The CIA has released a new Mandarin-language recruitment video titled “Save the Future”, appealing to disillusioned members of China’s military to secretly cooperate with the U.S. intelligence agency. The video depicts a fictional mid-level PLA officer criticizing corruption and the removal of loyal, capable officers, before outlining secure methods to contact the CIA. The campaign follows a sweeping purge within China’s military, where top generals — including Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission — were removed over alleged corruption. With only Xi Jinping and one other general remaining from the original 2022 military leadership, the turmoil has exposed deep instability within the ranks. CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that similar campaigns have reached millions in China, Russia, and elsewhere, part of a broader effort to rebuild human intelligence networks after many U.S. assets in China were compromised a decade ago. The Chinese government has condemned these videos as hostile acts and vowed countermeasures. The timing of this new release, amid Xi’s anti-corruption drive and emphasis on “trustworthy” soldiers, appears calculated to exploit growing internal dissatisfaction within the PLA and the Communist Party elite.
CIA Appeals to China’s Military as Xi’s Corruption Crackdown Deepens
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