Beijing offers cash rewards to unearth foreign spies

[webfact]

Beijing offers cash rewards to unearth foreign spies

REUTERS

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's capital is stepping up a campaign against foreign espionage from Monday, offering rewards ranging from $1,500 to $73,000 to citizens who blow the whistle on suspected spies, state media said.

 

Since taking office in 2013, President Xi Jinping has overseen a raft of laws and campaigns to secure China's national security against both domestic and foreign threats.

 

The "pressing" need for new measures to guard against foreign spies is an unfortunate side-effect of China's reform and opening up to the world, the official Beijing Daily newspaper said.

 

"Foreign intelligence organs and other hostile forces have also seized the opportunity to sabotage our country through political infiltration, division and subversion, stealing secrets and collusion," it added.

 

The Beijing City National Security Bureau is encouraging citizens to join counterintelligence efforts, by offering rewards of 10,000 to 500,000 yuan ($1,500 to $73,000) for information on spies, it said.

 

The government has acquired new powers to safeguard China with a national security law passed in 2014, followed by measures on counter-terrorism, the management of foreign non-government bodies and cyber security.

 

Western governments have spoken out against the new measures that they say define China's national interests too broadly, flagging the risk that they could be used to intensify a crackdown on dissent.

 

China says the laws are fitting, given the reality of its national security concerns.

 

In April last year, China launched a series of warnings against espionage, publicising rare details of spy cases in state media, and highlighting how romantic relationships may be used to uncover sensitive information.

 

Rewards to encourage security vigilance are a common government tactic used, for instance, to draw out information on "terrorism" in far western Xinjiang.

 

Working with employees of state organisations to harm China's national interests, encouraging defection and buying state secrets are potential spy behaviours that could be reported, the paper said.

 

Discovering espionage equipment, such as recording and monitoring devices, could bring extra rewards.

 

For example, fishermen in coastal Jiangsu province received rewards in January for the discovery of a suspicious device that proved to be collecting data for foreign countries.

 

People exploiting the new measures to frame rivals will be held accountable, the paper warned, but good faith errors will attract no reprisals.

 

(Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-10

[USPatriot]

I'm sure this will work out real well.  Oh he is a spy. And so is she and my neighbor.

 

When you offer money like that I'll bet a lot of lies come out.

[hawker9000]

2 hours ago, USPatriot said:

I'm sure this will work out real well.  Oh he is a spy. And so is she and my neighbor.

 

When you offer money like that I'll bet a lot of lies come out.

It's just how communist thugs do things.  Neighbor against neighbor.  A society that's susceptible to such blandishments doesn't deserve freedom.

[maoro2013]

2 hours ago, hawker9000 said:

It's just how communist thugs do things.  Neighbor against neighbor.  A society that's susceptible to such blandishments doesn't deserve freedom.

Yes a witch hunt.

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Western governments have spoken out against the new measures that they say define China's national interests too broadly, flagging the risk that they could be used to intensify a crackdown on dissent.

In the whole article this statement really stands out. Gives new meaning to the term Neighborhood Watch or in game terms Bugger Your Neighbor

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, hawker9000 said:

such blandishments doesn't deserve freedom.

They have freedom only its defined differently. The richer you are the more freedom you have till you try and rustle your yuan out of the country. 

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

to harm China's national interests,

If one drills down into their national interests like playing Santa Claus in foreign countries you might be surprised what you will find. Google is your friend on this one. I have watched many episodes of the Chinese Silk Road program to get a partial understanding. Its like bedding down with a cobra. 

[Minnie the Minx]

Divide and conquer. 

[Ulic]

Not going to be a good time to be an ex-pat in China. Or friend of an ex-pat. Just report them and let the Chinese police sort it all out. There could be some money in it for me.

[Foozool]

Good luck 555

[Scott]

I remember getting detained at the border many years ago because I had a newspaper with me and bringing propaganda into the country was illegal.   It was in English, so other than a bit of manhandling and time, I was eventually allowed to resume my journey.   They made it clear though that such subversive materials were not allowed. 

[landslide]

A good portion of Chinese technical and military ability was built upon the fruits of espionage in Western countries.  I guess they realize that if they can be so successful spying on the West, it is probable that Western countries are spying on them.

[hawker9000]

A good portion of Chinese technical and military ability was built upon the fruits of espionage in Western countries.  I guess they realize that if they can be so successful spying on the West, it is probable that Western countries are spying on them.

Quite. Though not nearly so productive...

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, landslide said:

A good portion of Chinese technical and military ability was built upon the fruits of espionage in Western countries.  I guess they realize that if they can be so successful spying on the West, it is probable that Western countries are spying on them.

They didn't need to spy IN the west. Western companies were bringing their technology to be built in China, so they only had to put spies into the companies IN China.

However, given that Chinese people are all over the world and being very intelligent get into innovative companies, I have no doubt a fair bit of knowledge is being sent back to the motherland.

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, landslide said:

A good portion of Chinese technical and military ability was built upon the fruits of espionage in Western countries.  I guess they realize that if they can be so successful spying on the West, it is probable that Western countries are spying on them.

Not so easy though. Western countries are full of Chinese, but I doubt it is visa versa.

[mrwebb8825]

I suppose China could just build a wall.....er...wait, they tried that once didn't they. They could build a firewall. Filter all electronic data transferred into and out of China. Oh wait, they have that too don't they. Maybe they should build fake islands with new military bases...doing that too. I guess preying on the greed (need) of the poor, repressed masses is all they have left.