In February 2026, the CIA launched an unprecedented public recruitment campaign targeting officers in the “Chinese People’s Liberation Army” (PLA), sparking widespread outrage and a sharp rebuke from Beijing. The details of the CIA’s “operation” were revealed through a Mandarin-language video released on social media platforms (YouTube, X, Facebook, and Instagram) featuring a dramatic, cinematic style. The campaign included the following (Target Audience): The video focused on military officers who felt “disillusioned” or resentful due to alleged corruption or recent purges within the Chinese military leadership. (Advertisement Content): The video depicted a fictional Chinese officer frustrated by rampant nepotism and the marginalization of competent individuals, ultimately leading him to contact the CIA. Regarding the method of contacting US intelligence, as outlined in the announcement, the announcement provided detailed technical instructions on how to securely contact the agency via the Dark Web or the Tor network to bypass Chinese censorship.
Here, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Chinese authorities strongly condemned the CIA’s campaign to recruit Chinese military personnel, describing it as a “blatant political provocation” and a “serious violation of China’s national interests.” The Chinese response in February 2026 was firm, with the Chinese Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing pledging to take “all necessary measures” to thwart hostile forces and combat infiltration and sabotage by foreign intelligence agencies.
The Chinese military, Ministry of Defense, and leadership reacted swiftly and decisively to the US actions, including a vow to combat espionage: Beijing affirmed its determination to “crush” US espionage attempts, considering the intelligence agency an “international laughingstock” due to its overt methods. Furthermore, Chinese authorities tightened internal oversight: This was in response to Washington’s exploitation of the current instability within the Chinese military following the dismissal of several high-ranking officers and military figures. Washington was attempting to use this instability to destabilize the Chinese army. Therefore, the Chinese leadership emphasized the necessity of absolute loyalty to the Communist Party. Chinese President Xi Jinping described the army as having undergone a “revolutionary refinement” in combating corruption and affirmed that it remains a “reliable” force. Additionally, Chinese authorities and military intelligence agencies in Beijing implemented advanced security measures: China intensified high-tech surveillance within the ranks of the Chinese military to counter any attempts at digital communication with foreign agencies.
As for the relationship between the CIA’s call to recruit Chinese military personnel and its connection to the corruption and dismissal of senior military officers within the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the CIA campaign deliberately exploits the “disarray” resulting from the extensive purges launched by “Xi Jinping.” The CIA’s promotional video for recruiting and targeting Chinese military personnel, entitled “Save the Future,” focused on a hypothetical Chinese officer who is frustrated with the corruption of leaders who protect their personal interests instead of the homeland, which is a direct appeal by the CIA to Chinese military personnel affected by the purges. This is in addition to the timing of the CIA’s promotional video targeting Chinese military personnel affected by their own military apparatus, coinciding with the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) targeting of “corrupt networks” within its own ranks. The American campaign coincided with major investigations involving high-ranking Chinese generals, most notably “Zhang Youxia” (accused of leaking nuclear information) and “Miao Hua” (dismissed on suspicion of committing serious duty-related offenses concerning the promotion system within the Chinese military and the Chinese Ministry of Defense). Furthermore, there are tensions surrounding promotions within Chinese military circles. Here, US intelligence is attempting to recruit Chinese officers who believe that promotions are bought and sold or granted solely based on political loyalty rather than military competence, a sensitive issue exposed by the corruption investigations in China in 2024 and 2025.
Here, China views this American intelligence campaign not merely as an attempt to gather information but as an attempt to destabilize the Chinese military from within by exploiting corruption allegations, which Beijing considers a sovereign internal matter. Consequently, China reacted with outrage, describing the move as a “blatant political provocation” and a violation of its sovereignty and national security. The Chinese response came in the form of a threat of retaliation: Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that “Beijing will take all necessary measures to counter the infiltration and subversion activities of foreign forces.” This coincided with a wave of Chinese media attacks on Washington, with the Chinese Embassy in Washington accusing the United States of waging a “malicious smear campaign” aimed at destabilizing the Chinese military establishment. Regarding internal Chinese measures to protect its military personnel, China intensified its warnings to its citizens and military personnel against falling into foreign espionage traps, emphasizing that it would continue to pursue those it calls “traitors and hostile forces.”
Beijing strongly condemned the CIA’s public recruitment campaign, featuring Mandarin-language videos, calling it a “blatant political provocation” and a violation of China’s national interests. Official Chinese responses, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of State Security, included the following: (Condemnation and official warning with China’s firm rejection): Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that “the attempts by ‘anti-China forces’ would not succeed,” emphasizing that “Beijing would take all necessary measures to thwart any foreign infiltration or sabotage attempts.” (Chinese accusations against Washington of disinformation): China described the campaign as a malicious attempt to discredit the Chinese leadership and deceive military personnel and government officials into “surrendering.”
China has therefore strengthened its counter-espionage measures through legal prosecution. The Chinese Ministry of State Security warned that any “traitors” or “agents” recruited would face “just punishment under the law,” noting that security authorities, with public support, have already dealt significant blows to US intelligence networks in the country in recent years. This is coupled with tightened internal Chinese oversight. Reports indicate that the Chinese leadership is imposing strict conditions on the monitoring of officials in sensitive positions, particularly in light of the recent purges within the People’s Liberation Army targeting high-ranking officers.
This highlights the political and military context of Washington’s campaign targeting Chinese military personnel. The US is exploiting the “purge” of the Chinese military leadership, as the American campaign comes at a sensitive time when the Chinese army is investigating senior commanders, such as Zhang Yuxia and Liu Zhenli, on charges related to corruption or disciplinary issues. US intelligence is attempting to exploit this situation to target disaffected officers. In addition to the US intelligence desire to penetrate China’s “firewall.” While the CIA believes its content reaches its targets despite digital censorship, Beijing asserts its ability to protect its national security and sovereignty against any foreign intelligence infiltration.
Based on the preceding military analysis, we can understand the context and US objectives behind the video campaign to recruit and target Chinese military personnel. This US campaign comes at a time of escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing, as CIA Director William Burns seeks to rebuild human intelligence networks in China after the agency suffered significant losses there. Therefore, through this public announcement, the agency aims to exploit the instability resulting from the recent dismissal of high-ranking Chinese military officials on corruption charges.
