When the CIA turns to YouTube to recruit spies in China

The video, released Thursday on YouTube and other platforms, tells a Hollywood-style story about a Chinese military officer who contacts the CIA after becoming frustrated with “corruption” in the Chinese military.

The video shows a disillusioned mid-ranking Chinese military officer just weeks after Zhang Yuxia, the deputy head of the Central Military Commission, was fired.

A similar video last year targeted political operatives in Beijing, and like the previous video, the new video includes links to information on how to safely contact the CIA.

“We will respond decisively”

In response, China pledged to take “all necessary measures” against foreign espionage activities.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Friday: “We will take all necessary measures to resolutely deal with the intrusive and subversive activities of foreign forces hostile to China, and protect our national sovereignty, security and development interests.”

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States also condemned what he called “blatant political incitement” by the organization.

Last month, China’s Defense Ministry announced that Zhang, who is second only to President Xi Jinping and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was under investigation.

This is the most important dismissal of a high-ranking Chinese military officer in recent decades. The CIA conducted a similar effort in May, targeting fictitious figures in China’s ruling Communist Party.

That video included detailed instructions in Chinese on how to securely communicate with US intelligence.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that his agency will continue its efforts to recruit agents from within the ranks of the Chinese government and military.

The CIA director added that the agency’s videos have reached many Chinese citizens and that the CIA will continue to offer Chinese government officials “an opportunity to work together for a brighter future.”

The short video, released by the agency on its YouTube channel, appears to be aimed at exploiting the domestic political fallout from Beijing’s years-long campaign to root out military corruption that has affected senior PLA leaders, with the exception of Zhang, according to Reuters.

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