On Thursday, May 1st, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States released two Hollywood-style videos aimed at recruiting Chinese dissidents, encouraging disgruntled high-ranking officials and grassroots members of the Chinese Communist Party to work for the United States.
The first video targets recruiting high-ranking Chinese Communist Party officials, while the second video targets hardworking grassroots party members who aspire to take control of their own destinies. Both videos, approximately three minutes in length, are in Mandarin Chinese. The CIA’s goal is to recruit Chinese individuals who are willing to assist the United States.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, in an exclusive interview with Fox News, stated, “One of the CIA’s primary responsibilities is to gather intelligence for the President and our policymakers. One of the ways we operate is by recruiting agents who can help us steal secrets.”
These videos were launched on the CIA’s social media platforms on Thursday, including YouTube, Facebook, Telegram, Instagram, and X. The first video targets Chinese officials that American intelligence officers believe might be willing to engage in dialogue. Many Party officials have witnessed their colleagues being removed from office, imprisoned, or even completely disappearing in certain cases. By exposing the brutal infighting among the high echelons of the CCP, the CIA aims to recruit those who wish to reshape their destinies and secure a future for themselves and their families.
The closing message of the video is, “Take control of your own destiny.”
Incidents of high-ranking Chinese officials unexpectedly missing important events or disappearing are not uncommon, from former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s sudden disappearance to the recent speculation surrounding the arrest of prominent figure in the Chinese military, He Weidong, indicating the uncertainties faced by high-ranking CCP officials in the power struggles within the Party.
“This video explains to them how to contact the CIA through our dark web and improve the safety and well-being of themselves and their families,” Ratcliffe stated.
Former CIA China analyst, Dennis Wilder, told the Financial Times, “These recruitment videos are unprecedented for the CIA’s China operations.”
He noted that the videos seek to exploit concerns among senior CCP officials about the ongoing anti-corruption campaigns, which include high-profile purges within the top echelons of the Chinese military.
In the first video, the narrator says, “I have seen my stature rise within the party while those above me were marginalized. But now, I realize my own fate is also at risk… My greatest fear is that my family’s fate is closely tied to mine. I must have a contingency plan.”
Ratcliffe previously served as National Intelligence Director during the first term of the Trump administration. At that time, he remarked that the CCP is America’s most formidable adversary, regardless of economic, political, or military aspects.
In mid-April, Ratcliffe announced in an internal memorandum that countering the CCP is the CIA’s top mission. He warned that “in our country’s history, no adversary has posed a more severe challenge or a more powerful strategic competitor” than the Chinese Communist Party.
He stated that the CCP is singularly focused on trying to dominate the world economically, militarily, and technologically, actively seeking to surpass the United States worldwide. Ratcliffe emphasized the need for the CIA to continue to address the threats posed by the CCP with a sense of urgency, creativity, and perseverance. He stressed the importance of implementing an ultimate elite management system, meaning recruiting, cultivating, authorizing, and retaining officials who are always committed to the CIA’s mission.
On Thursday, the CIA released a second video specifically targeting grassroots CCP members. The video revealed that the career trajectory of grassroots CCP officials is not ideal, as their work only benefits a minority of elite individuals within the party. Some toil hard but end up serving others’ interests.
The narrator in the second video states, “Our leaders have failed to deliver on these promises of prosperity time and time again, it has become a widely known secret… All beginnings are difficult. Now is the time to strive for your own dreams.”
The video concludes with, “Heaven helps those who help themselves, destiny is in your hands.”
Ratcliffe believes these videos can penetrate the Chinese firewall and reach informed individuals on the mainland. The CIA previously released instructions in Mandarin on how to contact the agency through the dark web, which has reached millions of people. Ratcliffe mentioned that the agency’s hotline is open. He hopes that individuals within China will come forward, understanding that their conversations will be kept confidential.
“At the beginning of the Trump administration, we were pushing to further widen the gap between the U.S. and China, and this situation will continue,” Ratcliffe said.