By Li Muzi, Vision Times
A series of Chinese-language recruitment videos released by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) aimed at attracting Chinese informants has generated extraordinary online attention, with total views on YouTube approaching a staggering 120 million.
The campaign has sparked widespread discussion among Chinese-language internet users, with some commentators describing the viewing figures as a sign of growing curiosity, and possibly deeper tensions, within Chinese society.
RELATED: China Reportedly Suspends US Travel and Tightens Exit Controls After CIA Recruitment Video
Targeting Chinese youth
According to a Jan. 26 report by Breitbart News, the CIA began releasing Mandarin-language recruitment videos in 2025 aimed specifically at Chinese audiences. The videos seek to encourage individuals familiar with the inner workings of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) system to provide information to U.S. intelligence.
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Sources familiar with the initiative told Breitbart that the campaign has already succeeded in reaching individuals inside China’s political system and has produced “significant results” in recruiting both internal sources and external informants.
The report also noted that CIA Director John Ratcliffe keeps a chart in his office showing agency personnel levels. The chart indicates that CIA staffing had declined prior to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to office but has since rebounded under Ratcliffe’s leadership.
4th video released
Recently, the CIA released its fourth Chinese-language recruitment video on YouTube titled “The Reason to Stand Up: Saving the Future.” The video features a dramatic narrative directed toward potential informants inside China’s system.
In one segment, a speaker declares: “The truth is becoming increasingly clear: the leaders are really protecting only their own interests. Their power is built on countless lies, but now those walls of lies are gradually collapsing. In the end, what remains is for us to clean up the mess… I am a soldier. My duty is to protect the people and safeguard the country. Choosing this path is the way I fight for my family and my nation.”
The four videos combined have drawn massive viewership on YouTube. One video titled “Secure Contact Instructions” alone has reportedly surpassed 60 million views.
Chinese-language social media users quickly noticed the numbers. On March 8, a user on the social platform X wrote, “The CIA’s four videos have nearly reached 120 million views. Especially the ‘Secure Contact Instructions’ video with more than 60 million views. This isn’t watching a recruitment ad, it’s like reading a guidebook to a new world.”
“This isn’t recruiting spies. It’s a massive cross-border ‘soul recruitment fair.’ Each click is a silent vote,” the post added. The author also suggested that the popularity of the videos reflected broader dissatisfaction among some viewers. “Not everyone loves the United States,” they wrote, “They simply hate the reality where they live like ants and are discarded like rags.”
Another passage read: “Everyone is looking for a way out. Some tried the front door and found it welded shut. Others tried the back door and discovered it led to hell. So when the CIA offered a lifeline, millions of souls in the darkness grabbed for it.”
Gone viral
Former Central Party School professor Cai Xia, now a prominent critic of the CCP living overseas, commented on the discussion. In a March 8 post on X, she wrote: “This short article objectively reflects the undercurrents within the CCP system. The most basic bottom line for people is to ensure that they and their families can live safely.”
Cai added that the political system is far from unified. “The system is not a solid block. People seek their own survival; this is human nature.” She further claimed that even some officials close to Chinese leader Xi Jinping fear becoming scapegoats. “During the two days when Xi suddenly collapsed at the Third Plenum in 2024, there were already signs that those around him were preparing to scatter.”
Political commentator Fang Wei also highlighted the unusually high view counts. In a March 7 post on X, she wrote: “As of today, the CIA’s four recruitment videos for Chinese intelligence sources or defectors have nearly reached 120 million views on YouTube.”
Fang estimated that if the numbers are accurate, at least 10 million Chinese viewers may have watched the videos. She added, “If these numbers are real, then we can see how unpopular the CCP has become. Beneath the surface calm lies enormous crisis; like magma boiling beneath a quiet lake.”
Many Chinese-language internet users reacted with humor. One comment read: “Everyone is a secret agent now.” Another joked: “Loyal on the surface, but secretly switching sides.” Another user wrote sarcastically: “Working undercover in the enemy camp,” while another said, “Sell out the boss for a good price.”
