Taps Coogan – September 17th, 2020
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To predictably little media coverage in the US, it has been revealed that a Chinese government-linked company, Zhenhua Data, has been illegally amassing a database on at least 2.4 million people living outside of China. The database was recently leaked to Christopher Balding, a former associate professor at the Fulbright University of Vietnam and a long time China expert, whose interviews we have featured regularly here at The Sounding Line.
The database contained the names, dates of birth, addresses, marital status, photographs, political associations, relatives, social media data, news stories, criminal records, and corporate misdemeanours of influential people around the world who were likely the targets of Chinese espionage, influence, and manipulation. Some of the data came from open sources but other data was likely the result of illegal espionage: confidential bank records, job applications, and psychological profiles. Among the targets were at least 52,000 Americans, 35,000 Australians, 10,000 Indian, 9,700 British, and 5,000 Canadians, including prominent political figures, judges, organized crime figures, journalists, etc…
Below is an interview with Christopher Balding by Indian news outlet WION detailing the implications of the discovery.
#Gravitas | Should India boycott Chinese phones? Prof Christopher Balding – the man who exposed Chinese data theft, tells @palkisu how India can secure its digital borders. pic.twitter.com/40IMcLHIrx
— WION (@WIONews) September 15, 2020
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When did Balding become a longtime China expert? He taught economics in English in Shenzhen while often claiming to be in Beijing at Peking University, then went to Vietnam, where he claimed to be a Fulbright scholar when he taught at a university with no affiliation whatsoever with the Fulbright programme.
So he isn’t a China expert because when he lived there teaching economics for a decade it was at the Shenzhen Campus of Peking University not Beijing?
Here is the Fulbright Univerity in Vietnam saying he stopped being an employee there in September 2020. In order to stop working somewhere, last time I checked, you have to start working there. Your comment is the first time I’ve seen anyone claim ‘Fulbright Scholar .’ His bio says associate prof. At Fulbright University.
https://fulbright.edu.vn/statement-regarding-former-university-employee-christopher-balding/
No one who is an actual China Watcher takes Balding seriously. He lacks scholarly credentials in China studies, and his claims about being targeted by Chinese authorities are laughable. His views lack veracity, and his self promotion is striking, though unsurprising for someone who wants to be a big deal but isn’t.