The Epoch Times published an exclusive report, based on research by intelligence expert Feng Zheng, on the Chinese Ministry of State Security’s (MSS’s) 10th Bureau, which is responsible for overseas counterintelligence and suppression. The bureau primarily monitors Chinese communities abroad, exiled dissidents, and other perceived foreign threats. In recent years, multiple countries have uncovered large-scale CCP operations targeting overseas Chinese, including surveillance, transnational pressure campaigns, and attempts to influence elections – all linked to this bureau.
The 10th Bureau is part of China’s broader overseas intelligence network, estimated to include around 40,000 operatives embedded in global Chinese communities. Its duties encompass counterespionage, political security, and intelligence collection. Operatives often operate under official covers (diplomats, journalists, academics) or non-official covers (businesspeople, travelers), and leverage resources from other MSS bureaus to carry out surveillance and covert operations. While not primarily focused on economic or technological espionage, the bureau may still collect such intelligence through overseas Chinese channels.
The bureau operates alongside the CCP United Front Work Department, which applies soft influence strategies, such as cultural programs and community networks. By contrast, the 10th Bureau conducts covert monitoring, harassment, and, when necessary, direct suppression of overseas critics. It has been linked to high-profile incidents, including the Wang Shujun case in New York, attempts to disrupt dissident campaigns, and the theft of sensitive technology.
Feng emphasizes that the bureau’s reach extends to extreme actions, including cross-border kidnappings, pressuring dissidents’ relatives in China, and cyberattacks on protest organizers abroad. Intelligence gathered by the 10th Bureau can even shape China’s foreign policy: reports on dissident activity may lead Beijing to apply diplomatic pressure or offer economic incentives to host countries to curb dissent, illustrating the bureau’s central role in both intelligence operations and strategic decision-making.
Sources:
1. Epoch Times, November 14, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/11/13/n14635481.htm
2. Epoch Times, November 19, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/11/18/n14638233.htm