FBI Says Chinese Nationals Pretend to Be Tourists to Breach US Military Bases; China’s Gate Crashers Now Under Investigation

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) claims that Chinese nationals are pretending to be tourists just to breach U.S. military sites.

These Chinese violators, whom the FBI calls "gate crashers," are now facing a major investigation.

FBI Investigates Chinese Nationals Pretending To Be Tourists

FBI Says Chinese Nationals Pretend as Tourists to Breach US Military Bases; China's Gate Crashers Now Under Investigation — This picture taken on May 29, 2018 shows Chinese tourists taking pictures on the Broken Bridge in the border city of Dandong, in China's northeast Liaoning province. - Beijing, an old ally of Pyongyang, has officially shown no signs of lifting the punishing UN measures. FRED DUFOUR/AFP via Getty Images

As of writing, the FBI said that it tracked over 100 incidents involving Chinese nationals posing as tourists.

Aside from U.S. military sites, the law enforcement agency said that these fake tourists are trying to access federal sites.

The FBI shared numerous incidents that show how these Chinese violators attempt to breach U.S. military and federal sites, as reported by Fox News.

One of these is when Chinese tourists were detected crossing into an American missile range in New Mexico.

In another incident, the Chinese gate crashers were reportedly scuba diving. However, they allegedly tried to swim in murky waters near a U.S. government rocket launch site in Florida.

Reuters reported that the FBI investigation stated that the Chinese gate crashing incidents typically happen in rural areas in the U.S. where there is little tourism.

Officials explained that these fake tourists from China are pressed into service and required to report back to the Chinese government.

Is the FBI Making Efforts to Prevent Them?

In 2022, the FBI, the Department of Defense, and other agencies held a review focused on preventing Chinese gate-crashing incidents.

But, it is still unclear if their efforts to deter fake Chinese tourists are working. This is because they are having a hard time identifying the real Chinese gate crashers.

Many factors affect their investigation, such as the arguments provided by these Chinese violators. For example, many of the alleged Chinese gate crashers claim that they were only following Google Maps to reach their destinations.

They argued that Google Maps and other navigational apps they were using directed them to nearby military bases, which they didn't notice.

If you want to learn more about the FBI's ongoing Chinese gate-crashing investigation, you can click this link.