According to a Daily Mail report, the MSS’s use of AI and facial recognition technology is focused on tracking foreign diplomats, military personnel, and intelligence agents in Beijing’s embassy area. A report from the New York Times, citing US officials and an informed source, reveals that the system can instantly compile comprehensive profiles on persons of interest, monitoring their movements, contacts, and potentially exposing their networks and vulnerabilities.
Chen Yixin, a key aide to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, has been instrumental in elevating the MSS’s profile. Under his leadership, the agency has not only enhanced its technological capabilities but also increased its efforts in recruiting American citizens as spies. This includes notable cases like that of American student Glenn Shriver, who was recruited while studying in Shanghai and later pleaded guilty to espionage charges, the Daily Mail report said.
The MSS’s advanced spy-tracking program underscores the growing role of technology in the intensifying rivalry between the MSS and the CIA. Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in DC, commented to the Times, “For China in particular, exploiting the existing technology or trade secrets of others has become a popular shortcut encouraged by the government.”
While China has long been involved in technological espionage, the CIA is now intensifying its efforts to gather intelligence on Chinese advancements in AI and quantum computing. David Cohen, the CIA’s deputy director, emphasized the agency’s increased focus on understanding the capabilities of technologies like semiconductors, AI algorithms, and biotech equipment.
The MSS, despite its growing prominence, remains a secretive entity without a public-facing website or contact information. However, Chen Yixin has initiated social media outreach for the MSS, including a WeChat account where the agency declared: “The United States’ multifaceted obstruction, containment and suppression will only make China more battle hardened and self-reliant.”
These developments highlight the evolving landscape of international espionage, where technological prowess and the recruitment of foreign assets play a pivotal role in the strategic objectives of national intelligence agencies.
