Spy Stuff
U.S. intelligence is worried because China’s MSS is not just spying from overseas. The FBI says two Chinese nationals were working inside America, taking photos of a naval base, setting up a cash dead drop, and trying to recruit U.S. military members. #espionage #nationalsecurity #homelandsecurity
https://apnews.com/article/fbi-china-espionage-navy-5514ba4d565f19f52dac1820b04ca343?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share
May 29 at 7:15pmWeb
Show threadRoy -- the dull oneMay 29

@spythriller

If true, this is a good sign. If China's still doing penny-ante, 1950"s spy ops, it may mean that they haven't understood yet that the way to undermine US defense is to drop a few mil on the guy at the top.

Show threadSpy StuffMay 30
@oldclumsy_nowmad I wouldn't call it penny-ante. Dead drops and recruitment still work because people still have access, debts, egos, and secrets. China uses cyber, money, influence, and old-school spycraft all at once.
Show threadRoy -- the dull oneMay 31

@spythriller

You are right! I was being facetious. China has a tradition of being very smart, and playing a long game that most of us don't even perceive. As far as I can tell, they use all the tools very effectively.

Show threadSpy StuffMay 31
@oldclumsy_nowmad I got the joke. And you're right about the long game. China tends to think in decades, not election cycles. Intelligence, technology, economics, education, and influence are often viewed as parts of the same strategic competition.
Show threadJohn A. MulhallMay 30
@spythriller Of course they did. You can thank the Trump administration for enabling the MSS and others inside the United States. When an established democracy behaves like an authoritarian state, actual authoritarian states don't view it as aligning–they view it as weakness.
Show threadSpy StuffMay 30
@johmmlhll That’s the danger. Authoritarian states read U.S. chaos as opportunity. When our institutions are politicized or distracted by Trump, services like the MSS see seams to exploit. Strong democracy is part of homeland security.