China 'as big a threat to US' as Russia: CIA chief

Mike Pompeo says China is trying to steal US information and spread covert influence around the world

LONDON: CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Chinese efforts to exert covert influence over the West are just as concerning as Russian subversion.

In an interview with the BBC, he said China was trying to steal US information.

He told the BBC that the Chinese “have a much bigger footprint” to do this than the Russians do.



As examples, Pompeo cited efforts to steal US commercial information and infiltration of schools and hospitals – and this extended to Europe and the UK.

He said he expects Russia will target US mid-term elections later this year as part of the Kremlin’s attempt to influence domestic politics across the West.

The CIA chief also said that North Korea might have the ability to strike the United States with nuclear missiles “in a handful of months”.

He said the threat from Russia would not go away and asked if Russia would try to influence the mid-term elections later this year, he said, “Of course. I have every expectation that they will continue to try and do that.”

“But I am confident that America will be able to have a free and fair election. That we’ll push back in a way that is sufficiently robust that the impact they have on our election won’t be great.”

Pompeo was a hardline Republican congressman before becoming CIA chief.



As examples, he cited efforts to steal US commercial information and infiltration of schools and hospitals - and this extended to Europe and the UK.

Pompeo was a hardline Republican congressman before becoming CIA chief.