FBI and 5 Eye Alert Re: China Recruitment

THE THREAT

China’s military intelligence services are using an increasingly wide array of professional networking sites and online job platforms to target Five Eyes government and military personnel—and anyone with access to classified or privileged information.

These actors use an aggressive online recruitment strategy whereby intelligence officers or their affiliates pose as employees of private consultancies, think tanks or human resources (HR) firms, and place online job advertisements for foreign policy and defense analysts (or similar). 

Successful candidates are pressured to provide “non-public” information for unspecified clients who are associated with the Chinese government. China’s military intelligence services ultimately seek to acquire privileged military, political and economic intelligence that can provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes.

Who is at RISK?

Chinese intelligence officers attempt to recruit and cultivate long-term relationships with the following types of individuals in exchange for classified or privileged information:

• Security clearance holders, particularly those who specialize in defense, foreign affairs and security & intelligence.
• Military personnel, including those stationed in the Indo-Pacific region, with knowledge of regional capabilities and general activities.
• Persons with either indirect or peripheral access to government information, e.g. academics, journalists, freelance writers, think tank employees, or anyone with links to defense, security, policy and economic sectors.

REPORTING incidents:

If you or someone you know is being targeted via any of the means listed above, contact your institution or department’s corporate security office for further guidance and direction. Our respective agencies are liaising with corporate security offices regarding this threat.

To report nonimmediate threat information related to national security:

Federal Bureau of Investigation By phone: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) Online: tips.fbi.gov In-person: Visit your local FBI field office

View the detailed report below.