China to Spy on Olympic Visitors

Sen. Brownback: China to Spy on Olympic Visitors

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 3:22 PM

By: Jim Meyers

Sen. Sam Brownback has charged that China is preparing a spy attack on visitors to the Olympics Games, which begin on Aug. 8.

The Kansas Republican on Tuesday told reporters from The Hill newspaper and other media outlets that China has “carefully plotted to take advantage of the situation of having thousands of foreign visitors on its soil” and “set up a system to be able to spy and gather information about each and every guest at hotels where Olympic visitors are located.”

Brownback said China’s targets will include journalists, athletes’ families, and human rights advocates, The Hill reports.

He disclosed that his office had been contacted by attorneys for international hotel chains who said the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) told foreign-owned hotels to install Internet monitoring equipment.

“These measures are designed to assist the PSB to spy on the Internet activities of guests and record Web sites visited, searches entered and even keystrokes,” Brownback said.

“The text alludes to harsh punishment for failure to comply with the order, including loss of license to operate a hotel in China,” he said.