When Microsoft accused ‘state-backed’ Chinese hackers of entering its servers to target at least 60,000 global users, few people were surprised. It was just the latest in a long line of Chinese cyberattacks. Growing security concerns over China has also lead to Huawei being banned or restricted from 5G networks in a host of countries, including America, UK and Australia.

“There are two types of big companies: those that have been hacked by the Chinese, and those that don’t know they have been hacked by the Chinese,” claimed FBI director, James Comey in 2014. China already has the world’s largest surveillance network and uses technology to subdue minorities, censor content and spy on dissidents.