Our picks: China watchChina Sees Tesla as an Espionage Threat | Curbing Chinese “Smart Cities” Technology | Biden’s Approach to China, and more

European Spies Are Alarmed after a Scientist with Top Security Clearance Was Caught Working for China, Sources Say  (Mitch Prothero, Business Insider)
Marine scientists Tarmo Kõuts had spied for China since 2018, Estonian prosecutors said. Sources say China’s efforts to infiltrate major European institutions is growing to rival Russia’s. One common tactic sees Chinese spies use business conferences and academic forums to conduct espionage.

Will Biden’s Approach to China and Russia Work?  (Emma Ashford and Matthew Kroenig, Foreign Policy)
The new administration’s interim national security guidance gets many things right—but it has its shortcomings.

Chinese Hackers Hit 30,000 U.S. Organizations in New Attack  (National Herald)
In yet another cyber-attack after SolarWinds, at least 30K organizations across U.S., have been hacked by China-based threat actors who used Microsoft’s Exchange Server software to enter their networks

China Sees Tesla as an Espionage Threat — Here’s Why  (Gillian Rich, Investors Daily)
Tesla cars are reportedly off-limits for Chinese military personnel and for officials at some state-run companies, according to a report Friday.
Chinese officials claimed that the electric car has sensors that can record video, monitor when and where the car was used and obtain personal information about the driver that can be sent back to the U.S., according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The electric-auto maker has several cameras positioned inside and outside the cars for its driver-assistance system. Tesla eventually wants its cars to be fully automated and drive without a person at the wheel.

U.K. Spy Agencies Push for Curbs on Chinese “Smart Cities” Technology  (Financial Times)

U.K. intelligence agencies are pushing for new curbs on local authorities’ use of Chinese “smart cities” technology over concerns Beijing could use it for espionage, surveillance or collection of sensitive data. It is the second intervention by the security services against Chinese suppliers, following the Huawei decision.

China “Separating Uighur Families” By Putting Children of Exiles in Orphanages SaysAmnesty  (Roland Oliphant, The Telegraph)
Amnesty International calls on China to reveal the whereabouts of the children of six families in exile believed to be in state care

Finland Says APT31 Group Likely Behind 2020 Parliament Hacking Attack  (AP / South China Morning Post)
The Finnish intelligence service said the espionage operation was carried out “with the aim of intruding into parliament’s IT systems.” Cybergroup APT31 has been generally linked to the Chinese government.

An Agile Superpower — China’s Various Roles in Africa and the Arctic  (UIT)
It is as if China is two completely different countries, if we look at how they appear in two such different cases as Africa and the Arctic, says Christer Henrik Pursiainen. He is a professor at the Department of Technology and Security at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
According to Pursiainen, it is not just the temperature difference that separates Africa from the Arctic. It also provides a good opportunity to take a closer look at how China adapts to two completely different situations and how they use widely differing methods to gain influence.

How to Deal with China  (Economist)
An epic global contest between autocracy and liberal values lies ahead.

China in the Integrated Review  (Geostraegy)
Across-Whitehall paper such as the Integrated Review will always disappoint those looking for the committee to design a horse and not a camel. This is unfair to committees and to camels: both can be useful in the right circumstances.
The early criticisms about the Integrated Review’s treatment of China – or paucity of it – are overdone. It is not a China strategy review, but one of the United Kingdom’s (UK) entire defence and security posture. We should welcome it for what it says on China, but be conscious that it also highlights the lack of a government China strategy and the great need for one. If the Integrated Review proves not to be a step on the way towards a properly articulated China policy, that will be the time for condemnation.