Hacker Photo: VCG

China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) warned on Sunday that foreign spy agencies are conducting increasingly sophisticated operations, including intensified infiltration, recruitment, and espionage activities. The MSS stressed that strengthening institutional safeguards, ideological commitment, and technological defenses is essential for China to build an unbreakable national security barrier to protect its interests. 

According to the MSS, cases handled by its authorities in recent years show that lax attitudes and poor implementation of responsibilities in some classified units and among certain personnel have led to ineffective systems and inadequate oversight. 

Foreign intelligence agencies are increasingly targeting the core sectors and personnel within China's Party, government, and military systems through surveillance and insider recruitment for infiltration and espionage, said the MSS. 

Foreign intelligence agencies are pouring vast funds and resources into highly sophisticated espionage against China, using cutting-edge technologies that are increasingly advanced, concealed, and diverse. The MSS warned that this trend demands stronger counter-espionage and information security measures, calling for a clear recognition of the heightened threat. 

To gain a competitive edge against China, some foreign spy agencies have conducted espionage operations against Chinese strategic emerging industries such as rare earths, photovoltaics, semiconductors, high-end chips, and artificial intelligence. They have been employing every possible means to obtain core technologies and sensitive data in an attempt to seize Chinese strategic advantages.

The MSS warned that foreign intelligence agencies' channels for conducting espionage have become increasingly pervasive. Foreign spy agencies use methods such as open-source scraping, phishing attacks, and dark Web purchases to aggressively collect sensitive information related to China's key sectors exposed on online platforms. These methods enable rapid intelligence analysis, precise infiltration, and targeted attacks, significantly increasing efficiency while reducing risks and costs. 

The MSS criticized some units and personnel for failing to grasp the critical political importance of secrecy. They lack basic knowledge of modern risks such as smart device data collection, cloud syncing, and app permissions, and still apply outdated thinking to new threats. Some prioritize convenience and efficiency over security, bypass rules, simplify procedures, and ignore protocols. Some, due to wavering convictions, greed, personal vulnerabilities, or compromising conduct, have been successfully recruited and turned by foreign intelligence agencies. 

The MSS called for heightened vigilance against new leak risks posed by technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data. It urged the accelerated development and deployment of advanced protective technologies and equipment, regular technical inspections and risk assessments, and improved early-warning, rapid-response, and traceability capabilities to detect, intercept, and block threats as early as possible. 

Meanwhile, the MSS stressed strict compliance with rules prohibiting classified materials from being taken out, photographed, or transmitted online, urging compliance with confidentiality laws and workplace discipline requirements. 

Global Times