China military ties -- Reuters
In China, US official promotes military ties -- Bloomberg Businessweek/AP
Best frenemies: U.S. wants closer military ties with China -- Washington Times
Wang Tells Donilon China Must Coordinate Its Policies With U.S. -- Bloomberg
Xi calls for 'new' relationship -- China Daily
China President Says Relations with US at Critical Juncture -- Voice of America
Beijing Says Ties With U.S. at a Crucial Point -- Wall Street Journal
China, U.S. hold talks ahead of Xi-Obama meeting -- Xinhuanet
US, China hold talks before Obama-Xi summit expected to be long on issues and short on trust -- Washington Post/AP
US, China Search for New Model of Relations -- Voice of America

It Is Too Late To Prevent A U.S.-China Cyberwar?

Preventing a U.S.-China Cyberwar -- New York Times editorial

When President Obama and President Xi Jinping of China have their first meeting next month in California, addressing the issue of China’s cyberattacks on American institutions will be an important priority. Both nations need to take steps to avoid drifting into an all-out cyberwar.

Despite Beijing’s denials, there is little doubt that Chinese hackers have taken aim at a range of government and private systems in the United States, including the power grid and telecommunications networks. In February, a report by the computer security firm Mandiant detailed how hackers working for the People’s Liberation Army of China had gained access to data from American companies and government agencies. Earlier this month, a Pentagon report explicitly accused the Chinese military of the attacks.

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My Comment: I think it is too late to prevent a U.S.-China cyberwar .... that genie left the bottle a long time ago. Instead .... I believe the focus should be on making sure that a "hot cyber war" does not convert inself a "hot conflict" politically/diplomatically/economically .... and eventually .... using conventional military forces. Probably the best way to do this is to lay down 'red lines' on what is not permitted (i.e. attacking infrastructure/banking networks/etc.) .... the consequences if they are crossed .... and then hope for the best.

U.S. And China Deepen Military Ties

Musicians from the military bands of China's People's Liberation Army and the U.S. Army take photos during a rehearsal for their joint concert at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, in this October 29, 2012 file photo. REUTERS/China Daily/Files

Analysis: From Opera To Exercises, U.S. And China Deepen Military Ties -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Even as the United States accuses China of military espionage and worries about Beijing's more strident posture in the Asia-Pacific region, the ties between the armed forces of the two nations have been getting closer.

Direct contact between China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and some of its potential adversaries has increased dramatically in the last two years.

The first major public sign of the thaw was a joint concert by the U.S. Army band and its Chinese counterpart in 2011 at Washington's Kennedy Center where a female U.S. sergeant and a well-known male Chinese singer in a PLA uniform belted out a duet in Italian from the opera La Traviata.

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My Comment: What was completely unthinkable 25 years ago is now .... acceptable and expected.

Could The United States Really Go To War With China?

The Unstoppable Force vs. The Immovable Object -- Noah Feldman, Foreign Policy

Could the United States really go to war with China?

Are we on the brink of a new Cold War? The question isn't as outlandish as it seemed only a few years ago. The United States is still the sole reigning superpower, but it is being challenged by the rising power of China, just as ancient Rome was challenged by Carthage, and Britain was challenged by Germany in the years before World War I. Should we therefore think of the United States and China as we once did about the United States and the Soviet Union, two gladiators doomed to an increasingly globalized combat until one side fades?

Or are we entering a new period of diversified global economic cooperation in which the very idea of old-fashioned imperial power politics has become obsolete? Should we see the United States and China as more like France and Germany after World War II, adversaries wise enough to draw together in an increasingly close circle of cooperation that subsumes neighbors and substitutes economic exchange for geopolitical confrontation?

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My Comment: To begin .... I doubt very much that we will ever see such a conflict in our lifetime. But if such a possibility does rear it's ugly head .... in today's climate I doubt very much that the U.S. would go to war against China. There is zero political will in Washington to even fathom such a possibility. On the flip side .... I cannot same about the Chinese .... and this is my biggest worry.

Chinese University Lab Linked To PLA Cyber Attacks Against The U.S.

Network Effects -- Washington Free Beacon

Chinese university lab linked to PLA cyber attacks.

A computer science laboratory at China’s Wuhan University has been linked by U.S. intelligence agencies to Chinese military cyber attacks on the West.

According to U.S. officials, the Key Laboratory of Aerospace Information Security and Trusted Computing at Wuhan’s Computer Science School in central China’s Hubei Province is the latest cyber warfare research and attack center to be identified from within China’s secret cyber warfare program.

The Pentagon’s latest annual report on China’s military, made public last week, for the first time confirmed that Chinese cyber attacks on the U.S. government appeared “attributable directly to the Chinese government and military.”

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My Comment: Even though China continues to deny these claims, these non-stop attacks are becoming a growing irritant in US-China ties.

Why China Will Be In A Position To Win In Any Showdown Against The U.S. By 2030

A Chinese jet fighter at a recent training exercise. Photo: via China Defense Blog

Why Beijing Could Win The Great China-America Showdown of 2030 -- David Axe, Danger Room

Over the next 15-20 years, the U.S. and China are headed for a confrontation in the western Pacific, with Japan caught in the middle. And China, currently the underdog, could very well come out on top. That’s the unnerving conclusion of a new report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

The nine authors of “China’s Military & the U.S.-Japan Alliance in 2030,” released Thursday, stress that a full-blown shooting war is not in the cards. “The threat is not a war with China,” the report states. Rather, Washington and its close ally Tokyo could find themselves losing influence and disputed island territory to an increasingly unconstrained Beijing that finds it can “win without fighting” owing to a combination of its own military rise and its rivals’ relative declines.

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My Comment: The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's report is here. What's my take .... the Chinese always look 10, 20, 30 years into the future and position themselves accordingly .... with this type of mindset, China will probably be the dominant power in Asia by 2030.

Pentagon Accuses China Of Hacking Into Their Defense Networks

Targeted: The Pentagon, pictured, has accused the Chinese government and military of involvement in the numerous cyber-attacks launched against U.S networks for the first time in its annual report. Daily Mail

Pentagon accuses China of trying to hack US defence networks -- The Guardian

China dismisses as 'hype' Pentagon's claim that China is using cybersnooping to acquire technology for its military modernisation

China is using espionage to acquire technology to fuel its military modernisation, the Pentagon has said, for the first time accusing the Chinese of trying to break into US defence computer networks and prompting a firm denial from Beijing.

In its 83-page annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments, the Pentagon also cites progress in Beijing's efforts to develop advanced-technology stealth aircraft and build an aircraft carrier fleet to project its power further offshore.

The report says China's cybersnooping is a serious concern that points to an even greater threat because the "skills required for these intrusions are similar to those necessary to conduct computer network attacks".

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More News On The Pentagon Accusing China Of Hacking Into Their Defense Networks

Pentagon report for 1st time says China government, military responsible for US cyberattacks -- Washington post/AP
U.S. Directly Blames China’s Military for Cyberattacks -- New York Times
Pentagon: Chinese government, military behind cyberspying -- Washington Post
Pentagon Accuses China of Cyberspying on U.S. Government -- Bloomberg
Pentagon: China's Government Hacked U.S. Networks -- NPR
Pentagon: China Views Information Warfare as Key to Countering U.S. Pacific Forces -- NextGov
U.S accuses China of cyber-spying on government computers -- Daily Mail
China denies Pentagon cyber-attack claims -- The Telegraph
China rejects Pentagon charges of military espionage -- Reuters
China Rejects Pentagon's Accusations of Cyber Attacks -- Voice of America
Beijing says US defence report hypes China threat -- AFP

China Is Seen Nearing U.S.’s Military Power In Asia

A Chinese commander adjusts the cap of a soldier in Beijing, ahead of a visit by President François Hollande of France in April. Petar Kujundzic/Reuters

China Is Seen Nearing U.S.’s Military Power In Region -- New York Times

TOKYO — China’s growing industrial might is likely to allow it to mount an increasingly formidable challenge to the military supremacy of the United States in the waters around China that include Japan and Taiwan, though it will probably seek to avoid an outright armed conflict, according to a detailed new report by a group of American researchers.

The report by the nine researchers, published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the most likely outcome for the next two decades showed China narrowing the gap with the United States in military abilities, in areas including building aircraft carriers and stealth fighter jets. At the same time, the report, to be released Friday, said China’s economic interdependence with the United States and the rest of Asia would probably prevent it from becoming a full-blown, cold-war-style foe, or from using military force to try to drive the United States from the region.

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My Comment: Because U.S. military power is spread around the world .... and China is focused on Asia .... I would state that China has not only matched U.S. power in Asia, but because of their sheer numbers they have surpassed the U.S..

Pentagon Is Using A Chinese Satellite For US-Africa Command Communications

Pentagon Paying China — Yes, China — To Carry Data -- Danger Room

The Pentagon is so starved for bandwidth that it’s paying a Chinese satellite firm to help it communicate and share data.

U.S. troops operating on the African continent are now using the recently-launched Apstar-7 satellite to keep in touch and share information. And the $10 million, one-year deal lease — publicly unveiled late last week during an ordinarily-sleepy Capitol Hill subcommittee hearing — has put American politicians and policy-makers in bit of a bind. Over the last several years, the U.S. government has publicly and loudly expressed its concern that too much sensitive American data passes through Chinese electronics — and that those electronics could be sieves for Beijing’s intelligence services. But the Pentagon says it has no other choice than to use the Chinese satellite. The need for bandwidth is that great, and no other satellite firm provides the continent-wide coverage that the military requires.

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More News On The Pentagon Leasing A Chinese Satellite For Communications

Pentagon using China satellite for US-Africa Command -- Stars and Stripes/Bloomberg New
Pentagon questioned on use of Chinese satellite -- South China Morning Post
Pentagon leaning on Chinese satellite for Africa Command communications -- RT
Pentagon Paying Chinese for Satellite Bandwidth -- Washington Free Beacon
Pentagon’s Use Of China Satellite For Communication In Africa Triggers National Debate -- Digital Times
US Military Leases Chinese Satellite Capacity to Provide Bandwidth for Africa Command -- Satellite Today

Comment #1: This was unthinkable 20 years ago .... but today .... everyone just shrugs their shoulders.
Comment #2: The above video of the launch of the Chinese satellite in question is super-cool to watch.