November 2022

                         Available 

Online Course Program

Chinese Intelligence: Operations and Tactics

 

 

 

Introduction (20 min)        

 

Throughout recorded history, nations have employed the use of spies to support foreign policy goals and military operations. However, intelligence and related activities are normally relegated to the shadows and rarely subject to public review. While often employed to support foreign policy, such clandestine activities rarely become the subject of foreign policy. And yet this is the case for the People’s Republic of China who’s massive ‘whole-of-society’ approach to conducting espionage is creating a new paradigm on how intelligence activities are conducted, viewed, and addressed by nations. In fact, a key element in the US-China trade war and downward spiral in relations is Washington’s demands that Beijing cease stealing American intellectual property and trade secrets. China denies the claim, but hundreds of recently prosecuted espionage cases prove otherwise. 

 

China’s espionage activities are changing the global balance of power, impacting the U.S. and foreign economies, and providing challenges to domestic, national security, and foreign policy formulation. 

 

1.   China’s Vision, Strategy, and the Role of Espionage (1 hr 20 min) 

 

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and government have been quite open about the need 

to reshape the global rules “to support, not restrict” China’s “re-ascension to its rightful 

place at the top of the world”.  Understanding Beijing’s goals and the strategies for 

obtaining “the China dream” is foundational knowledge for C-Suite executives, managers, 

and Insider Threat specialists.  These strategies are a coordinated effort to steal from, 

influence, and coerce countries and businesses.  These tactics include forced technology 

transfer, stealing of Intellectual Property, and economic espionage.   

 

2.   Chinese Culture, Society, and Individual Motivations for Espionage (1 hr.) 

 

Knowing Chinese culture and motivations for espionage are paramount for negotiations, 

interviews, and countering Insider Threats.  The name for China literally translates to the 

Middle Kingdom.  The Chinese culture developed in relative isolation for thousands of years 

as the country is bordered by high mountains, deserts, tropical jungles, and the Pacific 

Ocean.   Four hundred years of exposure to the West and Asia has done little to alter the 

foundations of this Confucian based society.   

 

          -    Modern society and Confucian culture 

          -    Censorship, information, and social control in China 

          -    Intellectual Property theft in society

         -    China’s view of the West and how it impacts commercial espionage. 

         -    Personal motivations for commercial espionage. 

         -    China’s National Security laws and espionage. 

 

Learning Objectives: 

 

     -    Demonstrate how China’s current society views commercial espionage against 

         foreign companies. 

     -    Understand the Chinese Communist Party’s global objectives and the role of 

         advanced foreign technology. 

     -    Identify the full range of personal motivations for conducting espionage. 

     -    Demonstrate how China’s National Security laws engage citizens and companies. 

 

3.   China’s Strategic Collection Objectives (25 min) 

 

         -    Organization and requirements development 

                    i.   CCP, CMC, State Council 

                            1.   Ministry of Science and Technology 

                            2.   National S&T Investment Plans 

 

         -    Made in China 2025

         -    China’s National S&T Plans

         -    Ministry of Science and Technology

         -    Correlation between S&T investments and espionage

 

Learning Objectives: 

 

     -   Show the relationship between China’s national economic and S&T plans and theft 

         of foreign technology. 

     -    Identify the key technologies in the CCP’s national development plans 

     -   Correlate key technologies to commercial espionage and export control cases 

 

4.   PRC Organizations Engaged in Espionage (1 hr 24 min) 

 

         -    China's Ministry of State Security 

         -    Central Military Commission (CMC) Joint Staff Department, Joint Intelligence Bureau 

              (formerly 2 PLA) 

         -    State Owned Enterprises

         -    Private companies and Individuals

         -    PLA Political Department,  Liaison Office

         -    CMC Liaison Department

 

         -    United Front Work Dept

         -    Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Diplomat S&T Officers - S&T Collection) 

         -    Academic and Research Institutions

         -    Open Source Intelligence Collection

 

     Learning Objectives: 

 

          -    Identify the roles and missions of each PRC entity involved with espionage 

          -    Identify the primary collection capabilities and targets of each PRC organization. 

 

 5.   China’s Commercial Espionage Tactics (2 hrs 12min) 

 

               -    Overall comparative analysis of espionage tradecraft.

                          i.   Aerospace Industry. 

                         ii.   Information Technology. 

 

               -    Tradecraft for technology theft through export violations. 

               -    Tradecraft used in economic espionage.  

               -    Technology and intellectual property acquisition through theft of research.  

 

     Learning Objectives: 

 

          -    Describe the insider threat tradecraft used against the commercial industries. 

          -    Describe the tradecraft used to steal technology through illegal exports. 

          -    Compare and contrast the tactics used in economic espionage, theft of research and.

               theft of technology through illegal exports. 

          -    Identify specific espionage characteristics for Insider Threat identification.

 

  6.   China’s Espionage and Tactics National Security Component (2 hrs.) 

 

          -    Influence Operations

          -    Espionage Operations

          -    Acting on behalf of foreign government (Covert Action) 

 

     Learning Objectives: 

 

          -    Describe the espionage tactics employed to collect national security intelligence. 

          -    Describe the tactics used to conduct covert influence operations. 

 

  7.   Chinese Disinformation and Covert Influence Operations in the West. (2 hrs17 min)

 

          -    China’s Influence Strategy

 

                    o    Chinese Diaspora

                    o    Political leadership

                    o    Strategy of encirclement through media, academia, advisors, and other influencers.  

 

          -    Organizations and analysis of their covert operations

 

                    o    United Front Work Department

                    o    Ministry of State Security

                    o    People’s Liberation Army

 

        Learning Objectives

 

           -    Identify the targets of China’s covert influence operations

           -    Identify the roles and mission of the United Front Work Department

           -    Describe the tactics employed to recruit and handle agents of influence against

                Chinese diaspora and political leadership

           -    Describe the tactics used to conduct covert influence operations. 

 

  8. Impact of Espionage and Course Summary (25 min) 

 

            A review of the global impact of China’s ‘whole of society’ espionage activities.

·         Economic Impact

·         National Security and Military Impact

·         Intelligence Impact

·         Foreign Governments Decision Making

 

    Learning Objectives

 

           -    Describe the specific impacts of China’s espionage and covert operations

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