On October 2, 2024, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) took an unprecedented step by posting a video in Mandarin titled “Securely Contacting CIA” on social media platforms like X, Facebook, and Telegram. The video openly encourages Chinese citizens and others to provide information that could be of interest to the CIA, marking a stark departure from the agency’s traditional clandestine methods.
While the CIA describes informants’ safety and well-being as its foremost consideration, it warns that a response might not be guaranteed or could take time. This approach has sparked a wave of criticism and mockery among netizens, with some labeling it as “trying to get something for nothing.” One commenter noted, “If you contact the CIA at great peril, you will likely be ignored. Even if you are approached, you will be discarded the moment your value is exhausted.”
Such a brazen solicitation of spies is astonishing to many. It is seen not only as a provocation against China but also as a blatant violation of international norms and order.
A Long History of Espionage Against China
The CIA’s espionage activities targeting China date back to the founding of the People’s Republic of China. In the 1950s, the agency trained and funded “Tibet independence” forces and supported armed uprisings against the central government. It also cultivated spies in Xinjiang and launched operations to gather intelligence during the Korean War. These early attempts ultimately ended in failure.
In recent years, aligning with the U.S. government’s strategy to contain China, the CIA has established a China Mission Center and doubled its budget for China-focused operations, according to its director, William Burns. The agency has intensified efforts to recruit Chinese-speaking employees and formed special teams using false online personas to spread negative information about the Chinese government, waging cognitive warfare.
Moreover, the CIA has launched systematic and covert cyber-attacks against key Chinese agencies and attempted to cultivate anti-China agents among Chinese students, visiting scholars in the U.S., and employees of Chinese enterprises. However, these attempts have faced strong countermeasures from China’s national security departments, dealing significant blows to the CIA’s spy network in China.
Reference(s):
From covert to overt: The CIA's desperate recruitment in China
cgtn.com
