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China Foils Three Foreign Espionage Plots Targeting Public Officials

Beijing warned that foreign spy services are intensifying operations, calling on officials to strengthen ideological discipline.

Overview

  • The Ministry of State Security said Thursday it had foiled three espionage schemes targeting public servants.
  • In one case, a provincial employee surnamed Li was ensnared in a honeytrap by a foreign agent, blackmailed with intimate photos and sentenced to five years for handing over official documents.
  • A municipal cadre named Hou secretly photographed confidential files to sell to foreign agencies in order to cover gambling debts and was held criminally responsible.
  • A young official lost his position after sharing classified information with a relative who transmitted it to overseas spy services.
  • The MSS did not name the countries behind the plots but warned that foreign intelligence agencies are increasingly active in infiltrating and stealing state secrets.