American espionage in China

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This is a list of activities carried out by U.S. intelligence agencies in mainland China and Taiwan.

Contents

Activities in the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Chiang Kai-shek, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), suspected that the United States of America was plotting a coup, or potential assassination, against him. In 1950, his son Chiang Ching-kuo became director of the secret police, which he remained until 1965. Chiang also considered some people who were friends to Americans to be his enemies. An enemy of the Chiang family, Wu Kuo-chen, was kicked out of his position of governor of Taiwan by Chiang Ching-kuo and fled to America in 1953. [1] Chiang Ching-kuo, educated in the Soviet Union, initiated a Soviet style military reorganization in the Republic of China's military, which reorganized and Sovietized the political officer corps, surveillance, and Kuomintang party activities. Opposed to this was Sun Li-jen, who was educated at the American Virginia Military Institute. [2]

Chiang orchestrated the controversial court-martial and arrest of General Sun Li-jen in August 1955, for plotting a coup d'état with the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against his father Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang. The CIA allegedly wanted to help Sun take control of Taiwan and declare its independence. [1] [3]

Activities in the People's Republic of China

1951

In order to open a second front in the Korean War, CIA officers decided to rely upon a second plan. CIA operators were fearful of Mao Zedong's entry into the war and estimated that a substantial amount of Kuomintang Nationalist guerillas were available to work with the agency. They also estimated that Muslim horsemen led by Ma Bufang would be willing to launch attacks against China in its western regions. When both of these efforts proved to be overly projected in terms of success and strategic actualities, the U.S., convinced that a third force was available within China, decided to invest resources into securing such a force to its efforts. In order to facilitate resistance against China's involvement in Korea, the CIA invested over $100 million in buying weapons that would be used by "third force" guerillas in China. The Agency scarcely could find any anti-Mao sentiment within their contacts, however, with the only signs of life being a group of refugees in Okinawa, invariably proven to be a group more interested in obtaining their own goals than in truly assisting the United States. [4]

Eventually, the CIA declassified its records and admitted the failures of the Third Force strategy. [5] The list illuminated a quick study on insurgency failures. According to the documents, the CIA began dropping small guerilla units into China, the first Third Force team having been deployed in April, 1952. All four members of the team were never heard from again. The second Third Force team was made up of five ethnic Chinese agents, and dropped into the Jilin region of Manchuria in mid-July 1952. The team eventually reported contact with local rebel leaders. The team was, unbeknownst to the CIA, captured and turned by the Chinese, setting up the ensuing trap. The CIA responded by sending in a rescue unit, only to have its planes shot down and its principal agents assigned to the mission, Jack Downey and Dick Fecteau, captured. [6] Both men were subsequently sentenced to prison sentences in China. Beijing later boasted of the insurgency failures of their United States counterparts. At that point, the CIA had dropped 212 agents into China, resulting in 101 agents killed and 111 captured. [5] [7] [8] [ page needed ] Michael D. Coe, who had been recruited by the CIA and worked within the agency during the Third Force events, stated that the CIA "had been sold a bill of goods by the Nationalists - that there was a huge force of resistance inside of China. We were barking up the wrong tree. The whole operation was a waste of time." [9]

1959

In 1959, China learned that United States spy planes were carrying out missions throughout China, including above Beijing. [10] : 43  Anti-air brigades were able to shoot down a few United States spy planes in the early 1960s, but their overall inefficacy demonstrated the limitations of the People's Liberation Army in responding to aircraft incursions. [10] : 43 

The CIA provided the Tibetan Chushi Gangdrug Tenshung Danglang Mak group with material assistance and aid, including arms and ammunition, as well as training to members of Chushi Gangdruk and other Tibetan guerrilla groups at Camp Hale.[ citation needed ]

2000s

In 2001, a presidential plane built in the United States for Chinese President Jiang Zemin was found to have listening devices installed. [11] : 53  Chinese authorities located at least 20 devices, including one in the headboard of the presidential bed. [12] The listening devices were capable of being operated via satellite. [12]

2010s

According to an investigation by The New York Times , the government of the PRC was able to either kill or imprison 18 to 20 CIA sources from 2010 to 2012; an article in Foreign Policy cited a higher number, putting the number of sources killed at at least 30. [13] [14] A joint CIA and FBI counterintelligence operation set up to investigate the intelligence failure advanced three different theories [14] [15] as to why the spy network was dismantled: (1) there was a mole within the CIA, (2) "sloppy tradecraft" and (3) PRC intelligence agents had hacked the covert system the CIA used to communicate with its foreign sources. The New York Times said that the debate over the cause remained unsolved while a former American intelligence official cited by Foreign Policy said investigators concluded that it was caused by a "confluence and combination of events." [13] In January 2018, a former CIA officer named Jerry Chun Shing Lee was arrested and would eventually plead guilty [16] [17] on suspicion of helping dismantle the network [15] while the Foreign Policy article ascribed, notwithstanding the arrest, the failure to the ability of the PRC intelligence agencies to penetrate the CIA's communication system. [13]

The 2010s global surveillance disclosures by Edward Snowden demonstrated extensive United States intelligence activities in China. [18] : 129  This heightened fears by Chinese policymakers of cyberattacks against China. [18] : 129  As part of its response, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2014 formed the Cybersecurity and Information Leading Group [18] : 129  and the National People's Congress passed the Cyber Security Law. [18] : 250 

Sun Bo, a general manager of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, was investigated for corruption and supplying classified information to the CIA, including technical specifications of the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, according to Asia Times . [19] Sun Bo was sentenced to 12 years in prison on July 4, 2019. [20]

A December 2020 article by Zach Dorfman in Foreign Policy suggested that decades of corruption inside of the CCP had created vulnerabilities exploited by outside intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA. CCP purges under the guise of anti-corruption were at least partially motivated by counterintelligence concerns. [21]

2021

In October 2021, The New York Times citing a leaked CIA cable, reported that the CIA had admitted to have lost a "troubling number of informants" recruited from countries including China in recent years, with informants being killed, captured or compromised. The leaked cable comes amid China's recent efforts in hunting down CIA sources to turn them into double agents. [22] The memo also mentions a "breach of the classified communications system" that led to spy networks in China being caught and that some officials believe that treasonous US intelligence officers may be the culprits responsible for the arrests and execution of CIA spies. [22]

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiang Kai-shek</span> Chinese politician and military leader (1887–1975)

Chiang Kai-shek was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and military commander who was the leader of the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party and commander-in-chief and Generalissimo of the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) from 1926, and leader of the Republic of China (ROC) in mainland China from 1928. After Chiang was defeated in the Chinese Civil War by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949, he continued to lead the Republic of China on the island of Taiwan until his death in 1975. He was considered the legitimate head of China by the United Nations until 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuomintang</span> Taiwanese political party

The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a political party in the Republic of China, initially based on the Chinese mainland and then in Taiwan since 1949. The KMT is a centre-right to right-wing party and the largest in the Pan-Blue Coalition, one of the two main political groups in Taiwan. Its primary rival is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the largest party in the Pan-Green Coalition. As of 2024, the KMT is the largest single party in the Legislative Yuan. The current chairman is Eric Chu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soong sisters</span> Powerful siblings in 20th century China

The Soong sisters, Soong Ai-ling, Soong Ching-ling, and Soong Mei-ling, were three prominent women in modern Chinese history. Of Hakka descent, with ancestral roots in Wenchang, Hainan, they were raised as Christians in Shanghai and educated in the United States. All three sisters married powerful men, respectively, from eldest to youngest, H. H. Kung, Sun Yat Sen, and Chiang Kai-shek. Along with their husbands, they became among China's most significant political figures of the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiang Ching-kuo</span> President of Taiwan from 1978 to 1988

Chiang Ching-kuo was a politician of the Republic of China. The eldest and only biological son of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China and ended martial law in 1987. He served as the 3rd premier of the Republic of China between 1972 and 1978 and was president of the Republic of China from 1978 until his death in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premier of the Republic of China</span> Head of government of the Republic of China

The Premier of the Republic of China, officially the President of the Executive Yuan, is the head of government of Taiwan and leader of the Executive Yuan. The premier is nominally the principal advisor to the president and positioned as the head of central government, appointed by the president without approval by the Legislative Yuan. The current president of the Executive Yuan is Cho Jung-tai, who took office on 20 May 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Li-jen</span> Chinese general (1900–1990)

Sun Li-jen was a Chinese Nationalist (KMT) general, a graduate of Virginia Military Institute in the United States, best known for his leadership in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. His military achievements earned him the laudatory nickname "Rommel of the East". His New First Army was known as the "Best Army under heaven" and credited with effectively confronting Japanese troops in the 1937 Battle of Shanghai and in the Burma Campaign, 1943–1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of State Security (China)</span> Civilian intelligence agency of the Peoples Republic of China

The Ministry of State Security (MSS) is the principal civilian intelligence and security agency of the People's Republic of China, responsible for foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, and the political security of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). One of the largest and most secretive intelligence organizations in the world, it maintains powerful branches at the provincial, city, municipality and township levels throughout China. The ministry's headquarters, Yidongyuan, is a large compound in Beijing's Haidian district.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Kuomintang</span> History of the Taiwanese political party

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Socialist ideology of the Kuomintang</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project National Glory</span> Republic of China plan to reconquer mainland China from the Peoples Republic of China

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of China (1912–1949)</span> Republic of China prior to its relocation to Taiwan

The Republic of China (ROC) began on 1 January 1912 as a sovereign state in mainland China following the 1911 Revolution, which overthrew the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and ended China's imperial history. From 1927, the Kuomintang (KMT) reunified the country and ruled it as a one-party state with Nanjing as the national capital. In 1949, the KMT-led government was defeated in the Chinese Civil War and lost control of the mainland to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP established the People's Republic of China (PRC) while the ROC was forced to retreat to Taiwan; the ROC retains control over the Taiwan Area, and its political status remains disputed. The ROC is recorded as a founding member of both the League of Nations and the United Nations, and previously held a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council until 1971, when the PRC took China's seat in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. It was also a member of the Universal Postal Union and the International Olympic Committee. The ROC claimed 11.4 million km2 (4.4 million sq mi) of territory, and its population of 541 million in 1949 made it the most populous country in the world.

Chang Hsien-yi served as deputy director of Taiwan's Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) before defecting to the United States of America in 1988. Recruited by the CIA, he exposed the secret nuclear program of Taiwan to the United States and was consequently placed under witness protection. Chang's information led President Ronald Reagan to insist that Taiwan shut down its nuclear weapons program.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chang Liyi</span> Chinese control systems engineer and professor

Chang Liyi, also known as Jack Chang, was a pilot in the Republic of China Air Force with the rank of major. A member of the CIA-trained Black Cat Squadron, he flew the American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft to spy on China's nuclear program. He was shot down on 10 January 1965 over Baotou, Inner Mongolia, and held in mainland China for 17 years. Chang was released from custody in 1969 and sent back to his hometown, in 1982 he was able to leave the mainland but was not granted permission to return to Taiwan until 1990, living the interim years in the United States.

Yeh Changti or Ye Changdi, also known as Robin Yeh, was a pilot in the Republic of China Air Force with the rank of major. A member of the CIA-trained Black Cat Squadron, he flew the American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft to spy on China's nuclear program. He was shot down on 1 November 1963 over Shangrao, Jiangxi and held in mainland China for 19 years. Yeh was released from China in 1982, but not granted permission to return to Taiwan until 1990, living the interim years in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 Peter R. Moody (1977). Opposition and dissent in contemporary China. Hoover Press. p. 302. ISBN   978-0-8179-6771-0. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
  2. ↑ Jay Taylor (2000). The Generalissimo's son: Chiang Ching-kuo and the revolutions in China and Taiwan. Harvard University Press. p. 195. ISBN   978-0-674-00287-6. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  3. ↑ Nançy Bernkopf Tucker (1983). Patterns in the dust: Chinese-American relations and the recognition controversy, 1949-1950. Columbia University Press. p. 181. ISBN   978-0-231-05362-4. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  4. ↑ Weiner, Tim (2007-08-07). Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. pp. 66–68. ISBN   978-0-385-52432-2.
  5. 1 2 "Two CIA Prisoners in China, 1952–73", Apr 05, 2007, CIA
  6. ↑ Delury, John (2022-10-15). Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T. Downey and the CIA's Covert War in China (1 ed.). Cornell University Press. doi:10.7591/cornell/9781501765971.001.0001. ISBN   978-1-5017-6597-1.
  7. ↑ "Extraordinary Fidelity" Archived 2022-01-06 at the Wayback Machine , Apr 05, 2007, CIA
  8. ↑ "Extraordinary Fidelity" , Jun 05, 2013, (transcript), CIA
  9. ↑ Weiner, Tim (2007). Legacy of Ashes: the History of the CIA. London : Allen Lane. pp. 66–68, 645. ISBN   978-1-84614-046-4.
  10. 1 2 Meyskens, Covell F. (2020). Mao's Third Front: The Militarization of Cold War China. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108784788. ISBN   978-1-108-78478-8. OCLC   1145096137. S2CID   218936313.
  11. ↑ Brown, Kerry (2023). China Incorporated: The Politics of a World Where China is Number One. London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN   978-1-350-26724-4.
  12. 1 2 "Jiang's U.S.-Built Plane Is Reportedly Bugged". Los Angeles Times. 2002-01-19. Archived from the original on 2023-11-03. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  13. 1 2 3 Dorfman, Zach (15 August 2018). "Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Chinese Agents". Foreign Policy . Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  14. 1 2 Mazzetti, Mark; Goldman, Adam; Schmidt, Michael S.; Apuzzo, Matthew (May 20, 2017). "Killing C.I.A. Informants, China Crippled U.S. Spying Operations". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  15. 1 2 Goldman, Adam (January 16, 2018). "Ex-C.I.A. Officer Suspected of Compromising Chinese Informants Is Arrested". The New York Times . Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  16. ↑ Hannon, Elliot (May 1, 2019). "Former CIA Agent Pleads Guilty to Spying for China". Slate. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Former CIA Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Espionage". U.S. Department of Justice . 2019-05-01. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Zhang, Angela Huyue (2024). High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oso/9780197682258.001.0001. ISBN   9780197682258.
  19. ↑ Strong, Matthew (June 22, 2018). "China shipyard manager might have leaked Liaoning secrets to CIA". Taiwan News . Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2018. While initial suspicion focused on graft and corruption, later reports suggested that Sun might have handed over key details of the Liaoning project to CIA agents.
  20. ↑ "Hu Wenming ex-head of China's aircraft carrier program investigated for corruption". thestandard.com.hk. 13 May 2020. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  21. ↑ Dorfman, Zach (December 21, 2020). "China Used Stolen Data to Expose CIA Operatives in Africa and Europe". Foreign Policy . Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  22. 1 2 Barnes, Julian E.; Goldman, Adam (2021-10-05). "Captured, Killed or Compromised: C.I.A. Admits to Losing Dozens of Informants". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
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