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Welcome to Spycraft, a podcast that
tells gripping life and death spy stories and

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the amazing devices and operations that made
them possible. Now let's get started.

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A century old hotel in Nbach,
Switzerland has become the focus of American intelligence.

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Hotel Rossly, a century old log
cabin in the alpine village of Ubac

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unt r Bach, offers breathtaking views
of snowcap mountains. However, it's the

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view from the back of the hotel
that has caught the attention of American intelligence.

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Located just one hundred meters from the
hotel, the meding Gan Airfield will

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soon host the F thirty five of
the Swiss Air Force. The Medigan is

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a quite famous airport for aviation enthusiasts. Located at the elevation of five hundred

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and seventy meters between the Alps of
the Bernese overland, the base is nearly

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invisible to the people that visit it
for the first time. The airport is

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surrounded by fences that are usually symbolics, sometimes almost absent, and from a

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system of level crossings activated during flight
operations to prevent runway or taxiways incursions.

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You can really really walk close to
the runway threshold and taxiway and take as

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many photographs as you want. In
short, the air base is the paradise

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of aviation spotters slaved to become a
nightmare to the US intelligence. According to

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a Wall Street General report, Hotel
Rossly, owned by the Chinese Wang family

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since twenty eighteen, was raided by
Swiss federal police just last year. US

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and British national security officials argue that
the hotel's picturesque facade offered Beijing's intelligence service

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of prime location to gather information on
the F thirty five. It's not a

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secret that China's intelligence agencies, as
well as Russia ones, are keen to

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acquire data on the fifth generation aircraft. What's not clear is whether Hotel Rossi

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was bought to provide a privileged spying
post to beijing Swiss interest in the F

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thirty five group. US intelligence officials
and diplomats in Switzerland repetely warned the Chinese

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intelligence agents operating under diplomatic cover in
Geneva were trying to gather information on the

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jets. The ambassador learned of the
Swiss were not taking the warning seriously.

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The Swiss Federal Intelligence Service had only
about five staff focused on China. Swiss

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Chinese policies essentially ended not provoking China. Ultimately, in twenty twenty two,

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Swisserland committed to spending six billion Swiss
francs or six billion euros on the F

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thirty fives expected to arrive in twenty
twenty eight, making it the largest military

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investment in the country's history. The
Wangs denied using the hotel for espionage,

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of course, claiming it was simply
a retreat for visitors, but there were

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several reasons for the Western intelligence agencies
to be concerned. The Wang family was

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unfamiliar with Swiss culinary customs, and
the high costs of local labor. Frequently

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returned to China, including during peak
holiday seasons. The hotel's declined, and

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the arrival of new workers from China, some without residence permits, further fuel

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suspicions. The Wang's family's background also
weighs questions, with Wang Jin claimed to

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have grown up in Germany and Switzerland
as a diplomat's son. US officials argue

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that under China's twenty seventeen National Security
Law, the Wangs would be compelled to

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assist in gathering intelligence if asked by
Beijing. Despite US concerns, Swiss intelligence

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officials found no evidence of espionage.
After a police raid and fines from minor

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violations, the Wangs returned to China, leaving the hotel for sale. Many

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locals view the situation as an overreaction. A former owner doubted the effectiveness of

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such an espionage method. A Swiss
family had attempted to buy it but couldn't

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secure a loan. Last year,
an online ad listened to the hotel for

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sale for two million dollars. The
terms of the purchase were not not disclosed.

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It's interesting why they even put the
comment of a former owner a doubt

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of the effectiveness. Unless you're working
in the intelligence field, it probably has

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no clue of how effective it would
be or not of what they're capable of

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doing. Either way, did China
really did the Wang family have anything to

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do with Chinese espionage in the f
thirty five's, it's been kind of convenient,

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and we've seen some reports talking about
how China has bought property next to

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certain important key infrastructure components of the
US down in Texas and in other states

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in the South. It's not too
far fetched,