The CIA has released a Mandarin-language recruitment video targeting Chinese military officers disillusioned by corruption within their ranks.
It features a mid-level officer who complains that his party leaders care only about protecting their own wealth. Worried about his family’s future, he ultimately decides to contact the CIA.
CIA releases recruitment video, targeting Chinese military
‘The fate of the world is in your hands, contact us’ pic.twitter.com/8dkfDCtrii
— RT (@RT_com) February 12, 2026
A CIA official told CBS News that the video is meant to highlight what the agency describes as a growing gulf “between the Chinese elites who want what is best for their bank accounts and the Chinese citizens who want what is best for their country.”
The CIA believes its online campaign is getting past China’s “Great Firewall” and reaching its intended audience. “Our past videos reached millions of people and inspired new sources,” a CIA official told Reuters.
The latest espionage appeal follows a series of videos the CIA released last year, which agency Director John Ratcliffe said were intended to recruit Chinese officials. “They are just one of many ways that we’re adjusting our tradecraft,” Ratcliffe explained.
At the time, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry condemned the videos as “naked political provocation,” accusing Washington of not only maliciously smearing and attacking China but also openly deceiving and attempting to entice Chinese personnel to defect.
The recent recruitment video was released two weeks after President Xi Jinping removed General Zhang Youxia, his second-in-command on the Central Military Commission, and General Liu Zhenli amid China’s anti-corruption crackdown.
