Chinese security agencies tell students studying abroad to beware risk from foreign spies

It said the student, identified only by the surname Zhang, had been “severely punished” for his role in leaking Chinese scientific research after graduating.

The ministry did not say where Zhang had studied, but it said he had been responsible for liaising with Chinese students abroad and had done well in his studies, which brought him to the attention of a senior figure in the university.

This individual was then said to have put Zhang in touch with two people who turned out to be foreign spies and convinced him to provide intelligence on Chinese international students and other “sensitive information” in return for money.

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The account said these spies had secured Zhang a job in a Chinese research institution in China, even though he did not have the correct credentials, and told him to appear to be helpful to his colleagues to collect information.

The State Security Ministry said Zhang had “squandered his promising future” by giving in to the foreign intelligence agency’s “emotional manipulation and monetary temptation”.

It warned the public to be alert to national security risks and “uncover the hidden motives behind various seemingly innocent interactions” while studying and travelling abroad.

Last year, State Security Minister Chen Yixin said the country must “proactively defend” against foreign spies to strengthen national security and the Communist Party’s leadership.

Although China and the United States recently pledged to boost academic exchanges as part of a wider effort to improve relations, Chinese students in America are still at risk of being caught up in the wider tensions between the countries.

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According to China’s education ministry, more than 8 million students have studied abroad in the period between 1978 and the end of 2021, with the US, Britain and Singapore as the most popular destinations.