The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has released videos on social media, intending to encourage disillusioned Chinese government officials to share secrets and spy for the United States. The US intelligence agency is trying to rebuild its spy network in the country and is seeking to win over its potential assets with the offer of ‘a better life’ read more The CIA has released two videos aimed at encouraging disillusioned or discontent Chinese government officials to spy for the United States. Image courtesy: YouTube/Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is trying something new and unusually public.
The US intelligence agency is out with two slick, Hollywood-style-produced videos aimed at encouraging disillusioned or discontent Chinese government officials to spy for the United States. “No adversary in the history of our nation has presented a more formidable challenge or a more capable strategic competitor than the Chinese Communist Party,” John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, said. “It is intent on dominating the world economically, militarily and technologically, and it is aggressively trying to outcompete America in every corner of the globe.” “Our agency must continue responding to this threat with urgency, creativity and grit, and these videos are just one of the ways we are doing this,” he added.
So, what exactly do these videos show? And how is the CIA using them to rebuild its network inside China—and beyond? Here’s a closer look STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What the CIA wants China to see The CIA has posted two videos, each approximately three minutes long and in Mandarin, on YouTube and social media apps, including Facebook, Telegram, Instagram and X.
They are titled “Why I Contacted CIA: To Take Control of My Fate” and “Why I Contacted CIA: For a Better Life”. The first video targets the senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders who US intelligence officials believe may be willing to talk. It plays on fears among leading members of the Chinese government about President Xi Jinping’s campaign to arrest and even oust senior officials without explanation.
“I see my position rise within the party as those above me are cast aside,” the narrator says. “But now I realise that my fate is just as precarious.” The video shows the senior official avoiding Chinese government agents closing in on him. As he fears for his career, the senior official says he must find ways to protect his family.
“My purpose remains the same,” the video concludes. “Only my path has changed. No matter what my fate may bring, my family will know a good life.” The video closes with the message “Grasp your fate in your hands” with images of the official contacting the CIA.
The second video is aimed at junior-level CCP employees. According to Ratcliffe, these officials often feel stuck in roles that primarily benefit the party elite, with little personal or professional growth ahead. “Our leaders’ failure to fulfil these repeated promises of prosperity has become a well-known secret,” the narrator states.
“The hardest part of a journey is the first step. It’s time I start working towards my own dreams.” CIA releases recruiting vids in Mandarin, tells potential turncoats to ‘take the first step’ Offers Chinese officials a path out of ‘hardship and toil’ FLASHBACK: China identified/arrested/executed every CIA spy in country in 2010 Will anyone take the risk? pic.twitter.com/qnaDtfXiD0 — RT (@RT_com) May 1, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The video ends with a motivational message: “Heaven helps those who help themselves.
Your fate is in your control.” Then comes the CIA logo, followed by information on how to contact the agency via the dark web. Ratcliffe believes these messages will break through China’s heavy internet censorship, often called the “Great Firewall”, and reach the right people. Now, he wants people in China to come forward, while knowing their conversations will remain confidential.
China’s embassy in Washington has not yet responded to the videos, but it has previously accused the US of waging a systematic disinformation campaign against China. How the CIA is trying to rebuild its spy network According to Ratcliffe, the new Mandarin-language videos are part of a larger push by the CIA to re-establish its human intelligence network inside China, one that was severely compromised over a decade ago. Back then, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) managed to dismantle a significant portion of the CIA’s operations in the country.
Dozens of Chinese nationals suspected of helping the US were either imprisoned or executed after Beijing uncovered the covert communications tools used by CIA officers to connect with their assets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to Ratcliffe, the new Mandarin-language videos are part of a larger push by the CIA to re-establish its human intelligence network inside China. Reuters Since then, China has doubled down on its counterintelligence efforts.
In recent years, the government has encouraged ordinary citizens to report suspicious activity and has launched campaigns to teach individuals and businesses how to guard against sharing sensitive information. In 2023, China’s MSS even launched a WeChat account to regularly publish cases involving alleged espionage by both Chinese citizens and foreigners and offer public guidance on how to identify and prevent spying. Still, the CIA says it is bouncing back.
In 2023, CIA Director Bill Burns said the agency had “made progress” in rebuilding its capabilities in China. “We’re working very hard over recent years to ensure that we have strong human intelligence capability,” he noted. Six months ago, the CIA posted text-based instructional videos in Mandarin, Farsi, and Korean, explaining in detail how to securely contact the intelligence agency.
The Chinese-language version alone was viewed more than 900,000 times. A US official told The New York Times that the CIA would never have moved forward with its latest, high-production-value videos had the earlier campaign not gained traction. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, this isn’t the first time the CIA has made videos to recruit spies against its adversaries.
The agency had earlier released videos in Russian, appealing to elites disillusioned with President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Ukraine. “People around you may not want to hear the truth,” the Russian-language video’s narrator says. “But we do.
You are not powerless. Connect with us in a safe way.” A CIA official told NBC News, “We want to reach those brave Russians who feel compelled by the Russian government’s unjust war to engage CIA and ensure they do so as securely as possible.” With its latest campaign, the CIA is now hoping to strike a similar chord in China. With input from agencies
