PLA Navy warns that ‘loose lips can sink ships’
China’s military alerts officers to online enemies of the state on its official WeChat account
A wave of paranoia is washing over the Naval force of the People’s Liberation Army amid security fears. It has become a case of “loose lips sink ships,” to quote an old World War II propaganda poster.
In what can only be described as the excesses of China’s opaque political policy, Naval officers have been warned they could be “extremely easy online” targets. Internet dating and gambling sites risk exposing them to enemies of the state.
“Distinguish carefully and keep some distance when making friends online. Never lose sight of your principles [when] making random friends with netizens,” the PLA Navy stated in a social media post on its official WeChat account.
The ruling Communist Party-controlled Global Times highlighted what is at stake. “The PLA Northern Theater Command is closely monitoring the challenges brought by the internet, illustrating online ‘traps’,” it reported earlier this week.
Opening salvo:
- Millennials, or those born in the 1990s, face the biggest threat, Global Times said.
- Using a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, poses serious security issues, it added:
- “‘Phishing email,’ hackers and ‘trojan apps’ contain hidden dangers and viruses.”
Military personnel should not reveal their identities online.
Global Times
Delve deeper: “Due to the sensitive nature of their roles, military personnel should not reveal their identities online. They should always be vigilant [about safeguarding] sensitive information,” the nationalistic tabloid Global Times stressed.
Between the lines: The latest warning came just hours after it was announced that the PLA Air Force would unveil the J-35A stealth fighter next week. State-run China Daily confirmed it would be the star act at the International Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai.
Big picture: Controversy has swirled around an aircraft that looks like a carbon copy of the F-35 Lightning II, the top gun jet in the arsenal of the United States Air Force.
What was said: “There has been speculation that the J-35 may have some F-35 DNA – acquired by hackers working at the behest of Beijing,” The National Interest think tank, which is based in Washington, said in the September issue of its magazine.
China Factor comment: Beijing has been accused of launching online spying raids to steal sensitive US military and technological information. It would be surprising if China’s armed forces were not similarly targeted by rival malware warriors.