Media: CIA launches bold new videos to recruit disaffected Chinese nationals

The Central Intelligence Agency has released two new videos in Mandarin aimed at persuading Chinese nationals to cooperate with American intelligence, part of a wider effort to step up espionage operations against Beijing.

The videos, unveiled on May 1, appeal to disillusionment with the Chinese government and perceptions of systemic corruption, Caliber.Az reports, citing The New York Times.

The campaign echoes a similar C.I.A. initiative targeting Russians, which previous agency leaders have credited with generating new intelligence sources. This latest move reflects growing prioritisation of China within the agency, as current Director John Ratcliffe places increasing emphasis on gathering human intelligence from within the country.

In a recent message to C.I.A. personnel, Ratcliffe wrote: “No adversary in the history of our nation has presented a more formidable challenge or a more capable strategic competitor than the Chinese Communist Party. It is intent on dominating the world economically, militarily and technologically, and it is aggressively trying to outcompete America in every corner of the globe.”

Ratcliffe has reportedly told lawmakers that rebuilding the agency’s network of human sources in China is crucial. That means deploying case officers to recruit Chinese officials who are willing to leak classified information.

The agency has already seen some traction with a text-based instructional video it released last year in Mandarin, which explained how to securely access the dark web to contact the C.I.A. Despite China’s tightly controlled internet, American officials believe that many Chinese officials possess the technical knowledge to bypass online censorship. That video received over 900,000 views.

A U.S. official noted that the C.I.A. would not have released the latest, high-production videos if the earlier instructional one had not proved effective.

One of the new clips depicts a mid-level Chinese official growing frustrated as he serves a senior figure enjoying a lavish lifestyle of luxury cars, expensive meals, and designer clothes. “The party raised to believe that our dedication to the path they lead us on would bring prosperity to us all,” the narrator says. “But the gains of our collective efforts are indulged by a select few. So, I must forge my own path.” The final scene shows the character contacting the C.I.A. via a secure mobile app.

The second video explores growing fears within China's political elite that high-ranking officials are being purged without warning. “I see my position rise within the party as those above me are cast aside,” the narrator states. “But now I realise that my fate is just as precarious.” The video shows the official eluding government agents and seeking protection for his family. It concludes with the line: “My purpose remains the same. Only my path has changed. No matter what my fate may bring, my family will know a good life.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev