China has launched a nationwide anti-spy crackdown on consulting firms, according to state media, as Beijing moves to tighten foreign access to sensitive information amid growing tensions with the U.S.
On orders from China’s central government, authorities carried out synchronized operations in cities including the financial powerhouses of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Suzhou, a provincial TV channel in Jiangsu province reported Monday night. The state broadcaster didn’t say where it got the information or provide a timeframe for the raids.
State security officials in Suzhou, a city in the province that neighbors Shanghai, visited the local branch of Capvision, a consulting firm with headquarters in New York and Shanghai, the broadcaster said. Capvision employees were questioned and some items were searched and seized, according to the report, which didn’t identify whether other firms were also targeted.