Amid continued upheaval within the upper echelons of the Chinese military, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Thursday, Feb 12 released a new round of Chinese-language propaganda videos aimed at attracting Chinese military officers dissatisfied with corruption and purges, injecting fresh resources into its human intelligence network targeting China.
According to Reuters, CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that the agency recently released a new video depicting a fictional mid-level Chinese military officer deeply disappointed by internal power struggles and corruption within the armed forces. The video is seen as the latest U.S. effort to expand intelligence recruitment operations targeting China.
The report notes that the initiative follows recent personnel upheavals at the top levels of the Chinese military. Last month, China’s Ministry of Defense announced that Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia was under investigation. As one of Xi Jinping’s most important deputies in the military, this case is viewed externally as one of the most prominent senior general downfalls in decades.
Reuters highlighted that the video clearly attempts to exploit the political shocks created by China’s recent ongoing anti-corruption campaign within the military. In the video, the fictional officer says in Mandarin: “Anyone with leadership ability is suspected and ruthlessly eliminated,” criticizing superiors for building power on lies.
Chinese-language propaganda targets officer psychology and family concerns
The Financial Times reported that the newly released video, titled Save the Future, is narrated by a fictional officer who has lost faith in the system. The video states, “The only concern of party leaders is to protect their own interests,” criticizing senior officials for constructing power structures on a foundation of lies.
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It also portrays the officer’s concerns about personal fate and family future. The character expresses a refusal to let systemic chaos “become a part of my daughter’s future,” implying that capable officers are often seen as threats and removed.
Ratcliffe noted that a Mandarin-language propaganda video released last year had reached a large number of Chinese citizens and emphasized that U.S. intelligence agencies will continue to offer Chinese government personnel and the public “an opportunity to move toward a brighter future together.”
CIA rebuilds human intelligence network on China
These public campaigns are an important part of the U.S. effort to strengthen human intelligence operations targeting China. In May of last year, the CIA released its first Chinese-language recruitment video targeting Chinese Communist Party officials, providing instructions on safely contacting U.S. intelligence. The videos on YouTube received between 15 and 20 million views, and an updated version released in January this year has already surpassed 62 million views.
CIA officials stated that past campaigns “have reached millions and produced new intelligence sources.” In recent years, the agency has increased its resources for China-focused intelligence, aiming to rebuild a network that was severely compromised about 15 years ago. At that time, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) disrupted U.S. intelligence communications, leading to the imprisonment or execution of multiple Chinese informants who provided information to the U.S.
Reuters reported that U.S. officials also accuse Chinese intelligence agencies of repeatedly attempting to recruit current and former U.S. government personnel, and publicly disclosing alleged cases of U.S. spy network exposure.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times noted that China continues to strengthen counterintelligence propaganda, encouraging citizens to report suspicious foreign intelligence activities. Despite China’s blockade of Western social platforms like YouTube, U.S. intelligence believes some Chinese netizens can still bypass censorship via VPNs.
Analysts generally believe that, as military and technological competition intensifies, intelligence confrontation between the U.S. and China has become a critical component of great-power strategic competition, taking on a long-term dynamic resembling a “new Cold War.”
