Dear China, I am a white guy and not a spy
A campaign to root out Western secret agents in Beijing, complete with xenophobic cartoons that make people look twice at foreigners, offers big payouts for successful bounty hunters
When I take the elevator in my 100 per cent Chinese working-class housing estate, I often end up being grilled by my extremely kind neighbours. As is so common in Beijing, they ask me all kinds of questions about my life. Are you married? You live on the eighth floor, right? Are you American? Ah no, Italian? How much is your rent? What do you do?
But it can get a lot more personal. An elderly neighbour recently stroked my beard, smiled and said approvingly: “Nice”. Reminded me of my granddad, I was deeply moved.
But I would be deeply suspicious next time. What if the man is trying to find out if it’s a false beard? What if he is trying to find out if I am a spy? What if he is a bounty hunter?
Once in a Beijing subway, I told a woman that I am a journalist. “You mean you are a spy,” she joked. Today, I wouldn’t find it that funny. Nor would a complete stranger say that anymore. She would rather head straight for the Municipal Bureau of State Security office.
Beijing’s 20 million denizens were invited by the local Municipal Bureau of State Security last week to provide information on potential spies lurking in the foreign community. According to the Beijing Daily, the reward for the top snitch: a whopping 500,000 yuan (HK$564,000). The reward amount depends on the value of the information provided. Within 90 days of receiving the award notice, the whistle-blower can either receive it directly or authorise somebody else to accept it.