Chinese Espionage : Operations and Tactics

by Nicholas Eftimiades

This work includes a link and password to my one hour video "Comparative Analysis of China's Economic Espionage tactics". This scholarly work is a superb compilation and analysis of the public record concerning the Chinese Communist Party’s espionage activities against the rest of the world and the United States in particular. Most important it goes well beyond the “what” has happened and provides insight into the how and why of this activity. The reader should be aware that a noted expert in the field has provide a synthesized review of all the available information. It is a glimpse at what is happening around the world. There are more facts understood by those with appropriate security access and much more is known only to the senior levels of the CCP and its operatives. - Richard Haver, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, former DCI Deputy for Community Affairs, and Chief of Staff, National Intelligence Council. Mr. Eftimiades’ monograph is an important contribution to our understanding of how and why the Chinese espionage Tsunami has appeared in every aspect of American life from culture to nuclear weapons. It builds on earlier work by Mr. Eftimiades and others on China’s economic and industrial espionage, and exposes the consequences of changes in Chinese law made in 2014 and 2017. These changes in law made the conduct of espionage an obligation of citizenship the “must not refuse”. By doing so, China has de facto expanded its relatively small cadre of professional intelligence officers by using the power of the State to compel any of its hundreds of thousands of students and businessmen resident outside of China to undertake espionage missions and in doing so, are overwhelming the counterintelligence resources of the US and allied nations. Dr. William Schneider, former US Undersecretary of State. A must - read for professionals in Counter intelligence, security and government affairs. The author has crafted the most detailed account ever published on China’s espionage operations and tactics…… The USA is loosing its secrets and technology to China’s “whole of society” approach ….. Our Nation’s need for good counterintelligence has never been greater ……Mr. Eftimiades is the real deal, a veteran of the Intelligence Community who describes the challenges and provides recommendations on how to do a better job in protecting America. - Nicholas G. Kikis, former Director /Defense Clandestine Service and Chief of East Asia Division. Eftimiades’ meticulously documented study shows how China’s massive ‘whole of society’ approach to espionage has created a new paradigm on how intelligence activities are conducted and provides a cautionary tale for the numerous countries it has been directed against. - June Teufel Dreyer金德芳Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Miami. This work is NOT a causal description of a few cases of Chinese espionage with pictures thrown in for intrigue and excitement. This monograph (50 pgs) is the first in a series on Chinese Espionage. It is the most detailed work ever published in the unclassified world on China's intelligence tradecraft. This analytical product was years in the making and includes analysis of the tradecraft used in 595 cases of espionage, economic espionage, theft of technology and trade secrets. This work is for Insider Threat specialists, Intelligence Officers, security professionals, attorneys, policy makers, journalists, and anyone else who needs a detailed understanding of China's espionage operations and tactics.

Genres: China, Politics

58 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2020

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good white paper covering the analysis of over 500 espionage cases which provide insight into the magnitude of the CCP's efforts to gather intelligence from the rest of the globe. Included are a summary of the types of espionage being carried out, how they are conducted and how Chinese espionage has been improving over the last several years. This should be a must read for everyone in business leadership, and all employees working in IT across the US.

[Lojicholia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short little report on Chinese operations and tradecraft.

[david w. tsai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read!

Most up-to-date comprehensive and detailed treatment of the subject based on the author's objective analysis of close to 600 cases! An intelligence practitioner as well as academic scholar Mr. Eftimiades has given his readers a clear picture of Chinese espionage doctrine and tradecraft, based on a combination of his experience and scholarship. This excellent and insightful book is highly recommended for both professionals and novices who are interested in this subject. David Tsai, retired from the Library of Congress.

[Valerie A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many citations on authors extensive research to document and show “ evidence beyond any reasonable doubt ...that shows that CCP employs all entities and mechanisms at its disposal to conduct espionage.”

Favorite quote from the Thousand grains of sand theory as stated by FBI:
...”if grains of sand were intelligence targets, the Soviets would surface a submarine in the dead of the night and send a small party to the beach to bring back several pails of sand. The Chinese would send 1,000 bathers to the beach in broad daylight and have each bather bring back one grain of sand.” (P.34)

[Sophia s · Rating 5 out of 5]

super informed & eye opening! i got the second volume which was published in january 2025 so i feel confident abt the info in it. so much tea like omg jaw was on the ground the entire time. he could have done with less italics though i guess lol

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very brief and very technical. This is a well referenced Report but Not a primer on China PLA Espionage. QED