Chinese security agency's first social media post encourages citizens to spy on neighbors
China's secretive state security agency used its first social media post , which states that every civilian should be involved in his counterintelligence work.
The fight against foreign espionage requires public vigilance to form a «defense line,» the State Security Ministry said on its new WeChat account.
A system must be put in place to make it «normal» for the masses to participate in counterintelligence, including creating channels for individuals to report suspicious activity, as well as approving and rewarding them.
The ministry in charge of countering foreign intelligence and spying operations is one of the most secret organizations in China. The agency rarely has any public profile, making its new social media presence quite unusual.
Since Xi Jinping came to power over a decade ago, China has strengthened national security laws by enacting stricter measures against espionage.
Mr. Xi emphasizes national security and patriotism on the basis that China remains under threat from espionage activities by the West, especially the United States.
China's Ministry of State Security's social media presence comes after a revision of laws countries on counterintelligence, which came into force in July.< /p>
The new measures banned the transmission of national security information and expanded what the government would define as espionage. The changes have alarmed many foreign companies, who fear that their day-to-day business activities may now be found illegal.
The revised law also allows authorities conducting anti-spyware investigations to have access to data, electronic equipment and information. on personal property.
The threat of hacking
Beijing has long complained that foreign espionage is the West's way of holding back China's rise.
But the United States and other Western countries accuse China of the same thing — that the country is a major hacker and espionage. a threat to the world that Beijing denies.
“In recent years, in order to implement the strategy of containment and suppression of China, some Western countries have become more and more unrestrained in stealing intelligence and information related to our country’s military industry, economy and finances. ’, the country’s state television and radio company said in May.
Consulting and accounting firms have long played an important role in helping foreign companies navigate Chinese territory, as well as undertaking key activities such as auditing factories accused of forced labor and other human rights violations. abuse.
In China, national security violations can be defined very broadly. Foreigners who have been arbitrarily detained in China for years have previously been accused of breaking the law for storing airport photos on their phones.
China regularly arbitrarily detains or bans foreigners from leaving as part of an arrogant game. relies on hostage diplomacy, often holding people on extensive charges of «disclosing state secrets» or «espionage».
The head of the Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma was detained in March on suspicion of espionage, and Cheng Lei, an Australian a journalist accused of passing state secrets to another country has been in detention since September 2020.
Rewards of up to half a million yuan (£55,000) have been offered to encourage citizens to join counter-intelligence activities and providing authorities with information about suspected spies.
In recent years, a number of Chinese fishermen have received these maximum rewards for finding alleged «foreign spy devices.»
The Chinese government has focused on fomenting nationalist sentiment, such as using propaganda to blame the West for infecting China with Covid, and denying any connection to the origin of the coronavirus.
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