Spy Photo: VCG

On the celebration of the 4th China Police's Day on Wednesday, China's state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) revealed a case of foreign espionage involving frequent entry into China through the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, taking advantage of streamlined customs clearance.

The Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin is located in the southern part of Zhuhai city, South China's Guangdong Province. It is an important port area in the country and a key gateway hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Some foreign spy intelligence agencies have been seeking to extend their intelligence theft activities into the Chinese mainland through the cooperation zone.

Li is a Macao public servant working in the cooperation zone. In 2023, she met a representative from a foreign government department while working at reception. The excessive enthusiasm and attention from the other party sparked Li's suspicion. According to the officer of the national security agency, this spy invited her to have private dinners and gatherings, participate in cultural activities organized by their country's embassy in China, and even offered to sponsor her to study abroad. At the same time, the spy actively inquired about the research and implementation of policies in the cooperation zone, and often used the pretext of conducting investigations and research to request internal data and information in the zone.

Li, who noticed the strange behavior, quickly became alert and reported the situation to the national security agency. With Li's active cooperation, the national security agency promptly carried out response and investigative work, eliminating the risks and hazards to national security.

During their investigation, the national security agency discovered that foreign spies had been taking advantage of the convenience of 24-hour customs clearance in the cooperation zone to frequently enter the country and engage in espionage. They also used the internet to entice residents of Hengqin and Macao Special Administrative Region to engage in illegal filming, posing a real threat to national security.

An officer from the national security agency said that through big data analysis and 24-hour shifts at the border checkpoints, they eventually identified the targets, completed the arrests, and successfully thwarted the attempts by foreign anti-China forces to infiltrate and sabotage the country.

Global Times