
How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers - KumarAseem
https://mg.co.za/article/2018-01-29-how-china-spied-on-the-african-unions-computers
======
anvandare
I'd tear down the whole building; as I'd be very surprised if the walls
weren't full of bugs as well, similar to the American Embassy case.

[http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/15/world/the-bugged-
embassy-c...](http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/15/world/the-bugged-embassy-case-
what-went-wrong.html?pagewanted=all)

~~~
coconut_crab
China also helped building headquarter for Vietnam Ministry of Public Safety
[http://mapio.net/pic/p-57003656/](http://mapio.net/pic/p-57003656/) The
rumour is that this build is full of bugs in the walls and everywhere, so that
the Ministry is still using their old building, the new one is only for
unimportant paperwork.

~~~
dis-sys
welcome to world politics -

US sold a Boeing 767 to China which was planned to be used by the Chinese
President as the official jet, as expected, it is full of bugs.

[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1...](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1382116/China-
finds-spy-bugs-in-Jiangs-Boeing-jet.html)

Australia put bugs in the newly constructed Chinese embassy in Australia's
capital back in 1995.

[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-08/the-chinese-embassy-
bu...](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-08/the-chinese-embassy-bugging-
controversy/5079148)

~~~
TeMPOraL
Idea for political trolling: just once, sell the other country a jet or
whatever _without a single bug_ , and laugh as they desperately tear it apart,
trying to uncover something.

~~~
pythonaut_16
Bonus points if you leak the intel/design plans talking about your recent
breakthrough in bug technology and how untraceable they'll be now.

------
hueving
>China built and paid for the African Union’s computer network

I guess the old saying applies, "if you aren't paying for it, you are the
product."

~~~
ghostcluster
No wonder the US pressured Verizon to stop selling Huawei phones completely.
[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-30/verizon-i...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-30/verizon-
is-said-to-drop-plans-to-sell-phones-from-china-s-huawei)

I can feel the tensions between the West and China heating up notch by notch
now.. It's a bit uncomfortable.

I even feel a personal dampening on what I will say publicly about China on
social media, just because of hypothetical tech/travel opportunities, and I
don't even live there.

The CCP banned hip hop music in the country the other day, and they're
pressuring the Hong Kong courts to make guilty rulings against democracy
dissidents: [https://www.wsj.com/articles/beijing-attacks-hong-kongs-
rule...](https://www.wsj.com/articles/beijing-attacks-hong-kongs-rule-of-
law-1517270605)

It _feels_ like there could possibly be more larger scale problems going
forward and I'm slightly jittery.

~~~
adventured
They're also attempting to take control of the local operations of foreign
companies in China:

"American and European companies involved in joint ventures with state-owned
Chinese firms have been asked in recent months to give internal Communist
Party cells an explicit role in decision-making"

[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/command-
an...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/command-and-control-
chinas-communist-party-extends-reach-into-foreign-
companies/2018/01/28/cd49ffa6-fc57-11e7-9b5d-bbf0da31214d_story.html)

"Late last month, executives from more than a dozen top European companies in
China met in Beijing to discuss their concerns about the growing role of the
ruling Communist Party in the local operations of foreign firms"

[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-congress-
companies/...](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-congress-
companies/exclusive-in-china-the-partys-push-for-influence-inside-foreign-
firms-stirs-fears-idUSKCN1B40JU)

~~~
vetinari
Strictly speaking, there are no foreign companies in China.

Only joint ventures, and the Chinese partner has to have the majority.
Otherwise you are not going to do business there.

So it may be very well in scope of established rules.

------
toomanybeersies
There were concerns with using Huawei equipment in New Zealand for the UFB
Network (New Zealand's national fiber optic network) for similar reasons.

I can't remember what equipment they ended up using. But all I could think of
at the time was that if Huawei and the Chinese weren't spying on us, then
Cisco and the US government would be spying on us. Damned if you do, damned if
you don't.

Of course, after Snowden, it was revealed that they were spying on us the
whole time, with the NZ government being an enthusiastic participant as one of
the Five Eyes nations. They had actually tapped the (only) submarine internet
cable running out of New Zealand.

~~~
coldtea
> _Of course, after Snowden, it was revealed that they were spying on us the
> whole time, with the NZ government being an enthusiastic participant as one
> of the Five Eyes nations. They had actually tapped the (only) submarine
> internet cable running out of New Zealand._

Yep, it's mostly theater -- "oh, those pesky Chinese might spy", when they
already give every bit out to others.

------
delta1
Seems silly to exfiltrate the data during a quiet time instead of a busier
time of day where it should go unnoticed? "Hidden in plain sight"

------
dhx
Here's a quick sample of some of China's computer donations to parliaments,
defense and foreign affairs departments and police and immigration departments
in recent years:

PNG: [http://pg.china-embassy.org/eng/zbgx/t849942.htm](http://pg.china-
embassy.org/eng/zbgx/t849942.htm)

Fiji: [http://www.fiji.gov.fj/Media-Center/Press-
Releases/CHINESE-G...](http://www.fiji.gov.fj/Media-Center/Press-
Releases/CHINESE-GOVERNMENT-DONATES-EQUIPMENT-TO-DEFENCE-MI.aspx)

Botswana: [http://bw.china-embassy.org/eng/sbgx/t541543.htm](http://bw.china-
embassy.org/eng/sbgx/t541543.htm)

Maldives:
[http://www.foreign.gov.mv/index.php/en/mediacentre/news/2786...](http://www.foreign.gov.mv/index.php/en/mediacentre/news/2786-chinese-
government-donates-computer-systems-to-the-newly-established-fosim)

Samoa: [http://www.samoagovt.ws/2017/01/china-donates-new-
computers-...](http://www.samoagovt.ws/2017/01/china-donates-new-computers-
for-legislative-assembly/)

Cambodia:
[http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-11/03/c_134779443.htm](http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-11/03/c_134779443.htm)

Mozambique: [http://clubofmozambique.com/news/china-
donates-100-computers...](http://clubofmozambique.com/news/china-
donates-100-computers-to-mozambican-parliament/)

Sri Lanka:
[http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17B/Aug05_1501907095CH.ph...](http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17B/Aug05_1501907095CH.php)

Ghana: [https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2017/06/07/chinese-
embassy...](https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2017/06/07/chinese-embassy-
donates-computers-cash-to-attorney-general/)

Pakistan:
[http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/22/c_136627663.htm](http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/22/c_136627663.htm)

Liberia:
[http://mofa.gov.lr/public2/2press.php?news_id=880&related=7&...](http://mofa.gov.lr/public2/2press.php?news_id=880&related=7&pg=sp)

Zimbabwe: [https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-
byo-16364-a...](https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-
byo-16364-article-
china+donates+computers,+tvs+and+scanners+to+parliament.html)

Laos:
[http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-04/12/c_136202934.htm](http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-04/12/c_136202934.htm)

Macedonia:
[http://arhiva.vlada.mk/?q=node/5196](http://arhiva.vlada.mk/?q=node/5196)

Serbia:
[http://eng.mod.gov.cn/news/2017-06/21/content_4783395.htm](http://eng.mod.gov.cn/news/2017-06/21/content_4783395.htm)

Afghanistan:
[http://www.gov.cn/misc/2007-01/11/content_493797.htm](http://www.gov.cn/misc/2007-01/11/content_493797.htm)

Kyrgyzstan:
[http://en.people.cn/90001/90776/90883/6776679.html](http://en.people.cn/90001/90776/90883/6776679.html)

Dominica: [http://news.gov.dm/index.php/news/536-china-donates-
equipmen...](http://news.gov.dm/index.php/news/536-china-donates-equipment-
and-stationery-to-dominica-parliament)

Barbados: [http://www.caribbean360.com/news/china-gives-barbados-
over-u...](http://www.caribbean360.com/news/china-gives-barbados-over-
us-400-000-in-military-aid)

Guinea Bissau: [http://en.africatime.com/guinee_bissau/articles/china-
donate...](http://en.africatime.com/guinee_bissau/articles/china-donates-
military-equipment-guinea-bissau)

Moldova:
[http://www.army.md/index.php/duhovniceti/img/userfiles/info/...](http://www.army.md/index.php/duhovniceti/img/userfiles/info/aquizition/inf/617/inf/kcaptcha/?lng=3&action=show&cat=122&obj=1448)

Guyana:
[https://www.stabroeknews.com/2017/news/stories/11/07/457430/](https://www.stabroeknews.com/2017/news/stories/11/07/457430/)

Nigeria: [http://www.spa.gov.sa/299126](http://www.spa.gov.sa/299126)

Malawi: [http://en.africatime.com/malawi/articles/malawi-china-
donate...](http://en.africatime.com/malawi/articles/malawi-china-donates-
computers-immigration-department)

Yemen:
[http://ye.mofcom.gov.cn/article/jmxw/201309/20130900303426.s...](http://ye.mofcom.gov.cn/article/jmxw/201309/20130900303426.shtml)

Syria: [http://sy.china-embassy.org/chn/xwfb/t790038.htm](http://sy.china-
embassy.org/chn/xwfb/t790038.htm)

[http://china.aiddata.org/geospatial_dashboard](http://china.aiddata.org/geospatial_dashboard)
and [https://www.lowyinstitute.org/chinese-aid-
map/](https://www.lowyinstitute.org/chinese-aid-map/) are interactive maps
(albeit using older data) showing where donations and aid have ended up.

These are just the overt instances where press releases are issued with prime
ministers, senior officials and ambassadors shaking hands in front of donated
computers and laptops. There has also been research such as
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GhostNet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GhostNet)
which is relevant to this discussion.

Also very telling is how Western countries are responding. Some recent
articles:

Verizon no longer selling Huawei phones:
[http://www.afr.com/news/world/verizon-is-said-to-drop-
plans-...](http://www.afr.com/news/world/verizon-is-said-to-drop-plans-to-
sell-phones-from-chinas-huawei-20180130-h0qgok)

AT&T no longer selling Huawei phones: [http://www.afr.com/news/world/north-
america/att-told-to-stee...](http://www.afr.com/news/world/north-america/att-
told-to-steer-clear-of-huawei-by-us-congress-20180116-h0jaa7)

Australia funding a PNG-Solomon Islands-Australia undersea fiber optic cable
project to prevent Huawei from getting the contract:
[http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-
news/austra...](http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-
news/australia-takes-over-solomon-islands-internet-cable-amid-spies-concerns-
about-china-20180125-h0o7yq.html)

------
gopz
> The organisation acquired its own servers, and _began encrypting its
> communication_

yikes, sounds pretty sloppy from all sides

------
flurdy
Not sure what going public with this benefits anyone. They could have covertly
leaked missinformation or gain benefits by being in control what is leaked.

------
tekkk
Seems such a small gain with potentially huge downside with African countries
distancing themselves from China. And so sloppily done too...

~~~
coldtea
> _Seems such a small gain with potentially huge downside with African
> countries distancing themselves from China._

European countries and the US have been meddling in African countries for
centuries, even more blatantly (including directly toppling governments or
bringing in their armies) and they have hardly "distanced" themselves from
them -- and they'll do that to China for such small peanuts?

The population doesn't know better or is kept down, and the leaders do what
brings money to their accounts, not to the country.

~~~
petroseskinder
> The population doesn't know better or is kept down, and the leaders do what
> brings money to their accounts, not to the country.

This is less the case, and it is more that Chinese spying is peanuts compared
to what the West has done and continues to do.

------
whisk
It's really embarrassing... for who always call Africans "old friends"

~~~
theandrewbailey
Next, they'll claim that Africa has been part of China since ancient times.

~~~
Apocryphon
Zheng He's voyages

------
M_Bakhtiari
When will Africa realise that they have to learn to look out for themselves
because no-one else will?

They declined Europe's "offer" (though realistically Europe really didn't have
anything to offer its colonies after being devastated by WWII), but where they
that much better off under Soviet influence and are they that much better off
under China? It's time they started working towards real independence instead
of always trying to chase the next free lunch.

~~~
partycoder
Well that's exactly what the African Union is for.

The poverty trap right now is:

1) Loan from the IMF

2) Restructure your debt = privatization = loss of sovereignty and control

3) Repeat

The hope is that through a regional central bank, regional investment bank and
a regional monetary fund they can break away from the shackles of predatory
psycopaths like the IMF and the World Bank.

I personally think this will not actually succeed and neocolonial powers will
do everything in their power so the union does not succeed.

For example, UNASUR, the Latin American equivalent of African Union, is dead
on arrival because of corruption. The president pro-tempore, Macri, doesn't
seem to be representing regional interests at all.

~~~
vidarh
The AU seems likely to be a in better spot, in part because it is built on
regional "pillars" and a lot of separate organizations, so even if the AU
itself for some reason were to fail, it is already having massive impact. E.g.
ECOWAS covers 15 countries and ~350 million in West Africa. SADC covers 16
states in Southern Africa etc. COMESA acts as a superset of SADC and EAC,
providing a free trade area covering 400m+ people in Southern and Eastern
Africa, and so on.

A number of monetary unions have started coalescing the currencies of he
continent, as well, so even if the progress towards a single African currency
were to fail, that too is still having an impact.

~~~
AnAfrican
the AU is also much older than UNASUR. The OAU was established in 1963 with a
very clear mandate towards unification and decolonization.

However, the good intentions towards unity had to quickly face the reality of
each despot desire to stay in power.

~~~
vidarh
That's true, but also changing, with the AU getting increasingly willing to
send in joint AU forces to stabilize countries, or pressuring various
governments to hold elections. That the AU is taking a more active role in
curtailing dictators is quite ironic given that one of the drivers in getting
to the Sirte declaration that laid a lot of the groundwork for reviving the
work on the AU was Gadaffi...

------
itpanda123
Why don't the reporter reveal more details about the "strange peak in data
usage"?

The news could be less lame if published from a non-formal-colonizer country.

