Alarmed by China's growing political and economic ambitions, the CIA’s Deputy Director,
David Cohen, in a recent closed-door meeting with leaders of the agency’s counterterrorism
centre, made clear that fighting al-Qaeda and other extremist groups would remain a priority –
but that the agency’s money and resources would be increasingly shifted to focusing on China.
AP (August 8) reported that President Joe Biden and top national security officials speak less
about counterterrorism and more about the political, economic, and military threats posed by
China as well as Russia. There’s been a quiet pivot within intelligence agencies, which are
moving hundreds of officers to China-focused positions, including some who were previously
working on terrorism.
The last week makes clear that the US has to deal with both at the same time. Intelligence
officials have said they need more insights on China, including after being unable to
definitively pinpoint the cause of the Covid-19 pandemic. Beijing has been accused of
withholding information about the origins of the virus.
|