Image by SSYoung

China is becoming increasing aggressive with its spying in the Baltics; the Lithuanian security services have begun to take notice in a report released this week.

“As Chinese economic and political ambitions grow in Lithuania and other NATO and EU countries, activities of the Chinese intelligence and security services become increasingly aggressive,” the State Security Department and the Second Investigation Department under the Defense Ministry said in their National Threat Assessment 2019 report released on Tuesday, reported The Baltic Times.

“Primarily, China’s domestic policy issues drive Chinese intelligence activities in Lithuania. For example, it seeks that Lithuania would not support independence of Tibet and Taiwan and would not address these issues at the international level,” the bodies said.

“From Lithuanian citizens Chinese intelligence may seek to obtain sensitive or classified national or NATO and EU information,” the report says.

“Chinese intelligence looks for suitable targets – decision-makers, other individuals sympathizing with China and able to exert political leverage. They seek to influence such individuals by giving gifts, paying for trips to China, covering expenses of training and courses organized there”.

“Chinese intelligence-funded trips to China are used to recruit Lithuanian citizens”.

China typically uses infrastructure lending as a ticket to entering a foreign economy. Beijing is currently looking at investing in the seaport at Klaipeda, Lithuania.