China has launched an anti-espionage investigation against US-based Coca-Cola for allegedly conducting illegal mapping in many sensitive areas of the mainland, a move that may escalate a spying row between Beijing and Washington.
The case is being handled jointly by China’s National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geo-information and the Ministry of State Security. The involvement of the top intelligence authority underscores the seriousness of the case, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
‘We understand that espionage is a serious charge against a world famous company,’ said an official from the administration.
‘We are still in the process of gathering information’, the report said. ‘What we can say for now is that many subsidiaries of Coca-Cola are involved and this happens in many provinces. Due to the sheer scale of the case, the complexity of the technology involved and the implication to our national security, we are working with the Ministry of State Security on this,’ the official said.
The news came after Li Pengde, deputy director of the administration openly accused the beverage giant on a national radio programme on Tuesday and said some of its employees were caught using hand-held GPS devices to collect sensitive geographic information in Yunnan province.
Coca-Cola said the GPS devices were used to improve fuel efficiency and customer service.
Coca-Cola issued a statement saying it was ‘co-operating fully’ with the investigation. It said the GPS they used were ‘digital map and customer logistic systems commercially available in China.’
The GPS devices were used to improve fuel efficiency and customer service, the company said.
Many Western companies use GPS devices to track the whereabouts of their employees as a way to improve efficiency and better planning.
SINO-INDIAN TIES ON CENTRESTAGE AS XI FORMALLY BECOMES PREZ
As Xi Jinping officially became the President of China on Thursday, India is looking at how the relations shape up under the new leadership. Xi, who attaches ‘great importance’ to developing ties with India, has assured New Delhi that Beijing would work to create a brighter future of their bilateral relations.
‘China will, as it has been doing, pay great importance to developing relations with India and Hu’s era saw strategic equilibrium in ties between India and Pakistan even though New Delhi remains concerned about Beijing’s all-weather ties with Islamabad. cooperation with India to create a brighter future of their bilateral relations,’ Xi wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in January.
The two sides have worked on dialogue mechanism on defence, trade, economic and strategic fronts.
Defence Minister A K Antony is due to tour Beijing in coming months followed by the visit of Prime Minister Singh as it is his turn to pay a reciprocal visit to China.
Dai Bingguo, China’s top pointsman on talks with India, held his last round of talks with National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon in December during which both sides reached a ‘common understanding’ on the progress made so far to work for a framework to resolve the issues.
The case is being handled jointly by China’s National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geo-information and the Ministry of State Security. The involvement of the top intelligence authority underscores the seriousness of the case, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
‘We understand that espionage is a serious charge against a world famous company,’ said an official from the administration.
‘We are still in the process of gathering information’, the report said. ‘What we can say for now is that many subsidiaries of Coca-Cola are involved and this happens in many provinces. Due to the sheer scale of the case, the complexity of the technology involved and the implication to our national security, we are working with the Ministry of State Security on this,’ the official said.
The news came after Li Pengde, deputy director of the administration openly accused the beverage giant on a national radio programme on Tuesday and said some of its employees were caught using hand-held GPS devices to collect sensitive geographic information in Yunnan province.
Coca-Cola said the GPS devices were used to improve fuel efficiency and customer service.
Coca-Cola issued a statement saying it was ‘co-operating fully’ with the investigation. It said the GPS they used were ‘digital map and customer logistic systems commercially available in China.’
The GPS devices were used to improve fuel efficiency and customer service, the company said.
Many Western companies use GPS devices to track the whereabouts of their employees as a way to improve efficiency and better planning.
SINO-INDIAN TIES ON CENTRESTAGE AS XI FORMALLY BECOMES PREZ
As Xi Jinping officially became the President of China on Thursday, India is looking at how the relations shape up under the new leadership. Xi, who attaches ‘great importance’ to developing ties with India, has assured New Delhi that Beijing would work to create a brighter future of their bilateral relations.
‘China will, as it has been doing, pay great importance to developing relations with India and Hu’s era saw strategic equilibrium in ties between India and Pakistan even though New Delhi remains concerned about Beijing’s all-weather ties with Islamabad. cooperation with India to create a brighter future of their bilateral relations,’ Xi wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in January.
The two sides have worked on dialogue mechanism on defence, trade, economic and strategic fronts.
Defence Minister A K Antony is due to tour Beijing in coming months followed by the visit of Prime Minister Singh as it is his turn to pay a reciprocal visit to China.
Dai Bingguo, China’s top pointsman on talks with India, held his last round of talks with National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon in December during which both sides reached a ‘common understanding’ on the progress made so far to work for a framework to resolve the issues.