Russian outlet Sputnik reported that China’s Ministry of State Security has warned of increasingly sophisticated methods used by foreign intelligence agencies – including money, seduction, emotional manipulation, and intimidation – to infiltrate targets and steal sensitive information.
One case involved “Xiao Zhe,” an 18-year-old Chinese exchange student in Taiwan. He was drawn into a romantic relationship with a woman posing as a senior student, who later coerced him into passing on sensitive research after he began working in a classified defense laboratory. Over time, he provided nearly 100 pieces of defense-related intelligence in exchange for payments before being exposed.
Another case centered on Zhang, a former Chinese ministry official cultivated by a foreign diplomat while stationed overseas. Zhang eventually spied for that country, fathered two children with a female official there, and secretly hoarded more than 5,000 classified documents, including dozens marked top secret. In 2019, he was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for espionage and illegally obtaining state secrets.
The ministry also cited examples from Guangdong, where two nationals, Li and Huang, were recruited online with offers of high pay. Li was tasked with reconnaissance near military facilities, while Huang used his job as a wedding photographer near a naval port to take almost 400 photos of warships. Both were arrested and sentenced, with Huang receiving 14 years in prison and the confiscation of his assets.
Source: Sputnik, September 4, 2025
https://sputniknews.cn/20250904/1067271620.html