China’s Unconventional National Security Warnings: From Turtles to Tissue Boxes

Unlikely Threats: A New Narrative on National Security in China

What do snapping turtles, tissue boxes, and college students searching for part-time employment have in common? They all may pose unforeseen challenges to China’s national security. This intriguing assertion is being promoted by the Ministry of State Security, the principal intelligence agency of China, through a series of recent social media campaigns. Over the past month, the agency has consistently added to its extensive and diverse list of perceived threats, aiming to mobilize the public’s awareness and enlist citizen vigilance against foreign adversaries.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy championed by China’s foremost leader, Xi Jinping, which emphasizes that national security should take precedence over other long-standing objectives, particularly economic growth. From Beijing’s perspective, ensuring this security involves more than merely enhancing spy operations or boosting military capabilities; it necessitates engaging the entire population in a collective effort to identify potential threats—a concept referred to as “whole of society” mobilization.

The establishment of a social media account by the usually secretive security ministry last year represents a significant step toward achieving this goal. The agency’s posts have reached an extensive audience, with each one on WeChat garnering over 100,000 views—the platform’s maximum display limit. Furthermore, hashtags related to these warnings have consistently emerged as trending topics on Weibo, another major social media platform in China.

In recent weeks, the security agency has highlighted several specific risks:

• Apparent Good Samaritans: A recent post titled “Beware! Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing” cautioned readers that foreign spies might masquerade as benevolent benefactors. The narrative described a young orphan excelling academically who was approached by a stranger offering to support his college journey financially. Over time, this stranger maintained contact and encouraged the student to pursue a government career. When the student secured the job, the stranger solicited sensitive information about China’s economic policies. Fortunately, the post noted, the student recalled the “anti-espionage propaganda education he’d received” and promptly reported the stranger, who was later confirmed by authorities to be a foreign spy.

China’s main intelligence agency has also issued warnings about suspicious packages.

• Courier Services: Another post titled “These types of packages are not allowed!” reminded citizens not to send top-secret documents to foreign spies. It also alerted them that certain foreign organizations have been shipping animals, such as alligator snapping turtles, American bullfrogs, and red fire ants, into China with the intent of establishing invasive species that could wreak havoc on local ecosystems.
• Students Seeking Extra Income: College students remain a significant concern for Beijing. A recent warning highlighted that students looking for part-time work may be prime targets for spies, who might entice them to photograph sensitive scientific research facilities in exchange for money.

• Students Applying to Study Abroad: However, students don’t need to share sensitive information to be considered a threat to national security. They can also unintentionally contribute to a negative portrayal of China. One post described a scenario in which a study-abroad agency allegedly inserted politically charged content critical of China into a student’s application materials, thereby transforming the student from “a young scholar with a simple résumé” into “an unwitting anti-China vanguard.”
• Everyday Objects: The agency has gone so far as to suggest that nearly anything could be a potential surveillance tool. For instance, pens may conceal hidden cameras, lighters could be rigged with listening devices, and even a seemingly innocuous dragonfly might be a miniature drone. One notable warning pertained to tissue boxes, which guests could bring to gatherings where significant infrastructure projects are discussed, potentially containing hidden recording devices. “Some unassuming daily objects may contain mysteries,” the post cautioned, concluding with a hotline for reporting suspicious activities.