Chinese Ministry of State Security

China has uncovered an espionage case involving a state ministry staff member who was arrested after proactively reaching out to foreign spy agencies, offering to leak state secrets in critical sectors and stealing nearly 300,000 internal documents, according to the Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Tuesday.

The suspect, surnamed Zhang, was a "phantom" in the conference room, repeatedly infiltrating classified meetings to plant recording devices. Her espionage was exposed when one of the devices fell, prompting alert attendees to report the situation, the MSS said.

The MSS published the case on its official WeChat account on Tuesday with a 5-minute documentary video revealing the details of the case.

The video shows that during a confidential meeting at a key official institution, a faint click was heard - an active voice recorder had fallen beneath a seat. Evidence showed it had been taped there with strong adhesive, but the weakened glue from repeated use caused it to drop.

This immediately raised suspicion among attendees, who reported it to leadership. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the institution notified state security authorities.

Investigations revealed Zhang as the prime suspect. Authorities also discovered she was closely linked to another suspect in an ongoing case.

In fact, over a month earlier, state security agencies had detected someone initiating contact with a foreign intelligence service, offering classified documents. Authorities swiftly launched an in-depth investigation, merging the cases. After conducting a surprise interrogation of Zhang in accordance with the law, they were shocked to confirm she was the same suspect of the two cases.

Zhang, a woman from an intellectual family, worked at a prestigious university, municipal agencies, and eventually a state ministry after graduating.

Since high school, Zhang secretly browsed foreign websites, actively seeking out and embracing subversive ideologies. Even after assuming a role with access to state secrets, driven by personal grievances, she resorted to stealing and selling classified information as a means of revenge against colleagues, her institution, and even the country.

Using technical methods to conceal her identity, she proactively contacted foreign spy agencies, pledging allegiance. Under their direction, she recklessly sold classified information from critical sectors.

Zhang exploited her institution's managerial loopholes, illegally downloading files from its internal system over an extended period. She smuggled her phone into secure areas to photograph classified documents, copied electronic files from colleagues' computers when offices were vacant, and repeatedly planted voice recorders in internal meetings to secretly record discussions.

By the time of her arrest, Zhang had stolen nearly 300,000 internal documents. 

After the recorder was discovered, she hastily applied for an exit permit, preparing to flee with the trove of stolen secrets. With her institution's cooperation, state security authorities swiftly intervened, mitigating further risks. Zhang now awaits the full force of the law.

Zhang's case exposed severe lapses at her institution - a critical state-sector entity - including failures in counter-espionage accountability, lax enforcement of protocols, and significant deficiencies in staff education, management, and oversight. Disciplinary authorities launched a retroactive investigation, imposing penalties on 12 negligent officials and personnel involved in the case, the MSS stated.

Global Times