Mandarin-language videos on May 1, 2025, targeting disillusioned Chinese officials to recruit them as informants against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The cinematic videos portray fictional senior and junior officials frustrated by corruption and Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaigns. Building on a 2024 initiative, the campaign provides secure contact instructions in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English to bypass China’s “Great Firewall.” CIA Director John Ratcliffe underscored China as a key intelligence focus, seeking insights into military, cyber technology, and foreign policy.
China’s Foreign Ministry has not responded, though its intelligence agency continues to counter such recruitment efforts.
Mandarin-language videos on May 1, 2025, targeting disillusioned Chinese officials to recruit them as informants against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The cinematic videos portray fictional senior and junior officials frustrated by corruption and Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaigns. Building on a 2024 initiative, the campaign provides secure contact instructions in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English to bypass China’s “Great Firewall.” CIA Director John Ratcliffe underscored China as a key intelligence focus, seeking insights into military, cyber technology, and foreign policy.
China’s Foreign Ministry has not responded, though its intelligence agency continues to counter such recruitment efforts.
Telegram has no known backdoors and, even though it is come in for criticism for using proprietary encryption methods instead of open-source ones, those have yet to be compromised. While no messaging app can guarantee a 100% impermeable defense against determined attackers, Telegram is vulnerabilities are few and either theoretical or based on spoof files fooling users into actively enabling an attack.
Traders also expressed uncertainty about the situation with China Evergrande, as the indebted property company has not provided clarification about a key interest payment.In economic news, the Commerce Department reported an unexpected increase in U.S. new home sales in August.Crude oil prices climbed Friday and front-month WTI oil futures contracts saw gains for a fifth straight week amid tighter supplies. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for November rose $0.68 or 0.9 percent at 73.98 a barrel. WTI Crude futures gained 2.8 percent for the week.
