Chinese officials on Monday publicly accused a government official of spying for the CIA. It’s the second high-profile espionage case to emerge this month, as Beijing ramps up its emphasis — and rhetoric — on national security.
In a statement, the country’s civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, said it was investigating an unnamed ministry official who was allegedly recruited by the CIA while studying in Japan.
The ministry said the 39-year-old Chinese national, identified only by his last name Hao, met an official from the US Embassy in Japan while applying for a US visa.
According to the statement, the US official allegedly developed a close relationship with Hao, offering him meals, sending him gifts and paying him to help write research papers.
The ministry claimed that a US embassy official introduced Hao to a colleague who later became a CIA officer and asked Hao to return to China to work for the “most important and important department”.
Hao allegedly agreed, signed an espionage agreement with the US and received training, the statement said.
After returning to China, Hao found a job in a government ministry and met with CIA agents several times to “provide information and collect intelligence funds,” the Chinese intelligence service claimed. He added that further investigation is on in the matter.
The statement came 10 days after the same ministry claimed it had uncovered another Chinese national spy for the CIA — an unnamed employee of a Chinese military-industrial group who was allegedly recruited while studying in Italy. It happened.
Statements on both cases were issued by the Ministry of State Security on China’s super app WeChat, where it set up its first public-facing social media account earlier this month.
Commuters read their smartphones while waiting for a subway train in Beijing.
Chinese spy service’s social media debut calls on ‘all members of society to take action against espionage
The intelligence agency, which provides information and counterintelligence in China and abroad, has made it a high priority to warn the Chinese public about espionage.
In its first post on WeChat, the ministry urged “all members of society” to join the fight against espionage and offered rewards and protection to those who provide information.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made national security a top priority to counter the growing threat from “foreign powers” — particularly the United States — that seek to undermine China’s rise and political stability.
The US and China have long spied on each other, but the recent deterioration in relations between the world’s two largest economies has intensified the rivalry.
In early August, two US Navy sailors were arrested in California on charges of leaking US military intelligence to Chinese intelligence officials.
