China's top spy agency has listed activities that could get a person living in the country in trouble and landing an "invitation to tea."
China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) outlined ten specific scenarios that could prompt investigations by the agency, signaling the Chinese government's heightened focus on national security under Xi Jinping's leadership.
This initiative is pivotal within the context of Xi's intensified security focus, illustrating the government's commitment to maintaining national sovereignty and security.
The Ministry's message, shared via China's do-everything app WeChat on Tuesday, uses the euphemism "please drink tea," which has come to signify an invitation for questioning or investigation by security agencies regarding suspected illicit activities.
Among the listed scenarios are "suspected crimes against national security" and the illegal production, sale, possession, and use of espionage equipment.
An intriguing inclusion is a regulation concerning licensing construction projects involving national security matters. This particular regulation is aimed at overseeing construction activities in sensitive zones to prevent their exploitation by foreign espionage entities for intelligence-gathering purposes.
The MSS's initiative to enumerate these scenarios is part of a broader push by Beijing to reinforce national security measures and ensure adherence to relevant laws and regulations. The agency stressed the importance of cultivating a robust national security consciousness among the public, advocating for a law-abiding mindset that supports Xi's agenda of developing a security-driven state apparatus.
This move also marks a notable elevation in the MSS's visibility and political standing, an observation underscored by experts.
As noted by the Financial Times on January 23, this trend aligns with President Xi Jinping's increased emphasis on security, positioning him as the most formidable Chinese leader since Mao Zedong.
Alex Joske, a consultant at McGrathNicol and author of Spies and Lies, a comprehensive study on the MSS, told the FT: "This greater publicity reflects an increase in the MSS's political status—not just its comfort with speaking publicly but actually the political backing to make statements on behalf of the government."
Joske highlighted the unprecedented appointment of Chen Wenqing, a former MSS minister, to the party's 24-member politburo and its central secretariat, illustrating a shift from previous factional practices that restricted the advancement of MSS officials to such high-ranking positions.
Additionally, the MSS's disclosure sheds light on the illegal activities associated with spy equipment, specifying the types of devices considered as "special spy equipment" and the legal consequences for unauthorized dealings with such equipment.
The published list further addresses the restrictions on foreigners and foreign institutions regarding their residence or office setups in specific areas, underscoring the measures taken to protect national security.
This declaration is concurrent with the recent MSS pronouncement to tighten control over the dissemination of open-source information that could offer insights into the country's defense capabilities, Newsweek reported recently. The MSS had pointed out its success in uncovering cases where military enthusiasts unlawfully photographed sensitive military hardware in a previous WeChat post.
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Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
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