Report Warns Of China’s Military Use Of Nanotechnology
China has long been a significant concern for U.S. military officials based on mounting evidence of the communist nation’s mounting arsenal of weapons and troops.
About three months ago, American sources denounced air and water maneuvers in response to an alleged intrusion into Chinese territory. Although China claimed it was the U.S. and Canada that had provoked the interception, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said it would “not be long before somebody gets hurt” by acts like that one and a similar prior incident.
“These two that you saw recently … are unsafe and unprofessional,” Kirby asserted. “These are part and parcel of an increasing level of aggressiveness by the [Chinese] military, particularly in the area of the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.”
While these actions were on full display, some experts say an even more insidious program is underway within China’s military that could result in invisible warfare.
A new report from the Chinese Communist Party BioThreats Initiative outlines an ongoing push to utilize emerging nanotechnology in the formation of “biological, biochemical and neurobiological weapons” that could be deployed without any immediate evidence.
According to researchers, “China’s advancements in biotechnology raise concerns about potential dual-use applications, as there are fears they may be exploring genetically engineered pathogens for use in biological warfare, while obfuscating the original point of origins.”
Another major concern cited in the report is China’s “expertise in electromagnetic and cyber warfare,” which could provide a stealth method of disrupting “critical infrastructure and defense networks without direct military engagement, making traditional countermeasures obsolete and ineffective.”
China has also reportedly been at the forefront of adapting artificial intelligence platforms for use in military and other state-sanctioned programs, leading to a host of possible military attacks that bear no resemblance to warfare of the past.
The country’s current trajectory, the researchers warned, could end with the development of “new invisible arsenals beyond traditional chemical and biological weapons.”
Among the likeliest uses of this technology referenced in the new report are surveillance, data theft, electromagnetic manipulation, misuse of nanomedicine and AI-powered nanorobots.
In order to protect against this mounting threat, the report stressed the need for investments “in new detection technologies, leveraging AI and machine learning, fostering international collaboration, and updating arms control agreements [so that] the global community can enhance its ability to detect and mitigate the dangers of these new and emerging threats.”
