https://www.scmp.com/rss/522580/feed The Ministry of State Security (MSS): A prominent Beijing-based governmental body, the Ministry of State Security (MSS) is the principal civilian intelligence, security, and secret police agency of the People’s Republic of China. Its primary mission is to safeguard national security through counterintelligence, foreign intelligence gathering, and maintaining political security, including defending the Chinese Communist Party. The MSS’s main areas of focus encompass domestic surveillance, cyber... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s top intelligence agency has warned university students to be wary of lucrative job postings that may serve as covers for foreign espionage, as they begin searching for work ahead of a record graduation season. Offers such as earning 800 yuan (US$117) a day for remote data processing or research projects promising easy money could be “traps” to recruit students to illegally collect sensitive information for foreign intelligence agencies, the Ministry of State Security said. “Be wary of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349670/china-warns-university-students-beware-well-paid-jobs-offered-foreign-spies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349670/china-warns-university-students-beware-well-paid-jobs-offered-foreign-spies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:00:12 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 2/5 stars Produced under the guidance of China’s Ministry of State Security, Zhang Yimou’s hi-tech spy thriller Scare Out is the first contemporary Chinese film to tackle the issue of national security head-on. Slickly executed but narratively muddled, it stars Jackson Yee and Zhu Yilong as security agents who, while on the trail of stolen military secrets, learn there is a mole operating within their own unit. Shooting on location in the newly modernised metropolis of Shenzhen, Zhang seizes the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344534/scare-out-movie-review-zhang-yimou-tackles-national-security-chinese-spy-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344534/scare-out-movie-review-zhang-yimou-tackles-national-security-chinese-spy-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang During the past decade, Chinese think tanks have had the best of two worlds – having the backing of the government while having some room to move outside it. Encouraged by the country’s leadership to promote China’s soft power, the sector has grown in influence as retired officials have come on board, bringing expertise, connections and some freedom. Not unlike their Western counterparts, these institutes have come to play major roles in Track 2 diplomacy and policy recommendations. But two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343977/end-golden-age-chinese-think-tanks-star-ex-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343977/end-golden-age-chinese-think-tanks-star-ex-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen A spy thriller backed by a Chinese intelligence agency has become one of the biggest box office hits of the Lunar New Year. Scare Out, directed by Zhang Yimou, who is best known internationally for films such as Raise the Red Lantern and House of Flying Daggers, was produced under the direct supervision of the Ministry of State Security, which said the film was based on real-life cases. The film features a tense game of cat and mouse as counter-espionage agents track down a researcher who leaked... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344033/chinese-state-sponsored-spy-thriller-comes-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344033/chinese-state-sponsored-spy-thriller-comes-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:50:17 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang China’s top counter-espionage agency has warned that overseas entities are attempting to steal the country’s geographic data through covert mapping operations that threaten national security. Foreign “anti-China hostile forces” have been deploying “various clandestine methods” to gather, steal and exploit China’s foundational mapping and geographic information, the Ministry of State Security said in a social media article on Tuesday. It said the data, crucial for infrastructure planning,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339780/china-warns-covert-mapping-foreign-forces-steal-sensitive-geodata?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339780/china-warns-covert-mapping-foreign-forces-steal-sensitive-geodata?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency said security services tried to prevent officers from raiding parliament offices on Saturday, as investigators said some MPs were implicated in a new inquiry. The anti-corruption detectives were later allowed into the heavily guarded compound where the parliament was located, Ukraine’s State Security Department said on social media. Ukraine has been embroiled in a string of corruption scandals that led to the resignation of the chief of staff to President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337908/ukrainian-parliament-raided-bribes-votes-probe-zelensky-jets-us-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337908/ukrainian-parliament-raided-bribes-votes-probe-zelensky-jets-us-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 15:50:52 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Foreign forces have used deepfakes and other artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to create public panic and obtain sensitive information, posing a threat to China’s national security, the country’s top intelligence agency has warned. Deepfake technology, which uses AI’s deep learning algorithms to simulate and forge images, audio and video, could be abused or used maliciously to endanger individual legal rights, social stability and national security, the Ministry of State Security (MSS)... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337838/china-warns-foreign-forces-deploy-ai-deepfakes-stir-panic-and-steal-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337838/china-warns-foreign-forces-deploy-ai-deepfakes-stir-panic-and-steal-data?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 01:00:17 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A female bodyguard, assigned by the Chinese government to protect the French first lady during her official visit with her husband to China in early December, went viral on social media for her tough and professional demeanour. Known by her pseudonym, Yan Yuexia is referred to by Chinese internet users as “the most beautiful bodyguard,” although her appearance is one of many strengths, as reported by the news portal The Paper. While Brigitte Macron took part in public events in Beijing and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3335870/china-most-beautiful-shaolin-trained-bodyguard-spotlight-during-french-president-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3335870/china-most-beautiful-shaolin-trained-bodyguard-spotlight-during-french-president-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:00:09 +0000 dpa dpa British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit last week amid speculation that he could visit Beijing early next year and the country’s controversial embassy in London will be approved. The two leaders are understood to have greeted each other only briefly during a “brush-by” rather than holding formal bilateral talks, after which a readout covering what was discussed would usually be expected from Starmer’s office. China was represented by Premier Li... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334004/uks-starmer-met-premier-li-qiang-g20-south-africa-amid-beijing-visit-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334004/uks-starmer-met-premier-li-qiang-g20-south-africa-amid-beijing-visit-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 18:26:57 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s top anti-espionage agency said it had solved several infiltration and espionage cases involving Japanese spy agencies in recent years and vowed to step up counter-intelligence work amid serious diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo. On Wednesday, the Ministry of State Security said in a social media article that it had “cracked a series of espionage cases involving Japanese intelligence agencies infiltrating and stealing secrets from China”. It added that this had “effectively... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3333425/china-solves-japanese-spy-cases-vows-counter-intelligence-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3333425/china-solves-japanese-spy-cases-vows-counter-intelligence-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:21:04 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China has been quietly restricting the widespread abuse of a form of detention legal critics believe is a key source of illegal interrogation that has led to multiple deaths and blocked suspects’ access to lawyers. There has been no official announcement of the changes. But last month, a leaked file of new guidelines circulated online, adding supervision and restricting the way the measure, known as residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL), is approved and executed. RSDL was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332047/china-quietly-curbs-abuse-detention-procedure-linked-suspect-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332047/china-quietly-curbs-abuse-detention-procedure-linked-suspect-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 08:00:19 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang The Chinese government’s recent announcement of more export controls on rare earth-related items marks a significant shift in global economic statecraft. The new measures, covering a spectrum of rare earth elements, other critical materials and relevant processing technologies, have been justified as measures to safeguard national security and fulfil non-proliferation obligations. The controls aim to deny the use of the materials in foreign military systems, linking China’s mines directly to the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329777/can-china-make-its-rare-earth-controls-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329777/can-china-make-its-rare-earth-controls-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China, working with the United States and Thailand, has seized a record haul of illegal drugs near a disputed South China Sea reef, state media said on Friday. The Chinese anti-drug agency and the China Coast Guard, acting on a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Royal Thai Police, intercepted the vessel Ji Sheng around 130 nautical miles (240km) southwest of Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China, People’s Daily reported. The operation took place... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328612/china-us-and-thailand-seize-record-meth-haul-near-disputed-south-china-sea-reef?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328612/china-us-and-thailand-seize-record-meth-haul-near-disputed-south-china-sea-reef?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:18 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Beijing’s top anti-espionage agency released a list of Taiwanese individuals on Friday that it said were working for Taiwan’s intelligence service to spread pro-independence messages and stir cross-strait tensions online. In a statement on its social media account, the Ministry of State Security also said it had identified a number of suspicious online “troll army” accounts on multiple social networking platforms both within mainland China and beyond, which showed strong connections through... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328543/beijings-top-spy-agency-names-taiwanese-agents-flags-troll-army-stirring-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328543/beijings-top-spy-agency-names-taiwanese-agents-flags-troll-army-stirring-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:34:55 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China accused unnamed foreign organisations and individuals of processing its rare earths for military purposes as it announced further export controls on Thursday. The new curbs announced by the Ministry of Commerce will ban the provision of technology and services for mining and processing the minerals without permission. China is the world’s leading producer of rare earth elements, which are crucial to the production of a wide range of products, from electric vehicles to spacecraft,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3328358/china-says-unnamed-foreign-groups-are-using-its-rare-earth-exports-military-purposes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3328358/china-says-unnamed-foreign-groups-are-using-its-rare-earth-exports-military-purposes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 08:07:36 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim A Chinese court sentenced 16 people linked to a notorious Myanmar-based telecoms fraud group to death on Monday for crimes including fraud, drug trafficking and prostitution. According to state broadcaster CCTV, prosecutors in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang found that since 2015 the Ming family crime gang had used its influence in Myanmar’s Kokang region to set up a number of “parks” and collude with financial backers to carry out criminal activities. Those activities – encompassing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327264/chinese-court-hands-death-sentences-16-people-linked-myanmar-crime-family?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327264/chinese-court-hands-death-sentences-16-people-linked-myanmar-crime-family?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:30:14 +0000 Dien Nguyen An Luong Dien Nguyen An Luong Vietnam’s online playbook is shifting from deleting to diluting. After years of chasing “toxic” posts, authorities now aim to engineer “positive content” at scale – feel-good narratives designed to crowd out criticism. The country is moving to formalise a governance framework on key opinion leaders (KOLs). In June, it passed the Amended Advertising Law requiring influencers to label paid posts and verify product claims. In mid-August, it convened the first national influencer summit,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3326991/are-vietnams-attempts-putting-positive-spin-social-media-wrong-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3326991/are-vietnams-attempts-putting-positive-spin-social-media-wrong-move?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 04:00:20 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s top anti-espionage agency has warned of foreign attempts to bypass Chinese export controls to obtain rare minerals essential for cutting-edge military applications. The resources are also central to China’s push for self-reliance amid its intensifying power rivalry with the United States. The warning from the Ministry of State Security on Saturday came as it revealed two antimony smuggling cases, one involving a family-run criminal network and the other a group of traffickers. “Certain... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3327101/chinas-anti-spy-agency-warns-foreign-bids-smuggle-key-minerals-resource-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3327101/chinas-anti-spy-agency-warns-foreign-bids-smuggle-key-minerals-resource-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 13:00:11 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China has showcased and marketed a range of new public security equipment, including AI-assisted facial recognition surveillance devices, in an exhibition for police forces in developing countries. The equipment was displayed at the three-day Global Public Security Cooperation Forum, which runs in the coastal city of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, until Thursday. According to state broadcaster CCTV, the exhibition’s theme is “Security Sharing, Development Integration”. “Through this showcase,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3325892/china-showcases-ai-enhanced-bodycams-developing-nations-police-expo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3325892/china-showcases-ai-enhanced-bodycams-developing-nations-police-expo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:00:09 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Beijing’s top anti-spy agency has warned the Chinese public about espionage being carried out in the country’s border areas under the guise of philanthropy. The Ministry of State Security announced on Tuesday that it had uncovered a case involving foreign spies operating near China’s military installations while posing as members of a charity organisation. In a case briefing posted on its social media platform, the ministry said villagers living near an unidentified restricted military zone... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324857/foreign-agents-posing-charity-workers-study-chinese-military-facilities-ministry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324857/foreign-agents-posing-charity-workers-study-chinese-military-facilities-ministry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 08:05:04 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The United States on Wednesday sanctioned a Chinese chemical company that it alleges is manufacturing and coordinating shipments of illicit opioids, such as fentanyl, and chemical agents into the country. The move comes amid recent stepped-up moves in Washington to target China on the fentanyl issue despite stabilising bilateral ties. A Treasury Department statement said sanctions have been placed on Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical, based in China’s southern Guangdong province, and two of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324252/us-sanctions-chinas-guangzhou-tengyue-chemical-alleged-fentanyl-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324252/us-sanctions-chinas-guangzhou-tengyue-chemical-alleged-fentanyl-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:49:34 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Major Chinese social media platforms, including Tencent Holdings’ WeChat and ByteDance-owned Douyin, have launched new features to abide by Monday’s roll-out of a new law that mandates labelling of all artificial intelligence-generated content online. The law, which was issued in March, requires explicit and implicit labels for AI-generated text, images, audio, video and other virtual content. Explicit markings must be clearly visible to users, while implicit identifiers – such as digital... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3323959/chinas-social-media-platforms-rush-abide-ai-generated-content-labelling-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3323959/chinas-social-media-platforms-rush-abide-ai-generated-content-labelling-law?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 14:00:14 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Nvidia denied that its graphics processing units (GPUs) can be remotely disabled without users’ knowledge after the Chinese cybersecurity regulator hauled in the chipmaking giant over concerns about backdoor access. “Nvidia GPUs do not and should not have kill switches and backdoors,” chief security officer David Reber Jnr wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. “That’s not how trustworthy systems are built – and never will be.” The Cyberspace Administration of China summoned Nvidia on July 31, citing... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3320943/nvidia-back-firing-line-us-china-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3320943/nvidia-back-firing-line-us-china-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:00:24 +0000 Edith Mao Edith Mao China’s top anti-spying agency has urged citizens to beware of data leakage through deliberately designed or maliciously embedded “technical back doors” in chips and smart gadgets produced overseas, warning of risks to national security. The Ministry of State Security said on its official social media page on Monday that imported chips, software and smart devices for critical sectors might feature embedded “exploits” or access points at the initial design stage. These would allow malicious... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319013/china-warns-security-risks-bad-actor-back-doors-imported-chips-smart-devices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3319013/china-warns-security-risks-bad-actor-back-doors-imported-chips-smart-devices?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:00:19 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A number of suspects involved in strategic mineral smuggling had been arrested, Chinese authorities said on Saturday, while pledging stronger enforcement of export controls to prevent illegal shipments and technology transfers for military use. The Ministry of Commerce statement came during a high-level export-control meeting in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region – an area of southern China rich in strategic mineral reserves. Multiple ministries attended the meeting, which was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318865/china-cracks-down-rare-earth-smugglers-vowing-stronger-export-controls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318865/china-cracks-down-rare-earth-smugglers-vowing-stronger-export-controls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 13:00:16 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan When the Federal Bureau of Investigation last week arrested a suspected Chinese hacker for allegedly stealing sensitive American research on Covid-19 vaccines in 2020, the head of America’s top law enforcement agency hailed the episode as “manhunting” the Chinese Communist Party. “The CCP’s relentless attacks on our institutions will not go unanswered,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on social media. “The FBI will hunt down those who threaten our national security – wherever they hide,” he wrote,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3318356/us-china-spy-wars-intensify-under-trump-20-tech-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3318356/us-china-spy-wars-intensify-under-trump-20-tech-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 19:41:16 +0000