In an alarming escalation of its authoritarian control, the Chinese government has intensified its surveillance efforts both domestically and internationally, raising serious concerns about privacy, human rights, and global security. At the forefront of this invasive campaign is the Ministry of State Security (MSS), China’s primary intelligence agency, which has undergone significant institutional and operational changes to enhance its capabilities in foreign intelligence gathering and domestic counter-intelligence. Since the beginning of 2024, the MSS has adopted a particularly insidious strategy, leveraging China’s educational and research institutions to establish connections with foreign universities. This approach allows the MSS to exploit academic exchange programs for intelligence gathering purposes. The University of International Relations in Beijing, for instance, maintains exchange programs with universities in Denmark, Japan, France, and the United States, providing a perfect cover for covert intelligence operations.
Even more troubling is the direct infiltration of Chinese universities by MSS operatives. Hunan University, for example, is now staffed by MSS-appointed officers and professors, blurring the line between academia and state surveillance. This infiltration serves a dual purpose: it facilitates intelligence gathering and allows the MSS to exert direct influence over academic decision-making processes, stifling intellectual freedom and suppressing Western concepts of democratic governance. The MSS has also increased its presence on Chinese university campuses with the explicit aim of maintaining social stability, controlling propaganda activities, and discouraging students from embracing ideas such as the separation of powers and constitutional government. This heavy-handed approach to ideological control represents a significant threat to academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas.
In a move that further erodes individual privacy rights, the MSS announced two new provisions on April 29, 2024, set to take effect on July 1, 2024. These measures, titled “Provisions on Administrative Law Enforcement Procedures of National Security Organs” and “Provisions on Criminal Case Handling Procedures of National Security Organs,” grant national security organs sweeping powers to inspect the electronic devices, facilities, and related programs of individuals and organizations deemed suspicious. Most alarmingly, these inspections can be carried out on the spot in cases of supposed emergency, with minimal oversight or safeguards against abuse.
China’s surveillance apparatus extends far beyond its borders, maintaining a tight grip on Chinese students, diaspora communities, media outlets, academics, and overseas Chinese businesses. The MSS has been directly implicated in counter-intelligence operations targeting individuals abroad, employing tactics such as surveillance, threats to financial assets, and intimidation of family members still in China. The fear instilled by these tactics often prevents victims from reporting such abuses to local authorities, allowing the Chinese government to operate with impunity on foreign soil.
Working in concert with the MSS is the United Front Work Department (UFWD), described by Chinese leaders as their “magic weapon” for projecting soft power abroad. The UFWD’s activities include monitoring Uyghur workers who have been forcibly transferred from Xinjiang to other provinces as part of China’s program of forced labor relocation, a clear indication of the regime’s ongoing cultural genocide against ethnic minorities. One of the most brazen examples of China’s global reach is the establishment of “Overseas Police Stations,” also known as “Overseas 110” (named after China’s emergency police number). Since their inception in 2022, these stations have spread to at least 38 countries. While ostensibly created to assist Chinese citizens with administrative tasks, these outposts have been exposed as fronts for surveillance, intimidation, and even the coerced repatriation of Chinese nationals. This flagrant violation of international law and national sovereignty has drawn sharp criticism from governments worldwide.
The true extent of China’s cyber espionage capabilities came to light in February 2024, when insider data from the hacking firm Anxun (I-SOON) was leaked. The revelations were shocking: this supposedly private company was, in fact, a tool of the MSS, the Ministry of Public Security, and the People’s Liberation Army. The leaked data exposed a massive campaign targeting government agencies in the United States, United Kingdom, ASEAN countries, Central Asian republics, and China’s neighbors, including India. Of particular concern were attacks aimed at the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence, demonstrating China’s willingness to compromise the national security of other nations. The I-SOON group’s use of sophisticated, customized Trojan malware underscores the advanced nature of China’s cyber warfare capabilities. This incident serves as a stark warning to governments and organizations worldwide about the persistent and evolving threat posed by Chinese state-sponsored hacking.
While China’s surveillance apparatus may seem all-powerful, it is not infallible. On May 13, 2024, the MSS reported a case of foreign espionage within China. A foreign individual, posing as a professor, allegedly installed equipment in wetland reserves and forest farms under the guise of ecological research, collecting sensitive geographical, meteorological, and biological data. This incident demonstrates that despite its extensive surveillance network, China remains vulnerable to counter-intelligence efforts. The Chinese government’s relentless pursuit of total information awareness represents a grave threat to individual liberty, privacy rights, and the rules-based international order. Its willingness to flout international norms, violate the sovereignty of other nations, and trample on the basic human rights of its own citizens and those of Chinese descent around the world should be a cause for serious concern among democratic governments.
As China continues to expand its economic and political influence globally, the reach of its surveillance apparatus grows in tandem. The international community must take decisive action to counter this threat, including imposing sanctions on Chinese entities involved in these abusive practices, strengthening cybersecurity cooperation, and providing support and protection to those targeted by Chinese intimidation tactics.