In a new video, the CIA intensifies its efforts to recruit Chinese spies by reaching out to army officers dissatisfied with the corruption and mass purges of generals carried out by Xi Jinping.
The plot features a fictional mid-level officer who "makes the difficult decision to stay true to his values and provide a better future for his family by establishing contact with the CIA," a representative of the agency told CNN.
"People with leadership qualities inevitably provoke fear and become targets for elimination," says the narrator in the video. "I cannot allow these madmen to determine my daughter's future."
This video is part of a recruitment campaign launched by the CIA last year, aimed at establishing new connections in China, which is crucial for gathering intelligence, as noted by the agency representative, who added that the CIA has recently made some progress in engaging with a government that has historically been difficult to work with.
"We will continue to provide opportunities for Chinese officials and citizens to collaborate in creating a bright future," said CIA Director John Ratcliffe in an interview with CNN.
During his confirmation hearings, Ratcliffe emphasized that China remains a priority for the agency, and American officials noted that the CIA is rebuilding its network of sources within the country, which had been lost several years ago.
"China will take all necessary measures to counter the infiltration and sabotage activities of anti-China forces outside the country and will steadfastly protect its national sovereignty, security, and development interests," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a press briefing in response to a question about the video.
"The plans of anti-China forces will not succeed."
Since 2010, the United States has suffered losses among its spies in China during a two-year counterintelligence campaign that The New York Times described as "paralyzing the intelligence-gathering system." Restoring this network of spies has become a long-term task for intelligence agency leaders.
