spyology

the shadow

In his new book "Tiger Trap," veteran intelligence author David Wise turns
his attention to the history of Chinese espionage against the United States
and the sometimes clumsy, self-defeating U.S. response.

While the subject matter often lends itself to exaggeration or anti-China
animus, Mr. Wise generally evades these hazards and sticks close to the
facts. And though at least the outlines of individual episodes described
in the book have previously been reported, the author fills in numerous
gaps in the public record, including some previously classified details.
The book presents Chinese espionage successes and failures, some brilliant
U.S. counterintelligence strokes and some egregious failures, some suspects
who were falsely accused and others who got away nearly unscathed.

It all adds up to a lively and surprisingly cohesive narrative, especially
since many of the individual stories overlap with one or more of the
others. "Chinese spy cases have tendrils that often seem to reach out and
become entangled in other cases," Mr. Wise writes.

When it comes to espionage, "China may be America's single most effective
and dangerous adversary," according to Mr. Wise. "It managed over the
years to penetrate both the CIA and the FBI. It acquired highly classified
and guarded nuclear weapons secrets."

"Without exaggerating the danger of Chinese espionage, or magnifying the
threat, it is a fact that China's spying on America is ongoing, current,
and shows no sign of diminishing. The conflict is no less real for being
mostly unseen." It goes without saying that U.S. intelligence also
collects against China.

"Tiger Trap: America's Secret Spy War with China" by David Wise was
published this week by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
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