CIA Goes Public in China: Spies Wanted?

In a jaw-dropping shift from cloak-and-dagger tactics, the CIA recently posted a Mandarin video titled \"Securely Contacting CIA\" on major social platforms. The message? \"Got tea? We’re listening.\" The agency openly invited residents of the Chinese mainland and beyond to share sensitive information—a move netizens called \"the world’s riskiest gig economy.\"

From Hidden Hands to Public Ads

The October 2 video marked a stark departure from decades of covert operations. While claiming to prioritize informants' safety, the CIA admitted responses \"might take time… or never come.\" Cue the online roast: \"Imagine risking your freedom just to get ghosted by spies,\" one user joked.

China vs CIA: A Cold War Flashback

This isn’t the CIA’s first rodeo. Since the 1950s, the agency has funded separatist groups in Tibet and Xinjiang, airdropped spies during the Korean War, and more recently launched cyberattacks targeting Chinese institutions. Their new playbook? Recruit students, scholars, and tech workers through \"false online personas\" to spread anti-China narratives.

Epic Fail or Calculated Provocation?

Despite doubling budgets and creating a \"China Mission Center,\" the CIA’s efforts keep hitting walls. China’s national security laws have dismantled multiple spy networks, proving that visible desperation ≠ successful strategy. As tensions rise, this public stunt raises questions: Is it a genuine recruitment drive—or just geopolitical theater?

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From covert to overt: The CIA's desperate recruitment in China

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