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Beijing plans to take all necessary actions against foreign espionage following the CIA's recruitment video targeting Chinese military personnel. Details here.
The US spy agency has released a new Chinese-language video targeting Chinese military personnel, drawing a sharp reaction from Beijing, which vowed to take "all necessary measures" against foreign espionage activities, the foreign ministry of China was quoted as saying by news agency AFP on Friday.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) released the video on the agency's YouTube channel on Thursday, which appears to target disaffected officers and appeals for information on China's leaders and armed forces.
China's foreign ministry condemned the move, calling it "anti-China forces" and pledging that it would take required actions to protect national security, though it's still not clear what measures Beijing could take.
"China will take all necessary measures to resolutely combat infiltration and sabotage activities of foreign anti-China forces and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said during a press conference when asked about the video.
What did the video depict?
The US agency's video portrays a fictional Chinese officer deciding to reach out to the CIA after concluding that "the only thing leaders are protecting is their own interest" and that "their power is based on countless lies".
It shows the Chinese officer spending time with his family, then secretly working in his car during heavy rain. He is shown taking out a laptop and typing on it as he says: "Picking this path is my way of fighting for my family and my country."
The message accompanying the clip is meant to emotionally persuade people, encouraging them to share information about Beijing's top leaders, military, and other sensitive areas, AFP reported.
"Do you have information about high-ranking Chinese leaders? Are you a military officer or have dealings with the military? Do you work in intelligence, diplomacy, economics, science, or advanced technology fields, or deal with people working in these fields?"
"Please contact us. We want to understand the truth," the text says, adding that the CIA can be contacted "securely through our Tor hidden service."
Beijing condemns post
The latest appeal came after the agency released a series of similar videos last year, which were part of a broader effort to step up intelligence collection on China. At the time, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the campaign was aimed at recruiting Chinese officials, particularly those who may be dissatisfied or facing internal pressures.
They are "just one of many ways that we're adjusting our tradecraft", Ratcliffe said.
Beijing has condemned the posts at the time as "naked political provocation", saying Washington “not only maliciously smears and attacks China, but also openly deceives and lures Chinese personnel to surrender”, AFP reported.
English (US) ·