Face-Off: The U.S. vs China
Espionage
May 7, 2024
Authors John DeLury and Nigel Inkster discuss China's espionage tactics and the US-China intelligence relationship. They delve into historical cases, the evolution of Chinese intelligence, challenges in monitoring Chinese activities, and China's unique intelligence structure. The podcast offers insights on global intelligence alliances and China's geopolitical influence.
34:52
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Quick takeaways
- Historical lack of communication between US and China led to long imprisonment of CIA agents in Cold War era.
- China's modern espionage focuses on recruiting assets from Chinese diaspora, posing challenges for US national security.
Deep dives
Sweeping Historical Espionage Mission: Downey and Fekto's 20-Year Capture
During the Cold War era, CIA agents John Downey and Richard Fekto embarked on a daring mission to extract an operative from Communist China. Unfortunately, they were captured for nearly two decades, showcasing the lack of communication between the US and China. Their release only came about with Nixon's efforts to open relations in the early 70s, highlighting the historic secrecy and misunderstandings between the two nations.
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