In a bold move, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has launched a new recruitment drive, targeting potential informants in China, North Korea, and Iran. The agency shared an instructional video on Wednesday across its official pages on various social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even the Dark Web. The video, available in Mandarin, Korean, and Farsi, outlines the process for individuals interested in working with the CIA.
The Mandarin video, over two minutes long, provides detailed written instructions, assuring potential applicants that their safety and well-being remain a top priority. The video emphasizes the importance of protecting personal identity, urging prospective informants to use a computer or network that cannot be linked back to them. The video highlights the agency’s commitment to ensuring the anonymity and security of its collaborators.
The CIA’s recruitment initiative has drawn a sharp response from China. Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, issued a statement to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), condemning the effort. He warned that attempts to sow discord between the Chinese people and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or weaken their bond would ultimately fail. He underscored the resilience and perseverance of the Chinese people in overcoming numerous challenges, leading to their status as the world’s second-largest economy.
This recruitment drive follows a similar effort launched by the CIA in January, targeting Russian spies. The campaign, which featured a dramatic video shared across social media platforms, sought to recruit Russians disillusioned by Moscow’s foreign policy. The CIA’s Director, William Burns, described the initiative as a “rare opportunity” to connect with individuals disenchanted by Russia’s actions. However, the Kremlin dismissed the video, highlighting the fact that X (formerly Twitter) had been banned in Russia since 2022, the same year Moscow invaded Ukraine.
In a recent statement to Reuters, a CIA spokesperson emphasized the success of their efforts in Russia and expressed their desire to extend similar opportunities to individuals in other authoritarian regimes. The spokesperson highlighted the agency’s openness to collaborating with individuals who wish to provide information.
The latest recruitment video comes at a time when the CIA is working to rebuild its network of spies in China. The agency is still grappling with the fallout from the loss of 20 informants in the country nearly a decade ago. However, the agency’s Deputy Director, David Cohen, sees a potential opportunity in China’s economic slowdown and President Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power. Bloomberg reported that Cohen believes this period presents an opportune moment to seek out new informants. He believes that many individuals with access to valuable information are disillusioned with the Xi regime.
The CIA’s recruitment efforts in China, North Korea, and Iran are likely to intensify the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the United States and these countries. The agency’s focus on exploiting internal dissent and seeking to gain valuable intelligence from within these regimes underscores the importance of human intelligence in shaping global affairs.
