The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is intensifying its efforts to recruit Chinese citizens, hoping to take advantage of what American officials describe as the rising dissatisfaction with President Xi Jinping’s leadership. 

On October 2, the CIA launched a campaign aimed at Chinese citizens through multiple platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Telegram, and X (formerly Twitter).

The campaign provides Mandarin-language instructions on how individuals can securely contact the CIA through its public and dark websites.

A key message in the videos and posts highlights that the agency is seeking individuals who may have access to sensitive information and are unhappy with the Chinese government’s direction under Xi Jinping.

CIA Deputy Director David Cohen emphasized the growing discontent within China in an interview. “There are plenty of people who have access to information and who are disaffected from the Xi regime in China,” Cohen said.

He further noted, “You’ve got people inside who see what’s happening, and for lots of different motivations fundamentally do not like the direction that Xi is taking the country and understand that there’s a path to helping their own country by working with us.”

A Mandarin-language video posted on YouTube contained detailed instructions on how to contact the CIA using encrypted Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or the TOR network.

The video reassured potential contacts that their “safety and well-being” were a priority. It requested pseudonymous information and urged patience, as responses could take time.

This push comes after the CIA’s reportedly successful efforts to recruit Russian nationals. In 2022, the CIA initiated its recruitment of Russians by sharing Russian-language messages on its social media platforms detailing secure ways to reach out to the agency. This was followed by the release of more videos in 2023.

The CIA’s expanding intelligence drive follows China’s growing alignment with Russia and Iran, as well as its increasing military assertiveness in the region.

In response, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, accused the US of engaging in an “organized and systematic” disinformation campaign. He dismissed the CIA’s efforts, asserting that attempts to divide the Chinese people from the Communist Party of China (CCP) would “inevitably fail.”

The US intelligence community considers China, along with Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as “hard targets” or countries whose governments are notoriously difficult to infiltrate.

CIA Targets Disaffected Chinese Citizens

The CIA’s online recruitment efforts targeting Chinese citizens come at a time when President Xi Jinping has tightened his grip on China to an unprecedented level.

Xi has not only abolished presidential term limits but also filled key leadership positions with loyal allies, enforced the study of “Xi Jinping Thought” among influential sectors such as banking, and actively stifled dissent. These actions have strengthened Xi’s grip on China, a country that represents almost one-fifth of the global population.

In addition to Xi’s political maneuvers, the country is still grappling with the economic impact of its stringent COVID-19-zero policies, which resulted in years of restrictive measures.

While the immediate threat of the pandemic has subsided, the long-term consequences for China’s economy have been profound, contributing to a notable slowdown. This economic decline has, in turn, sparked an increase in public protests as dissatisfaction among citizens grows.

Despite these developments, US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, have struggled to gain meaningful insights into the inner workings of the Chinese government, particularly Xi’s decision-making process.

The US administration has expressed frustration over the lack of high-quality intelligence on Xi’s inner circle, which remains highly secretive.

As China becomes increasingly opaque, the need for a better understanding of Xi’s policies and strategies has grown more urgent, especially as tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to rise over issues like Taiwan and advanced technology.

The CIA has encountered challenges in gathering intelligence in China. In 2017, reports revealed that Chinese authorities had dismantled several CIA spy operations over the years, further limiting US access to vital information.

At that time, US officials characterized the intelligence breach as “one of the worst in decades.”

Moreover, the Chinese government has intensified its efforts to combat foreign espionage, regularly warning citizens, government workers, and even university students about the risks of being targeted by foreign intelligence agencies.

The Chinese government has gone to great lengths to restrict access to even basic information, such as weather data, to prevent it from reaching foreign entities.

The CIA’s renewed focus on recruiting Chinese informants is part of a broader strategy that began after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

CIA Director William Burns described the war as creating a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to recruit Russian assets disillusioned by the conflict. Similarly, the agency now sees an opportunity to recruit Chinese citizens who may be dissatisfied with Xi’s authoritarian rule.

To circumvent China’s pervasive surveillance systems, the CIA has turned to the dark web as part of its recruitment strategy.

The dark web, an anonymous part of the internet not accessible by standard search engines, allows the agency to offer secure communication channels for potential informants without drawing the attention of Chinese authorities.

This method is seen as a way to bypass the extensive monitoring of foreigners and Western intelligence operatives within China.

CIA Deputy Director David Cohen highlighted the importance of these new tactics, noting that China’s “techno-authoritarian” state imposes strict surveillance not only on CIA officers but also on Western visitors.

To support the agency’s recruitment efforts, the CIA has deployed more officers with specialized knowledge of China, following a model similar to its Cold War-era focus on the Soviet Union.

These officers, stationed worldwide, are trained in the Chinese language and culture to effectively cultivate relationships with potential informants and foreign governments wary of Beijing’s expanding influence.

Cohen further explained that the US was in a worldwide rivalry with China, spanning regions from Europe to Africa, Latin America, and even the Arctic. This broad-reaching rivalry has made intelligence gathering in China a top priority for US agencies as they seek to counter Beijing’s influence on the world stage.

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