The Chinese? Pah!
Have you ever heard of Echelon? A cunning little agreement.
The UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa agreed to eaves drop on the daily communications of the citizens of their populations and to then hand the information over to each in turn. It helps to get around the inconvenient fact that it would be illegal for any of them to spy on their own citizens without judicial oversight. Echelon gives them total access.
So GCHQ spy on the citizens of the US and then hand the data to the American government, et.c., et.c, et.c.
Did you also not realise that in the age of digital telecommunications your humble landline microphone, err, I mean telephone, can be remotely switched to 'on'? Cunning indeed. So if you need real privacy unplug the phone from the wall socket before speaking.
I was also reading about Swiss banking. A Swiss bank CEO commented that some of his wealthiest clients never ever communicate with him electronically (email, telephone, fax...) but only face to face.
