2010–2012 killing of CIA sources in China
{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox military attack
| title = 2010-2012 killing of CIA sources in China
| location = China
| date = {{start date|2010}}–{{end date|2012}}
| target = CIA informants
| type =
| casualties= 30+ killed or captured
| executed_by= Ministry of State Security
}}
Between 2010 and 2012 espionage networks of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were dismantled by Chinese intelligence authorities in an intelligence breach. Intelligence gathering in the country by the United States was hindered for years afterward.
A large number of informants were killed,{{Cite news |date=2017-05-22 |title=Chinese paper applauds anti-spy efforts after NY Times report CIA sources killed |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-espionage-idUSKBN18I059 |access-date=2023-09-05 |archive-date=2023-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825104513/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-espionage-idUSKBN18I059 |url-status=live }} while many others were imprisoned.{{cite news |title=CIA rebuilding spy networks in China a decade after losing agents, director reveals |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jul/20/cia-rebuilding-spy-networks-china-decade-after-los/ |access-date=5 September 2023 |archive-date=5 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905071427/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jul/20/cia-rebuilding-spy-networks-china-decade-after-los/ |url-status=live }} It was initially estimated that between 18 and 20 sources were killed. Later estimates concluded that at least 30 sources were lost.{{cite news |title=The CIA falsely believed it was 'invincible' in China |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-china-found-cia-spies-leak-2018-8 |agency=Business Insider |access-date=2023-09-05 |archive-date=2023-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827074142/https://www.businessinsider.com/how-china-found-cia-spies-leak-2018-8 |url-status=live }} The incident was considered one of the worst intelligence breaches of the CIA in decades.{{cite news |title=China Used Stolen Data to Expose CIA Operatives in Africa and Europe |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/21/china-stolen-us-data-exposed-cia-operatives-spy-networks/|agency=Foreign Policy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221112115/https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/21/china-stolen-us-data-exposed-cia-operatives-spy-networks/|archive-date=December 21, 2020}}{{cite news |title=Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Chinese Agents|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/08/15/botched-cia-communications-system-helped-blow-cover-chinese-agents-intelligence/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902002821/https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/08/15/botched-cia-communications-system-helped-blow-cover-chinese-agents-intelligence/|archive-date=September 2, 2018|agency=Foreign Policy}} According to American officials, the number of sources lost during this period rivaled the number lost in the Soviet Union as a result of the leaks from Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen.{{Cite news |last1=Mazzetti |first1=Mark |last2=Goldman |first2=Adam |last3=Schmidt |first3=Michael S. |last4=Apuzzo |first4=Matt |date=2017-05-20 |title=Killing C.I.A. Informants, China Crippled U.S. Spying Operations |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/world/asia/china-cia-spies-espionage.html |access-date=2023-09-05 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2023-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827074141/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/world/asia/china-cia-spies-espionage.html |url-status=live }}
Background
{{main|American espionage in China}}
Causes for breach
The causes of the security breach leading to the destruction of the network were widely disputed in the ensuing investigation by U.S. intelligence.{{cite news |title=Chinese paper applauds anti-spy efforts after NY Times report CIA sources killed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/20/china-dismantled-cia-spying-operations-new-york-times |access-date=25 August 2023 |agency=The Guardian |archive-date=25 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825104510/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/20/china-dismantled-cia-spying-operations-new-york-times |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=China killed or jailed up to 20 US spies in 2010-2012 |work=Times of Israel |agency= |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/china-killed-or-jailed-up-to-20-us-spies-in-2010-2012-report/ |access-date=5 September 2023 |archive-date=5 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905072359/https://www.timesofisrael.com/china-killed-or-jailed-up-to-20-us-spies-in-2010-2012-report/ |url-status=live }}
= Mole =
Some investigators suspected that a traitor in the CIA had leaked the identities of informants.{{cite news |last=Lawler |first=Dave |date=January 19, 2018 |title=How the CIA's spy network in China collapsed |work=Axios |agency= |url=https://www.axios.com/2018/01/18/how-the-cias-spy-ring-in-china-collapsed-1516315831 |access-date=5 September 2023 |archive-date=5 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905071431/https://www.axios.com/2018/01/18/how-the-cias-spy-ring-in-china-collapsed-1516315831 |url-status=live }} In January 2018, a former CIA officer named Jerry Chun Shing Lee was arrested and would eventually plead guilty{{cite magazine|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/former-cia-agent-lee-pleads-guilty-spying-for-china.html|title=Former CIA Agent Pleads Guilty to Spying for China|first=Elliot|last=Hannon|date=May 1, 2019|magazine=Slate}}{{Cite web |date=2019-05-01 |title=Former CIA Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Espionage |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/former-cia-officer-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-commit-espionage |access-date=2019-05-07 |website=U.S. Department of Justice |language=en |archive-date=2021-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120115921/https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/former-cia-officer-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-commit-espionage |url-status=live }} on suspicion of helping dismantle the network.{{Cite news |last=Goldman |first=Adam |date=2018-01-16 |title=Ex-C.I.A. Officer Suspected of Compromising Chinese Informants Is Arrested |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/16/us/politics/cia-china-mole-arrest-jerry-chun-shing-lee.html |access-date=2023-09-05 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2022-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205121611/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/16/us/politics/cia-china-mole-arrest-jerry-chun-shing-lee.html |url-status=live }}
= Communications hack=
Foreign Policy reported that the CIA had botched the communications system, which was brought over from its operations in the Middle East, that was used to contact its informants in China. The internet-based system was imported under the assumption that it made the CIA "invincible".
On November 2018 Yahoo News reported that the compromised communications system consisted of websites, some of which were identified by carefully crafting Google Search queries, a technique known as Google hacking.{{cite news |last1=Dorfman |first1=Zach |last2=McLaughlin |first2=Jenna |title=The CIA's communications suffered a catastrophic compromise. It started in Iran. |url=https://www.yahoo.com/video/cias-communications-suffered-catastrophic-compromise-started-iran-090018710.html |publisher=Yahoo News}}
On September 2022 Reuters provided screenshots of nine specific websites used as part of the communication system, which consisted of "more than 350 websites" in total. The websites were written in various languages, suggesting that they were used to communicate with CIA operatives from at least 20 countries including not only Iran and China but also Brazil, Russia, Thailand and Ghana.{{cite news |last1=SCHECTMAN |first1=JOEL |last2=SHARAFEDIN |first2=BOZORGMEHR |title=America’s Throwaway Spies |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-spies-iran/ |access-date=6 May 2025 |publisher=Reuters}}
Aftermath
The CIA has struggled to rebuild its intelligence network in China; the effort has been described by officials as expensive and time-consuming. The cause of the leak that killed the agents was disputed by investigators, with some believing a mole was responsible, others believed the CIA comms system was hacked.
In 2023, CIA director William Burns stated that the agency had "made progress" in rebuilding its intelligence networks in China.{{cite news |title=China vows countermeasures after CIA chief William Burns says agency is working to rebuild spy network |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228775/china-vows-countermeasures-after-cia-chief-william-burns-says-agency-working-rebuild-spy-network |access-date=5 September 2023 |archive-date=4 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904072043/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228775/china-vows-countermeasures-after-cia-chief-william-burns-says-agency-working-rebuild-spy-network |url-status=live }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:2010-2012 killing of CIA sources in China}}
Category:China–United States relations
Category:CIA activities in Asia
Category:History of the foreign relations of China