The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) released its latest national security review report on Tuesday, March 4th, emphasizing that Russia remains the biggest threat to Finland’s national security. However, it also highlighted that the Chinese Communist Party’s espionage activities in Finland are expanding rapidly, posing a major national security threat.
The report revealed that Chinese intelligence agencies are actively infiltrating Finland through social media and other digital channels, conducting personal information collection and cyber espionage activities, posing a serious security challenge to the country.
According to reports from the Central News Agency, Juha Martelius, the head of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service, stated at a press conference that Russia has long been conducting intelligence operations targeting Finland, with a focus on Finland’s NATO policies, critical infrastructure, military defense capabilities, and defense industry. Meanwhile, China is actively engaged in espionage activities in Finland, covering a wide range of areas including personal information collection, cyber espionage, and information manipulation.
The report warned that China not only uses individuals and social media to gather intelligence but also spreads false information in the online world through agents to disrupt investigations and create uncertainty. The intelligence agency further revealed that Chinese agents extensively recruit operatives through social media platforms and use encrypted currencies to pay rewards, making it difficult for employees to discern the true nature and objectives of their service.
Furthermore, the Finnish Security Intelligence Service report pointed out that following the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war, cooperation between China and Russia in the Arctic region continues to deepen. They jointly conduct coastal patrols and use Chinese technology and funding for energy projects, strengthening their collaboration in military, technology, and strategic resources.
The report emphasized that the Arctic region plays a crucial role in the development, use, detection, and counteraction of nuclear weapons and holds extremely high security, commercial, and technological value.