CIA Releases Recruitment Video Targeting PLA Officers
CIA released a Mandarin-language recruitment video on Feb. 12 aimed at PLA officers amid investigations of senior generals, offering guidance on contacting the agency and bypassing China’s internet controls.
Overview
The CIA released a Mandarin-language recruitment video on Feb. 12 aimed at Chinese military officers, the agency said.
The film targets the People's Liberation Army amid reported turmoil after the defense ministry announced that Gen. Zhang Youxia was under investigation and that Liu Zhenli was also placed under investigation, according to reports.
Chinese officials condemned the video as a political provocation, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe said past Mandarin videos reached many Chinese citizens and that the agency would continue the campaign.
The release is the fifth Mandarin-language recruitment advert since October 2024, and one account said past videos together garnered more than 35 million views.
The video instructs viewers on how to safely contact the CIA and includes guidance on using VPNs to bypass censorship, and officials said the agency has seen volunteers contact it via a dark-web site and will continue the campaign.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a contest between a proactive U.S. intelligence outreach and a destabilized Chinese military, using loaded terms ('propaganda video', 'dramatic purge') and selective emphasis on CIA success claims and PLA corruption. Source quotes are presented but editorial language and structure foreground U.S. initiative and Chinese turmoil.
Sources (5)
FAQ
The video portrays a fictional mid-level PLA officer disillusioned by corruption, where qualified officers are replaced by political loyalists, leading him to contact the CIA securely.
Gen. Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli (also referred to as Gen. Leu Jen Lee), senior PLA leaders, are under investigation amid a purge of top military officers.
The video targets PLA officers amid high-profile PLA leadership shakeups and investigations, as part of CIA's campaign to recruit sources from China, described as the top intelligence priority.
It provides Mandarin-language instructions on using VPNs and private networks to bypass China's Great Firewall and contact the CIA securely via a dark-web site.
History
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