How Chinese Espionage Eroded U.S. Power

Foreign Policy

by Rishi Iyengar

February 19, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

The book *The Great Heist* by David Shedd and Andrew Badger exposes how Chinese espionage has accelerated its rise as a global power, undermining U.S. technological dominance over nearly two decades. Drawing on court documents, interviews, and fictional scenarios, the authors reveal the staggering scale of intellectual property theft that has fueled China's advancements in critical technologies, from aerospace to quantum computing. Their investigation highlights how Beijing's asymmetric approach—unbound by legal or moral constraints—has allowed it to bypass traditional innovation pathways, creating a significant threat to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. The book underscores the rapid transformation of China from an agrarian nation into a global tech powerhouse. In just a few decades, China has gone from being a cheap manufacturer to leading in emerging technologies like biopharma and electric vehicle batteries. The authors trace this shift back to systematic espionage campaigns, such as the 2015 hacking of the Office of Personnel Management, which compromised millions of sensitive U.S. security files. These breaches have provided Beijing with invaluable intelligence and data to accelerate its own technological advancements, even in areas where it previously lagged behind. Despite these threats, the U.S. response under the Trump administration has been inconsistent. The authors criticize recent moves, such as allowing semiconductor exports to China and reducing efforts to counter Chinese cyber espionage, as counterproductive. They argue that continuing on this path risks ceding global power to China, which now boasts one of the world's most advanced military and intelligence agencies, the Ministry of State Security (MSS). The book serves as a wake-up call, urging Washington to take urgent action to safeguard its technological

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Originally published on Foreign Policy on 2/19/2026