Public intelligence: China calls on its people to help govt catch spies among them

China's state security ministry expressed the importance of encouraging its citizens to actively engage in counter-espionage efforts, including establishing channels for reporting suspicious activities and recognising and rewarding their contributions.

 The ministry emphasised the need for a system that normalises public involvement in counter-espionage work, as revealed in its inaugural post on WeChat, which went live recently.

The call to promote anti-spying initiatives among the masses follows an expansion of China's counter-espionage law, which took effect in July. 

This law has raised concerns in the United States, as it could potentially penalise foreign companies operating in China for regular business activities, given its broad scope of prohibiting the transfer of unspecified information related to national security and interests.

Under the revised law, authorities conducting anti-espionage investigations are granted access to data, electronic devices, and information pertaining to personal property. 

The Minister of State Security, Chen Yixin, highlighted the paramount importance of political security in safeguarding the country, with the core focus being on the security of China's political system, specifically upholding the leadership and ruling position of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.

In recent times, China has apprehended numerous Chinese and foreign nationals on suspicion of espionage, including an executive from a Japanese drugmaker and an Australian journalist, who were both detained. 

The declaration of being under threat from spies comes amidst accusations from Western nations, particularly the United States, which have accused China of espionage and cyberattacks—an allegation that Beijing firmly denies, with Chinese officials even pointing to the United States as an "empire of hacking."

In order to protect the nation from espionage, the state security ministry stressed the importance of enlisting the active participation of the Chinese people in building a robust defence line.