Beijing has accused the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of committing a “political provocation” by releasing recruitment videos in Chinese targeting officials in the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that the US “has long been using all kinds of despicable methods to steal other countries’ secrets, interfere in their internal affairs and commit subversion.”
The diplomat characterized such attempts as being in breach of “international law and basic norms governing international relations.”
“The US not only maliciously smears and attacks China, but also blatantly attempts to lure Chinese personnel, even government officials, to be their informants,” Lin said. He further pledged that Beijing would “take all measures necessary to resolutely push back infiltration and sabotage activities from overseas and defend national sovereignty, security and development interest.”
The CIA recruitment videos that were published last Thursday solicit covert cooperation from those in China who possess “information about economic, fiscal, or trade policies” or work in the “defense industry… national security, diplomacy, science [or] advanced technology.” The spy agency promised to keep its informants’ identities protected, offering instructions on how to safely make contact.
Last month, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) released a similar add, targeting CIA officers, titled ‘Your Option: Together for the Truth’. Evoking the camaraderie shared by the US and the USSR during World War II, the video called on CIA personnel to join in resolving the Ukraine conflict, describing the authorities in Kiev as tainted by neo-Nazi influences and corruption.
The video came after the CIA reached out to Russian military engineers through a clip of its own in March.
The US spy agency previously produced several other recruitment videos targeting Russia, appealing to various ethnic and social groups.
