WASHINGTON, Feb 12 - The Central Intelligence Agency has rolled out a short Chinese-language video intended to reach mid-level officers in China's military, signaling an intensified effort to gather human intelligence inside a strategic competitor. The release comes shortly after authorities in Beijing disclosed an investigation into Zhang Youxia, a senior military figure who served as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission.
The video, posted to the CIA's YouTube channel, depicts a fictional mid-ranking officer expressing disillusionment with leadership in Mandarin. In the clip the character says, "Anyone with leadership qualities is bound to be subject to suspicion and ruthlessly eliminated," and accuses his superiors of building "power... on countless lies."
CIA Director John Ratcliffe commented on the initiative, saying the agency's videos have reached many Chinese citizens and that the effort will continue to offer Chinese government officials an "opportunity to work toward a brighter future together." A separate anonymous CIA official told Reuters that past videos had "reached millions of people and inspired new sources," while declining to provide further detail on specific metrics or identities.
Observers see the timing of the new material as an attempt to exploit possible fractures inside the People’s Liberation Army after Beijing announced the probe into Zhang Youxia - a removal described as the most high-profile targeting of a senior Chinese military leader in decades. The short video appears designed to tap into tensions from Beijing's sustained anti-corruption campaign within the PLA, which has already affected senior ranks.
The CIA has previously released Chinese-language content that focused on fictional members of the ruling Communist Party and provided detailed instructions on how to contact U.S. intelligence securely. Agency officials have expressed confidence that this online campaign is penetrating China’s internet controls known as the Great Firewall and reaching the intended audience, though they have provided limited public detail on methods and verification.
U.S. officials say that rebuilding human intelligence on China is a priority after the agency's network inside the country was severely degraded in the early 2010s when numerous sources were killed or imprisoned. The new video is one element of a broader push to reestablish contacts and generate new leads.
At the same time, American officials have warned that Chinese intelligence services are active in recruiting current and former U.S. personnel. Beijing has in recent years publicized cases it says involved U.S. spy networks uncovered within China, and those disclosures underscore the risks and counter-efforts that U.S. intelligence faces.
U.S. and Chinese intelligence moves take place within an escalating competition that encompasses military and technological domains, with both sides intensifying efforts to protect advantages and gather information. The CIA's online outreach marks a public, digitally enabled step in Washington's campaign to expand human sources in mainland China while operating under the constraints imposed by robust Chinese counterintelligence measures.
Context and implications
The video campaign reflects a deliberate U.S. focus on human intelligence in a theater where digital tools and public-facing material are being used to reach potential sources. The agency's stated confidence in the reach of its videos coexists with acknowledgements of limited public detail about the programs' inner workings and outcomes.