Espionage activities linked to the Chinese Communist Party are part of a broader global trend aimed at gathering sensitive information through covert means.
In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said intelligence operations conducted discreetly or surreptitiously allow foreign actors to obtain information outside established channels or open sources.
“This is a global trend by the Chinese Communist Party to get information through discreet or surreptitious means,” Trinidad said.
According to the military, such efforts could enable China to strengthen and advance its capabilities beyond those of other countries.
Trinidad added that espionage activities may also provide strategic advantages by allowing a country to learn the plans and strategies of potential adversaries.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier said it continues to strengthen its counterintelligence and security measures to protect sensitive information and safeguard national security.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. warned that espionage poses a “very real” security threat to the Philippines, saying authorities are actively working to uncover and counter foreign intelligence networks operating in the country.
Teodoro said the government has intensified efforts to address the issue, including conducting operations to dismantle espionage activities and pushing for stronger legal protections against spying.
