WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES — In an unusually direct move, the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has initiated a Chinese-language social media campaign aimed at encouraging government officials within China to defect and provide classified information to the United States (US).
Two videos released on Thursday form the centerpiece of this campaign. These short films depict fictional scenarios involving Chinese officials who decide to contact the CIA after becoming increasingly disillusioned with the ruling Communist Party of China (CCP).
One video features an actor portraying a high-ranking CCP member who expresses deep-seated fear for his family, witnessing colleagues around him being purged with the disposability of “worn-out shoes.”
The Chinese-language description accompanying this video on YouTube elaborates on the character’s internal struggle: “This man, who has diligently worked his way to the top throughout his life, now profoundly realises that no matter how high his status is, it is insufficient to protect his family in these turbulent and unsettling times.”
The description continues, “He yearns to take control of his destiny and find a path to safeguard his family and the achievements he has built through years of hard work. Aware that everything he possesses could vanish in an instant, he is driven to make a difficult but crucial decision to safely reach out to the CIA.”
The videos, disseminated across platforms including Facebook, Telegram, Instagram, and X, provide specific instructions on how to contact the CIA “safely” and “securely,” including guidance on utilizing the Tor browser for dark web communication.
“One of the primary roles of the CIA is to collect intelligence for the president and for our policymakers,” stated CIA director John Ratcliffe in an interview with Fox News. “One of the ways we do that is by recruiting assets that can help us steal secrets.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington has not yet issued a response to requests for comment on the CIA’s campaign.
Desmond Shum, a Chinese property tycoon who has become a dissident and now resides in the United Kingdom, characterized the CIA’s initiative as the most “aggressive public move” by the agency against China within recent memory.
“This kind of public outreach is exactly the sort of provocation that enrages the CCP – and Xi Jinping personally,” Shum commented on X, referring to the Chinese President. “His obsession with lifelong rule stems from a singular goal: to secure the Party’s unshakable control over China.”
