China inaugurated National Security Education Day on 15 April 2016 and in accordance with the National Security Law mandate (July 2015) which details, April 15 of each year will be recognized as National Security Education Day.
Clearly the counterespionage professionals with the Ministry of State Security (MSS) view the western foreign national to be a threat. In honor of the first National Security Education Day, China launched a creative counterintelligence cartoon series, “Dangerous Love,” to help thwart and reduce instances of espionage from within the female government employee population.
Romeo
The cartoon campaign reads like a highlight reel of a program designed to counter the East German Stasi “Romeo” officers. These Romeos would travel to the west and seduce and recruit unsuspecting and apparently vulnerable government employees. At the end of the Cold War, more than 30 female government employees were identified through a review of the Stasi files and subsequently prosecuted. And unlike the China program, the Stasi was equally effective in compromising male government employees. They took a page straight out of the Russian KGB art of sexual compromise via the use of “Swallows” to seduce and induce male government employees to provide secrets.
The cartoon narrative (provided below with commentary) is designed to sensitize the populace to the foreign threat posed by academics, businessmen and government employees. In the US, both the Defense Security Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation implore all entities dealing with US government classified materials to sensitize all employees, not just those with clearances, to be alert for creative approaches from foreign nationals. Indeed, all those who enjoy the trust of the US government and have a clearance are required to file a “foreign contact report,” upon each encounter.
In China, espionage is serious business
To be clear, China means business. They recently sentenced to death Huang Yu, of Sichuan who was an employee of the state (NFI). He was convicted of sharing more than 150,000 classified documents to an unidentified foreign power. In a separate case, they sentenced Chen Wei of Zhejiang Province to seven years in prison. He was convicted of sharing military information to an unnamed foreign power about China’s policy, ship movements and other information with respect to the East China Sea. The Chinese press emphasized the use of “religion” as the hook used to solidify the relationship with Chen. In a third case, earlier in 2016, China indicted a Canadian national, Kevin Garret, for committing espionage on behalf of the Canadian government. And finally, four Japanese citizens (three men and a woman) have been detained by the Chinese on charges of espionage on behalf of a foreign government (Japan).
Dangerous Love
The cartoon narrative’s two characters are Da Wei (David) and Xiao Li. David is a foreigner in China and he identifies himself as conducting academic research. In his effort to assimilate into the social life and expand his network, he decides to host a dinner party. In the first frame, two ladies are seen walking down the street and having a dialog:
Friend: “A foreign friend has organized a gathering tonight … You’re always trying to increase your foreign language level; why don’t you go with me?”
Xiao Li: “OK.”[i]
Cartoon #2 – Heading to a foreigner’s home
In the second frame, David as the host of the dinner party, engages in a bit of ice-breaking.
David: “My name is David and I’m a visiting scholar researching issues about China. I’m really interested in chatting with all of you.”
Cartoon #3- Hi I am David
Moving on to the third frame, David implores the attendees to identify themselves and what they do. Xiao Li agrees.
David: “Everybody please introduce yourself and say a little something about your work. Let’s start with this pretty lady.”
Xiao Li: “Oh, OK!”
And in the fourth frame, the foreigner David, having induced Xiao Li to share a bit about herself. She does so, and provides sufficient amount of “targeting” fodder for David.
Xiao Li: “I’m Xiao Li, I just tested into the civil service after graduating college and work in a foreign publicity department.”
David “OK.”
Cartoon #5 – I’m Xiao Li – work for the government
David begins to see Xiao Li with regularity and wins her heart … she becomes malleable.
After that party, David began to meet with Xiao Li often and gave her gifts.
David: “You’re pretty, sweet and exceptional – honestly I fell for you the first time I saw you.
Cartoon #6 – David seduces Xiao Li
Reveling in the knowledge that an attractive and successful western academic finds her attractive and is “her boyfriend” Xiao Li is the happiest girl in China
Xiao Li: “Having a handsome, romantic and talented foreign boyfriend is pretty good.“
Cartoon #7- Having a foreign boyfriend is pretty good
As the relationship solidifies, David moves the conversation on to Xiao Li’s professional career choice and what she actually does. David is validating the target and determining if she has access to information of interest.
David: “Dear, what exactly do you do at your work?”
Xiao Li: “I write internal references as a basis for central policies.”
Cartoon #8- What do you do at work?
Then David goes for the compromise and collection of intelligence. He asks the unsuspecting Xiao LI to share her internal government research with him. She notes that she is not permitted to do so.
David: “Great! Lend me those internal references so I can take a look. This will really help me write academic articles.”
Xiao Li: “I can’t, we have a confidentiality system.”
Cartoon #9 – Share your references for my academic articles
We have no need for secrets. The “romantic connection” overwhelms her internal alarms warning her not to share information with unauthorized personnel.
David: “Dear, do you still need to keep secrets from me? I’m just taking a look to use in academic articles.”
Xiao Li: “Unh, OK then.”
Cartoon #10- You keep secrets from me?
At their next encounter, Xiao Li delivers the goods, her research. She implores David to return the material as soon as possible.
Xiao Li: “This is a copy I made, give it back as soon as you’re done.”
David: “Relax, sweetheart.”
Cartoon #11 – Please return my secret documents
The sound of crickets soon follows as David has the state secrets he desired and is nowhere to be found. He doesn’t answer his phones, SMS (Texts) or any other attempt to contact him.
Xiao Li: “What happened? David hasn’t called me recently, and his phone is always off.”
Cartoon #12- David doesn’t talk to me anymore
And then the dreaded knock on the door occurs. Please come with us.
Officer: “Are you Xiao Li? We’re from the State Administration of National Security. Please come with us.”
Xiao Li: “What? What’s going on?”
Cartoon #13- Are you Xiao Li? Please come with us.
Xiao Li knows she broke the “rules”, but didn’t think her sharing of the information with David would ever been known. She wasn’t counting on David having been captured by the MSS and the information provided to David would be traced back to her, yet it was.
Officer: “David is an overseas spy in China to steal political and military information, and we have already captured him. Did you provide him with these ‘internal references?'”
Xiao Li: “What?”
Cartoon #14- David is a spy – did you provide these to him?
Xiao Li: “I didn’t know he was a spy; he used me!”
Officer: “You show a very shallow understanding of secrecy for a State employee. You are suspected of violating our nation’s law.”
Cartoon #15 – I didn’t know he was a spy
[i] All translations taken from the Australian Broadcasting Network website who sourced the translations to the China Law Translate.
