Chinese security ministry attempts to mobilise the masses to fight espionage with new social media account
Hong Kong Free Press
The entire Chinese nation should join the country’s anti-espionage campaign, to build a “line of civil defence against espionage,” and to safeguard national security, the Ministry of State Security has said on a newly launched social media account.
Since its establishment in 1983, the intelligence and security authority has generally kept a low public profile. However, the ministry opened an official account on Chinese social media platform WeChat on Monday, and has published two articles so far.
In the first, published on Tuesday, the ministry said that national security authorities should fully implement the recently amended anti-espionage law, as “the anti-espionage fight is in a critical and complicated situation.”
The title of the article was: “Countering espionage requires the mobilisation of the entire society!”
The ministry also said it would set up “a normalised system” to help the public identify and report suspected incidents of espionage, and be rewarded for their help fighting spies.
Through its WeChat account, people could easily connect to a platform run by the Ministry of State Security that allows anyone to submit reports of potentially criminal activities. The platform is available in Chinese and English versions, and allows “informants” to remain anonymous if they wish.
“The channels for citizens and organisations to report activities that endanger national security should be unobstructed,” the ministry said in the article. “National security authorities should make public their telephone, mailbox, online platform, and other contact information for receiving reports, and handle reports in a timely and lawful manner while protecting the confidentiality of the reporter.”
The ministry does not allow people to comment on its WeChat posts.
Expanded definition of espionage
Beijing passed an amendment to its anti-espionage law in April. The new law, which came to effect on July 1, saw the definition of espionage expanded to include “agents of spy organisations.”
It also makes reference to “stealing, spying, bribing, illegally providing state secrets,” as well as engagement in activities that “instigate, lure, coerce, or bribe national personnel to defect national personnel.”
In the second article published by the security ministry on Wednesday, it said the new anti-espionage law included new types of espionage such as “cyber espionage,” and also protected documents, statistics, and materials “relevant to national security and interest”.
The new law also “respects and safeguards human rights”, the ministry added in the article.
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