Chinese espionage: "Five Eyes" countries warn of recruitment via professional networks

The intelligence services of the member countries of the "Five Eyes" alliance issued a joint warning on Wednesday concerning espionage activities attributed to China, denouncing the increasing use of online recruitment platforms to target individuals likely to have access to sensitive information.

This intelligence alliance includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In a bulletin titled "Protecting Our Secrets," the security agencies state that Chinese military intelligence services are using professional networks and job sites to approach individuals working in strategic sectors.

According to these services, potential targets would include government employees, members of the armed forces, and anyone with access to classified information. The objective would be to collect military, political, and economic intelligence to give China a strategic advantage.

Alliance authorities believe these practices are part of a broader strategy to acquire sensitive information globally. They emphasize that digital platforms now facilitate discreet and difficult-to-detect recruitment attempts.

In their communication, the security agencies of the member countries of the group recall that these methods have already been observed in the past, but describe this joint bulletin as a particularly unprecedented report due to the coordination between the different intelligence services.

For its part, Beijing regularly rejects these accusations. Chinese authorities denounce the allegations as "pure fabrication" and "malicious slander," asserting that they do not conduct the espionage activities of which they are accused.

This new warning comes amid persistent tensions between China and several Western powers over cybersecurity, technology and international influence.