Fact check: Is CIA recruiting Chinese citizens to spy on their own government?
WASHINGTON, DC: In mid-January, a rumor circulated across social media claiming that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is ramping up efforts to combat China by recruiting Chinese citizens to spy on their own government.
As per the rumor, the CIA released a video encouraging Chinese citizens to join the organization and provide step-by-step methods to communicate with the CIA without being detected. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.
Claim: CIA recruiting Chinese citizens to spy on their own government
Several X users made posts claiming that the CIA is encouraging Chinese citizens to join the organization and provide step-by-step methods to communicate with the CIA without being detected.
An X user wrote, "BREAKING: The CIA has just published a video to its YouTube channel instructing Chinese citizens on how they can become spies and informants.'
Similarly, another user posted on the platform, "CIA has released a video encouraging Chinese citizens to join the CIA organization and providing step-by-step methods for communicating with the CIA without being detected. 'CIA wants to know the truth about China; we are looking for people who know the truth and can tell it.'"
"CIA targets Chinese citizens with recruitment video. Step-by-step instructions on how to contact agency China previously WIPED OUT CIA operations, with sources executed or jailed — NYT", another X account mentioned.
All the X posts featured a video in Mandarin, which was claimed to be the official video posted by the CIA on their social media handles.
Fact check: CIA's initiative comes following a surge in espionage incidents
CIA's initiative comes in response to a surge in espionage incidents linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) within the United States.
A report from the House Homeland Security Committee showed more than 60 cases of CCP-linked espionage and transnational repression across 20 states from January 2021 to February 2025.
Moreover, the Center for Strategic Studies reported 224 Chinese espionage incidents from 2000 to 2023, with most economic-espionage prosecutions benefiting the CCP.
此视频提供安全联系中央情报局的全套步骤。以下有几个在进行安全联系之前及在过程中务必考量的事项。中情局想知道中国的真相，我们正在寻找知道并能告知真相的人。 pic.twitter.com/LlLLdfA2Q4
— CIA (@CIA) January 15, 2026
The recruitment video was posted across the CIA's social media platforms, providing a detailed step-by-step guide on how people in China can contact the CIA and share information.
The clip in Mandarin advises using cash to purchase a separate device, accessing public Wi-Fi, employing tools like a VPN and Tor, creating a new anonymous email, and submitting messages through the CIA's contact page.
Furthermore, the clip instructs viewers to erase browsing traces and avoid further contact while the agency reviews the submitted information. This is the third video that the CIA has released since May 2025, intended for recruitment in China.
