Many Western agencies have created a presence on social media in recent years. Now, China’s state security agency (CSS) has issued its first ever social media post. However, where Western agencies try and portray themselves in a very PR friendly way, the Chinese approach is far more sombre and threatening: not so much “hearts and minds” as “ we will get you if you don’t do what you’re told.” Their first ever post was put out on Chinese social media app WeChat. The message was that every Chinese citizen should be on the alert for subversion and foreign spies. They should form what the CSS called a “line of defence.” There are rewards of up to half a million yuan ($50,000) for Chinese citizens who detect spies – especially Western spies.
