Recruitment into the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) takes many forms including through advertisements. But the world’s most revered agency is now directly appealing to officers and men of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to spy on their masters for America and thereby work toward “a brighter future.”
The appeal is contained in a new Mandarin-language video that is clearly seeking to tap into resentment and anger over the purge of senior generals by President Xi Jinping.
“Those with ability and prestige are inevitably feared and ruthlessly eliminated,” the video claims, portraying the Chinese Communist Party’s top leadership as driven purely by power and self-interest.
“The fate of the world is in your hands,” the video warns, urging officers to “turn to the light” and protect their families. The video has a clip on a “disillusioned mid-level PLA officer” complaining about corrupt party leaders and then goes into details as to how to contact the CIA.
How are Chinese people reacting? “Outrageous! CIA releases another Chinese-language spy ad, openly challenging China’s bottom line,” went an article posted on NetEase. It described the video as crude and amateurish, arguing that it laid bare the CIA’s desperation and weakness in China.
Others said the video was “nanny-style” propaganda with its “step by step” or spoon-feeding approach to spying. Netizens echoed warnings from the authorities that anyone cooperating with espionage efforts faced severe consequences including the death penalty.
The mention of the death penalty drew attention, given that purged Chinese officers often disappear from public view with no clue about their fate.
The motives for the CIA are quite clear: the agency or its China section clearly senses resentment and anger among sections in the PLA over Xi Jinping’s abrupt removal of key officers. It’s also interesting to note that he did not visit any PLA base in the New Year, which coincides with the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Was Xi advised against going? Was there a threat to his life or did the authorities fear a coup? Maybe none of these, or maybe all are true. If that is the case, Xi may have a problem on his hands: the old adage that the party controls the gun may no longer hold true.
