Members of Chinese special police force stand to attention during a drill held by the Shenyang public security bureau at a camp in Shenyang, China’s Liaoning Province on March 14, 2017. File Photo: CFP

China's national intelligence and anti-espionage authority - the Ministry of State Security (MSS)  -  has openly introduced its recruitment methods for the first time on Wednesday, four days ahead of the first People's Police Day in China.

In July, the State Council approved the decision to set January 10 as  the Chinese people's police day.  

The MSS always keeps a low-profile with very limited public information, but on Wednesday, the Legal Daily, a newspaper under the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, published an interview with the press office of the MSS.

In the interview, the MSS openly introduced some information to the public for the first time, including the methods for recruiting MSS police officers. The MSS and state security departments and bureaus across the country will recruit police officers through civil service entrance examinations at the central government level and the provincial level, the MSS said in the interview.  

During the graduation season every year, the state security authorities will send officers to universities nationwide to publicize and introduce plans and policies related to the recruitment, according to the MSS.

Based on the national security situation that the country would face after the reform and opening-up, the CPC Central Committee, in early 1980s, decided to merge the former Investigation Department of the CPC Central Committee and the anti-espionage institutions under the Ministry of Public Security to build a unified and powerful national security authority. The MSS was then established in 1983.    
 
The MSS is responsible for anti-espionage missions, and it is also an important authority for intelligence work, as well as safeguarding political security and the security of China’s overseas interests, the MSS said in the interview.

"The world is experiencing a profound change that has never seen in the past century. The unexpected COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a global crisis. Power politics, the Cold War mentality, unilateralism and protectionism have risen. The development of mankind is facing unprecedented challenges and the international situation has entered a period of turbulent changes," said the MSS. 

"Our country will likely encounter different risks and conflicts at present and a period of time in the future. The predictable and unpredictable elements that could cause danger for the country are increasing."

"The MSS is the loyal defender of the Party and the people," and "will resolutely safeguard the security of the Party's ruling position and the security of the socialist system of our country, and will defend China's national sovereignty, security and development interests and will escort the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," the MSS said.