From wedding photographers to farm gadgets, Chinese campaign warns of spy risks
Documentary series aired on state TV says cover stories, tech tools and scope of espionage ‘far exceed what most people can imagine’
The National Administration of State Secrets Protection’s warning about foreign spies acting as “eyes in the dark” came in its latest anti-espionage documentary, with state broadcaster CCTV airing the first episode on Tuesday.
“In real life, the methods, tools, covertness and scope of espionage employed by foreign intelligence agencies [against China] far exceed what most people can imagine,” the narrator said in the first instalment of the five-part documentary, titled On your guard: Be vigilant against the risks of leaks around us.
Foreign spy agencies were operating under a variety of covers, the programme said, acknowledging that China faced greater challenges in protecting its secrets amid the rapid advancement of technology innovation.
The episode, titled Eyes in the Dark, cited a case of a sea cucumber farmer in the northeastern port of Dalian. He had been approached by a foreign intelligence agency posing as an NGO, which offered him “seawater quality monitoring equipment for free”.
It was later discovered that the equipment contained a 360-degree camera that continuously monitored military activity and maritime traffic in nearby coastal areas, with the data sent to foreign intelligence agencies.
Dalian serves as a strategic hub for the Chinese navy and supports a wide range of operations, from shipbuilding and aircraft carrier construction to submarine and air force deployments.
“What appeared to be a benevolent act of technical assistance was in reality a meticulously planned spying operation targeting sensitive areas of China. And this was just the tip of the iceberg of the many disguised forms of surveillance,” the documentary said.