U.S. General: Google Working With China's Military Puts National Security At Risk

US General: Google Working With China's Military, Puts National Security at Risk

A top United States General has warned that search giant Google is closely working with China and 'indirectly benefiting the Chinese military' as a result.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Joseph Dunford, slammed the search giant during Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday.

"We watch with great concern when industry partners work in China knowing that there is that indirect benefit," he said.

The military general has been vocal on his concerns of US tech firms working with competitors like China, and failing to help the Department of Defense.

Google announced last year it had abandoned its bid for $10billion cloud computing contract with the Defense Department because the company's 'ethical' guidelines failed to align with the project.

Last June, Google announced it would not renew a contract to assist the US military to analyze aerial drone imagery.

The search engine failed to clarify whether it was working on "Project Dragonfly," despite damning leaks making it impossible to continue denying the new censorship operation any longer.

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan also slammed Google saying it had a 'lack of willingness to support DoD program.'

"$5 trillion of [China's] economy is state-owned enterprises," he continued.

"So the technology that has developed in the civil world transfers to the military world, it's a direct pipeline."

"Not only is there a transfer, but there is also systemic theft of US technology that facilitates even faster development of emerging technology."

"The talent is in this country. We need to use the talent in this country, and the talent in this country needs to support our great power competition."

Republican Sen Josh Hawley referred to the Search Giant as 'a supposedly American company.'

"We are in a struggle with the Chinese government over whether or not they're going to become a regional and maybe global hegemon with values very different from ours, certain values that do not favor freedom in the world," he said.

"We have an American company that does not want to do work with our defense department which is one thing, but they're happy to help the Chinese."

"At least the Chinese government that is, the Chinese military, at least indirectly,' he added. 'I think that's just extraordinary."