Beijing is witnessing a pervasive presence of forces that it perceives as threats aimed at weakening the country. These forces are embedded in multinational companies, infiltrating social media platforms, and even targeting unsuspecting students. As a response, Chinese universities are now requiring faculty members to take courses on safeguarding state secrets, regardless of their field of expertise. Even a kindergarten in Tianjin organized a meeting to educate staff members on China’s anti-espionage law.
China’s Ministry of State Security, a department responsible for overseeing secret police and intelligence services, has taken an unusual step of opening its first social media account. This move, as described by official news media, aims to enhance public engagement and initiate a “whole of society mobilization” against espionage.
Although China’s economy is currently facing a severe slowdown, the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, is more focused on national security and preventing threats to the Communist Party’s control. Mr. Xi has emphasized the need to be prepared for worst-case scenarios and enhance real-time monitoring to combat potential threats.
The urgency in China’s security efforts can be attributed to the challenges the country is currently facing. Alongside economic difficulties, China’s relations with the West are increasingly tense, and recent unexplained personnel changes suggest that Mr. Xi may be concerned about threats to his control.
To address these concerns, China has revised its anti-espionage law to broaden its scope of activities considered as spying. Additionally, the authorities are offering substantial rewards to individuals who report spies. While the call for vigilance has generated caution among the public, it is unclear how much action is being taken on the ground. Reports of capturing spies have been made, but some cases appear to be old ones that are only now being announced.
The Chinese Communist Party’s campaign to mobilize ordinary people to guard against perceived threats blurs the line between vigilance and paranoia. This approach resembles the sweeping campaigns initiated by Mao Zedong in the past to consolidate power. However, Professor Chen Jian of New York University argues that Chinese society’s response would differ due to modernization and a lack of susceptibility to mob frenzy.
China’s efforts to educate the public on anti-espionage measures take various forms, from informal videos and posters to formal online courses. The National Administration of State Secrets Protection has developed an app with a course on secret-keeping that many universities and companies require their staff to complete. Even hotels and other venues have joined the campaign by sharing informational materials about potential risks of foreign influence.
The Chinese government is particularly concerned about young people, especially after last year’s protests against Covid restrictions. The authorities attribute this discontent to outside instigators and have intensified efforts to teach young people to be more vigilant. However, these constant exhortations also create a sense of being constantly monitored, and students have faced questioning by the police or administrators for communicating with foreign journalists.
The campaign’s central effect is to make any connection to foreigners a cause for suspicion. This has resulted in the cancellation of cultural events and even meetings with foreigners in academic and cultural fields. Though Beijing maintains that China is open and welcomes foreign investment, contradictory signals and intense scrutiny persist.
Overall, Beijing is engaged in a comprehensive effort to mobilize society against perceived threats, which shows the extent and ubiquity of its approach. The campaign blurs the line between vigilance and paranoia and reflects the challenges faced by the ruling Communist Party.
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