CIA makes new push to recruit Chinese military officers as informants
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The US spy agency has rolled out a recruitment video depicting a disillusioned mid-level Chinese military officer, following a similar push in May 2025.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- The CIA launched a new video targeting Chinese military officers, aiming to exploit discord following Beijing's recent purge of top general Zhang Youxia.
- This US effort seeks to ramp up human intelligence gathering on China, with the CIA confident its online campaign penetrates the "Great Firewall."
- The move is part of escalating US-China spy games, as the CIA works to rebuild its network after China crippled it between 2010-2012.
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WASHINGTON - Just weeks after a dramatic purge of China’s top general, the CIA is moving to capitalise on any resulting discord with a new public video targeting potential informants in the Chinese military.
The US spy agency on Feb 12 rolled out the video depicting a disillusioned mid-level Chinese military officer, in the latest US step in a campaign to ramp up human intelligence gathering on Washington’s strategic rival.
It follows a similar effort in May 2025
CIA director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that the agency’s videos had reached many Chinese citizens and that it would continue offering Chinese government officials an “opportunity to work towards a brighter future together”.
Beijing will take “all necessary measures” against foreign espionage activities, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Feb 13, after the US spy agency issued a recruitment video targeting Chinese military personnel.
China’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “anti-China forces” and vowed action to protect national security.
“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 told a press conference when asked about the CIA video.
He did not provide any details on the measures Beijing could take.
In January, China’s defence ministry announced that Zhang Youxia, second-in-command under Chinese President Xi Jinping as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, was under investigation
The short CIA video posted to its YouTube channel appeared aimed at exploiting domestic political fallout from Beijing’s years-long crackdown on military corruption that has hit the upper echelons of the People’s Liberation Army beyond Zhang.
“Anyone with leadership qualities is bound to be subject to suspicion and ruthlessly eliminated,” the fictional officer in the video says in Mandarin. “Their power is built on countless lies,” he says, referring to superiors.
The CIA has said it is confident that the online campaign is penetrating China’s “Great Firewall” internet restrictions and reaching the intended audience.
“Our past videos reached millions of people and inspired new sources,” a CIA official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, without providing details.
The CIA has been investing heavily into countering China and has tried to rebuild its spy network in the country after Beijing crippled its reach by killing or imprisoning numerous US sources between 2010-2012, according to reports.
American officials say China’s spy agencies have worked tirelessly to recruit current and former US employees, and in recent years Beijing has published accounts of what it says are US spy rings it has uncovered in China.
The high-stakes spy games are part of an escalating military and technological rivalry that many observers deem to be a new form of cold war. REUTERS
