Spy versus spy

NEW DELHI: Tensions are running high on the global political landscape due to Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine, and the bifurcation of allegiances, vis-a-vis the EU and the West versus the Eastern bloc. Amidst this, yet another act of military bravado that transpired last week has observers worried. The American military recently shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the US coast, which has further dented the relationship between the world’s two remaining superpowers.

The balloon was detected last week over Montana, and China was quick to reply that the balloon was a civilian meteorological device, which had drifted off course. However, the incident spiralled into a diplomatic crisis, as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken put off his eagerly anticipated trip to Beijing, which was planned for February 6. Blinken’s visit could have been the first such measure by a top American official in the past five years. This is pertinent considering how the trip was an endeavour months in the making, aimed at ironing out differences between the two nations, something highlighted during the meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Bali.

While China termed the shooting down of the balloon as an over-reaction, the Americans considered its deployment into US airspace as an act of deep provocation. This was not the first Chinese surveillance balloon to be detected in foreign or American airspace, but it certainly is being considered among the most sophisticated ones. Under the Trump administration, there was a similar sighting, and a recent report from the Pentagon estimated that as many as 163 balloon or balloon-like entities were observed in 2022 itself. Three years ago, a similar airship was spotted over northern Japan. Just last year, one such entity was seen near Port Blair.

Back then, the governments of the respective nations desisted from shooting down the balloons, as they underestimated their potential. However, there are reports coming in now of a second Chinese balloon floating over Central and South America. It’s all the more reason why India, which shares a land border with China, but doesn’t really see eye to eye with Beijing, needs to up its game vis-a-vis handling such intrusions. The advancements in Chinese spy technology is symbolic of its growing reliance on espionage. For instance, last year, a Chinese ship masquerading as a research vessel docked in Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, grabbing the attention of leaders everywhere.

Beijing is also frequently employing civilian resources and assets to carry out espionage activities and data collection. During and after the pandemic, Beijing used contact tracing apps to monitor the movement of citizens and even impose house arrests and travel bans on ‘problematic’ individuals. An investigation from 2020 also revealed how a Shenzhen-based IT company had mined the personal data of more than 10,000 high-profile individuals in India.

For India, it is imperative to upgrade its counter surveillance measures, especially in the face of new challenges like cheap and expendable commercial drones. New Delhi must consider developing a whole range of specialised jammers and cost-effective solutions to track down and neutralise drones, that do not involve the use of costly firepower. We must also work on our space situational awareness to deal with Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) satellites that are capable of intercepting transmissions from neighbouring spacecraft, or sabotaging them. India can deploy airships to improve surveillance along borders. Apart from involving the private sector, New Delhi will also have to lean on the US and like-minded nations to secure international cooperation in tackling China’s espionage expansionism.