The Central Intelligence Agency is employing a new tactic in its ongoing efforts to gather intelligence within China: appealing directly to disillusioned members of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). A recently released Mandarin-language recruitment video, published on , targets Chinese military officers who may be questioning the direction of their government and the leadership of President Xi Jinping.
The video, titled “The Reason for Stepping Forward: To Save the Future,” presents a fictional narrative of a mid-level military officer grappling with moral concerns. As described by a CIA official in reports from CNN, the officer ultimately chooses to contact the agency, seeking a path aligned with his values and a better future for his family. The video’s narrator emphasizes the risks faced by those in positions of power within the Chinese government, stating, “Anyone with leadership ability will inevitably be feared and ruthlessly eliminated.” The fictional officer’s internal monologue reflects a similar sentiment: “allow these madmen to shape my daughter’s future world.”
This isn’t a spontaneous initiative. The CIA launched a similar recruitment push last year, and officials suggest this latest video is building on those earlier efforts. According to CNN, the agency believes it has already seen some success in cultivating new sources within China, a country that has historically been difficult to penetrate for intelligence gathering. The agency’s director, John Ratcliffe, stated that the CIA will “continue offering Chinese government officials and citizens an opportunity to work toward a brighter future together.” Ratcliffe highlighted China as a top priority for the agency during his confirmation hearing, and reports indicate the CIA has been working to reestablish networks of sources within the country that were previously thought to be lost.
The timing of this recruitment drive is particularly noteworthy, coinciding with a period of instability within the PLA. Recent reports detail a crackdown on corruption within the military, including the investigation of a top general last month. The CIA appears to be capitalizing on this internal turmoil, hoping to attract officers who may be disillusioned by the ongoing purges and the perceived corruption within the ranks. The Guardian notes that the video is the fifth Mandarin-language recruitment advert published by the CIA since .
Despite the fact that YouTube is blocked in China, Ratcliffe told Reuters that the videos have reached a significant number of Chinese citizens, likely through the use of software designed to circumvent internet controls. This suggests the CIA is actively working to bypass the “Great Firewall” and deliver its message directly to its target audience.
The recruitment video isn’t simply a standalone effort. It’s part of a broader strategy to gather human intelligence within China, a critical component of understanding the country’s geopolitical ambitions and internal dynamics. The CIA’s focus on recruiting informants within the government and military underscores the importance of understanding the decision-making processes at the highest levels of power. The agency is specifically seeking information on government, military, and economic secrets, as highlighted in a YouTube post promoting the recruitment effort.
The move has, unsurprisingly, drawn attention. A post on Instagram highlighted the CIA’s latest recruitment video, sparking discussion about the agency’s tactics. While the Chinese government has not yet issued a formal response to the video’s release, it’s likely to view the effort as a hostile act, further exacerbating tensions between Beijing and Washington. The video’s appeal to officers questioning their leadership directly challenges the authority of the Chinese Communist Party and could be interpreted as an attempt to undermine the stability of the PLA.
The CIA’s strategy represents a significant shift in its approach to intelligence gathering in China. By directly appealing to potential recruits through compelling narratives and highlighting the risks of remaining loyal to a corrupt system, the agency is attempting to overcome the challenges of operating in a highly controlled environment. Whether this new tactic will prove successful remains to be seen, but it signals a renewed commitment to penetrating one of the world’s most secretive and strategically important nations. The agency’s willingness to publicly acknowledge and promote these recruitment efforts also suggests a calculated risk, potentially aimed at signaling resolve and demonstrating its ability to operate effectively despite the obstacles.
