China’s secretive Ministry of State Security has launched a manga-style comic series based on ‘real’ espionage cases, the latest salvo in an unusually public campaign that has also seen MSS spies create a slick video and WeChat social media account.
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China said its national security-themed comic is adapted from ‘magical’ cases of frontline officers cracking down on counter-espionage operations. The Shenyin Special Investigation Squad, released January 7, 2024, shows a blond-haired man in a hoodie on the ground. It’s not clear if he’s a foreigner but the message is clear: Don’t mess with China’s secret police.

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Who are China’s MSS spies? ‍

China’s MSS, founded in 1983, is the civilian secret police service responsible for foreign operations and counter-intelligence. It is thought to employ more than 100,000 people with 10,000 of those directly attached to MSS HQ and semi-autonomous branches at all levels of government.

China has faced escalating national security challenges underscoring espionage threats in recent years, according to Bird & Bird’s Chinese law partners. Notably, a global expert service provider was accused of luring influential figures to disclose sensitive information, while a US consulting firm in Shanghai faced a dawn raid in April 2023.
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The spy manga strip is not the first time China has used comics to drum up public support for national security. In 2016, Beijing’s inaugural 'National Security Education Day' was marked with the launch of Dangerous Love, a comic strip cautioning young women to exercise vigilance around foreigners who could be spies.

Beijing has been using cartoons for decades to get its message across. The 1980s cartoon Black Cat Detective has had a remake for the digital age. Now Black Cat Detective tackles cyber security and hackers. 

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China’s video messaging‍

China has also cranked up its multi-media messaging lately with a polished video advert about how national security is strengthened with the help of citizens reporting acts of espionage. “Who am I?” a secretive voice asks. “I am this silhouette by your side . . . I face the ever-changing world and the surging tide of darkness.” 

The video names several cases. In one, a foreign spy befriends a Chinese employee hoping to gain access to state secrets. In another, a foreign institution persuades volunteers to collect intelligence to transfer overseas.

China’s social media for spies

Meanwhile, China launched its WeChat account - the country's ‘everything app’ with one billion users - in July 2023 to promote counter-intelligence reporting among citizens. The title of its first post translates as: Countering espionage requires the mobilization of all members of society. In January 2024, MSS used WeChat to claim Britain's Secret Intelligence Service MI6 recruited a man who’d been passing intelligence since 2015 and recruiting other spies who’d be used to incite rebellion. In a separate post, MSS warned citizens about foreign intelligence agencies using 'honey traps' to blackmail citizens into spying.

The WeChat posts came after China revised its counterespionage law which bans the transfer of information related to national security. The definition of espionage now includes 'documents, data, materials or items related to national security and interests,' without specifying how terms are defined.

According to Global Times, a government-backed news site, China also hands out awards to citizens for tip-offs which include gongs for two individuals who made ‘special’ contributions to national security, 29 others who made ‘major’ contributions, and 54 awards for ‘important’ contributions.

In recent years, China has released multiple films and TV series in the national security genre including Storm Eye, In the Silence, Enemy, and Spy Game, according to Global Times.