Recent media revelations that Christine Fang, a Chinese Communist spy, developed romantic or sexual relationships with at least two U.S. mayors in order to obtain intelligence have raised concerns among the American public. This also shows that many Americans are not aware that the “beauty ploy” is a common tactic used by the Chinese Communist Party.
In fact, the beauty ploy is just one weapon in the CCP’s large arsenal of weapons against politicians in various countries, and the CCP’s strategy of combining intelligence gathering with political influence can have a devastating impact on another country.
The Communist Party’s Widespread Use of Beauty Ploys
To Americans, the beauty ploy may sound like a Hollywood spy movie, but it is actually a long-term espionage tactic widely used by the Chinese Communist Party. Experts say U.S. politicians in different positions of power, members of the intelligence community, and members of Congress are prime targets. And because of the sensitive nature of such matters, it is believed that many incidents are not publicly reported.
The Fang Fang incident reported by Axios is one of the few publicly disclosed espionage incidents. While it is unlikely that she herself received or passed on classified information, she is believed to have successfully placed “unwitting deputies” in the office of Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA). She also collected private information from many U.S. officials.
Timothy Heath, a senior international defense fellow at the RAND Corporation, told the Epoch Times, “We know this is a tactic used by Chinese [Communist Party] intelligence agencies to gain intelligence and political influence. And it may have broader uses.”
Heath served as a senior analyst for the U.S. Pacific Command’s China Strategic Focus Group. He continued, “I have heard that American academics and others who have visited China have encountered being approached by attractive young women.” These Americans have been warned by the intelligence community to be careful, “For example, Chinese Communist agents may use beauty tricks to lure U.S. officials into providing sensitive information. Then the CCP agent will turn around and blackmail the victim to obtain more information.”
While it is impossible to determine exactly how many Americans were trapped, a former defense intelligence officer told Fox News that there were at least a few hundred, if not thousands.
In one case revealed by South Korean authorities in 2011, a woman named Deng Xinmin had relationships with more than a dozen South Korean diplomats working in China, acquiring key intelligence.
Yet even with advance warning, some people still fall into the trap, and it’s almost impossible to prevent.
Food spiked with special hotel rooms
More than a decade ago, former London Deputy Mayor Ian Clement warned the public from his own experience.
In 2008, before Clement traveled to Beijing for the Olympics as London’s deputy mayor, he received a briefing from British intelligence. He said the intelligence service warned him that Chinese Communist agents often used women to lure men into bed for information, “and I didn’t think for a second that I would fall for it,” Clement later told the Mirror.
Clement said he did meet an attractive woman at a party who he suspected spiked his drink. After he passed out, she went through his room. “When I was in Beijing, I used my BlackBerry to make plans and decisions. I’m talking about very big, important decisions,” he told the outlet, “and they [the Chinese Communist Party] want to know which businesses I’m following.”
Han Guangsheng, who spent 14 years as a public security bureau chief in China and another five years in the Communist Party’s judicial system, said that “there are hotels designated for foreigners” throughout China.
“For these designated hotels, some rooms have surveillance features.” He told the Epoch Times, “So when certain guests with status check in, they are put in these rooms.”
Intelligence gathering combined with political influence
Nicholas Eftimiades, a former senior U.S. intelligence official and author of “China’s Intelligence Operations,” told the Epoch Times that Fang’s operation was “beautifully handled” and that she combined intelligence gathering with political influence, a tactic that can be truly devastating to a country.
Members of Congress, who have access to classified information without security clearance, have been particularly vulnerable to espionage for decades, Efthimides said.
Hunter Biden is another case of intelligence gathering combined with political influence. In October, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said that one of Hunter Biden’s laptops contained “sensitive” material, including photos of underage girls. He said the Chinese Communist Party had seen Hunter’s material and that everything Americans saw, “China (the Chinese Communist Party) has been looking at it for a long time.
“If the Chinese (Communist Party) government doesn’t have these photos, they’re not really an adversary.” Giuliani said.
According to Seamus Bruner, a researcher who focuses on government integrity issues, he obtained emails between the Biden’s and their partners, and Hunter Biden was seen by the partners as a “conduit to the government. The Biden’s deny any wrongdoing.
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe wrote in a Dec. 3 Wall Street Journal op-ed that this year “China [the Communist Party] has conducted a massive influence campaign, targeting dozens of members of Congress and congressional aides.”
He wrote: “I have briefed the House and Senate intelligence committees that China (the Chinese Communist Party) targets members of Congress six times more often than Russia and 12 times more often than Iran.” “The general reference here is to influence operations in general.”
“If I can communicate one thing to the American people from this unique vantage point, it is that the People’s Republic of China (CCP) poses the greatest threat to the United States today and the greatest threat to democracy and freedom around the world since World War II.” Ratcliffe added.
Recent Comments