Welcome our new Chinese cyberwarrior overlords

Meanwhile, it has built up its army of cyber-spies to such an extent that it can launch attacks “anywhere in the world at any time”.

The number of attacks on US government, defence companies and businesses rose by a third in 2007, to 43,880 incidents affecting five million computers, according to the claims by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Some were so sophisticated that they might be impossible to counteract, or even detect. Meanwhile, its space programme, targeted at what one Chinese military strategist called “America’s soft ribs”, was steadily increasing the vulnerability of US assets.