Updated: September 14, 2020 11:05:40 am
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. (Proceedings)
A Chinese company that has been monitoring 10,000 Indian individuals and organizations, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has also accumulated the personal data of more than 35,000 Australians as part of a giant global database targeting influential figures.
An investigation by The Indian Express has revealed that Zhenhua Data Information Technology Co. Limited, a company with ties to the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China, is monitoring more than 10,000 Indian individuals and organizations in its global “foreign targets” database. The range of targets in India identified and monitored in real time by Zhenhua Data Information Technology Co. Limited is wide, both in breadth and depth, according to data shared by a source with news organizations such as The Indian Express, The Australian Financial Review, Il Foglio of Italy and The Daily Telegraph, London.
In Australia, data relating to more than 35,000 Australians has been leaked from the company. The information collected includes dates of birth, addresses, marital status, along with photographs, political associations, relatives, and social media identifications. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Atlassian co-founders Mike Cannon-Brookes, Scott Farquhar are among 35,558 whose data has been compiled by Zhenhua, as well as business leaders David Gonski and Jennifer Westacott.
Extracting information from the web and social media platforms, tracking research work, articles, patents, recruitment positions, Zhenhua monitoring services map what it calls people information and relationship mining: networks between individuals, institutions and organizations, and changes in their leadership positions based on information from multiple sources.
Not just influential individuals in the political and official establishment, the Indians being monitored cross disciplines. They include bureaucrats in key positions; judges; scientists and academics; journalists; actors and athletes; religious figures and activists. And even hundreds accused of financial crimes, corruption, terrorism and smuggling of narcotics, gold, weapons or wildlife.
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This becomes important when an increasingly assertive China is caught in a simmering showdown with India along the Royal Line of Control in Ladakh and is pressing against many of its neighbors in the region and beyond. In fact, Zhenhua claims that it works with Chinese intelligence, military and security agencies.
A detailed questionnaire sent by The Indian Express to the email identifiers mentioned on the company’s website http://www.china-revival.com on September 1 did not get any response. In fact, the company removed its website on September 9 and it is no longer accessible.
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