China’s Counterespionage Push Could Undermine Its Own Interests, Analysts Say

China’s unusually public push for all citizens to join its anti-espionage work is seeking to stoke nationalism and solidify the Communist Party’s grip, but the emphasis on national security is likely to do significant harm to the regime itself, analysts say

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (on screen) delivers a speech during the 100th anniversary celebration of the of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on July 1, 2021. Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

The Chinese regime is calling on its citizens to join counterespionage work, a move aimed at stoking nationalism and solidifying the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian rule. However, the emphasis on national security will harm the regime itself, analysts say.

In a rare move, China’s Ministry of State Security, the central agency overlooking intelligence and security operations at home and abroad, established an official account on the Chinese social media platform WeChat that went live on July 31.