Foreign spies use consulting, investigation tactics to steal secrets: MSS

China’s national security agency released a microfilm on Thursday adapted from a real case, revealing how a foreign intelligence agency used investigation and consulting activities as a cover to steal sensitive information from China’s key sectors, thus posing a serious risk to national security.

The microfilm depicted the case of a foreign investigation and consulting company, which, under the pretext of assisting a Chinese enterprise investing overseas, conducted a comprehensive investigation, luring company personnel to answer confidential questions, querying confidential information beyond the scope, and filming confidential files of core products.

Their true aim was to obtain core data and state secrets. If accumulated and analyzed comprehensively, this information can reflect important situations around China’s economy and national defense. This makes it an important target for foreign espionage agencies. If leaked, this information will seriously harm our national security, Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) said on Thursday.

“Behind the lucrative rewards lie numerous traps, and beneath the sophisticated questions lurk hidden schemes,” MSS noted. “The overseas investigation and consulting company’s seemingly normal activities were, in reality, on one hand, illegally acquiring our commercial secrets, acting as a ‘black hand’ for foreign containment and suppression of our advantageous industries. On the other hand, it was probing and stealing our core secrets, acting as an ‘accomplice’ for foreign intelligence theft and infiltration in important areas,” the ministry said.

The illegal investigative activities of the overseas consulting company had long been under China’s surveillance. At a critical moment, China’s national security agency was able to decisively strike and promptly cut off the channel being used for leaking core data, while obtaining strong evidence of the scheme conducted under the instruction of foreign espionage agencies, effectively safeguarding national security.