The Five Eyes security alliance, comprising the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, issued a joint warning on Wednesday about Chinese military intelligence services aggressively using online job platforms to recruit individuals with access to sensitive information.
Joint Bulletin Details
In a bulletin titled "Safeguarding Our Secrets," the domestic security agencies of the Five Eyes countries stated that Chinese spies are leveraging professional networking sites and online recruitment services to target people in government, the military, and those who can access classified data. The bulletin emphasizes that China's military intelligence seeks to acquire privileged military, political, and economic intelligence to gain a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes nations.
While similar warnings have been issued by individual countries in the past, this joint bulletin is described as unprecedented. Beijing has repeatedly rejected such espionage claims, calling them "pure fabrication and malicious slander."
Targeted Groups
The Five Eyes agencies noted that Chinese spies are particularly targeting individuals specializing in defense, foreign affairs, and intelligence, as well as military personnel, including those stationed in the Indo-Pacific region. Others at risk include journalists, think tank employees, and those with peripheral access to government data.
The bulletin describes an "aggressive online recruitment strategy" where successful candidates are pressured to provide confidential information for unspecified clients associated with the Chinese government. Recruits may be paid anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per report, with higher payments for increasingly sensitive information.
Previous Warnings
The United States has previously warned about Chinese intelligence using deception to target current and former US government employees. In November, Britain's MI5 security service cautioned lawmakers about Chinese agents attempting to spy on parliament.
