The CIA is looking to gain new Chinese informants, releasing an ad campaign encouraging members of the Chinese military to turn on their government.
“This video depicts a fictional Chinese man making the difficult but important decision to securely contact the CIA through the Tor anonymous messaging system. The CIA wants to know the truth about China, and we are looking for trusted individuals who are knowledgeable and willing to tell us. The information you have may be more valuable than you think,” a video description translated from Chinese reads.
According to a translation of the video reported by Reuters, the officer says, “Anyone with leadership qualities is bound to be subject to suspicion and ruthlessly eliminated.”
“Do you have information about China’s top leaders? Are you an officer or working with the military? Do you work in intelligence, diplomacy, economics, science, advanced technology, or interact with people who work in these fields?” the description adds. “Please contact us. We want to understand the truth.” It directs interested PLA members to “watch the instructions in the video to learn how to contact us securely via our Tor hidden service.”
In May, the CIA released a similar video appealing to members of the Chinese military.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe told the Financial Times that last year’s video campaign “reached many Chinese citizens, and we know there are many more searching for a way to improve their lives and change their country for the better.” Ratcliffe added that the CIA will continue to offer “Chinese government officials and citizens an opportunity to work toward a brighter future together.”
