Cartoon Shows How You Can Win Big Cash by Ratting Out a Spy

Beijing residents who want to simultaneously fulfill their patriotic responsibilities while earning big bucks finally have their chance. China's top police force is offering cold, hard cash in exchange for reporting suspicious acts of espionage.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of State Security said they will offer a maximum reward of 500,000 yuan (USD 72,400) to any resident who offers information leading to the arrest of a spy, or puts an end to any espionage activity.

Authorities promise tipsters their personal information won't be divulged, but on the chance that their personal safety has been threatened due to reporting espionage activity, tipsters can apply to the Bureau of State Security for state protection.

The bureau emphasizes that all tips must be real and can't be used to slander innocent individuals. unlike when a Beijing resident won 3,000 yuan for falsely accusing a foreigner of terrorist activities last spring.

The announcement coincides with the upcoming National Security Day (Apr 15), which was marked last year by releasing a cartoon warning residents to be wary of dating foreigners with a hidden agenda for espionage.

Unsure what a spy looks like? An animated video released to inform the public of the new policy depicts spies that look a lot like the titular character from V for Vendetta or ghostly representatives of the Anonymous collective crossed with DC Comic superhero Batman.
https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=t0392fmv2qt&width=500&height=375&auto=0

But if patriotically serving one's country isn't enough, viewers are repeatedly reminded of the cash incentive. As seen in the video, an anthropomorphized version of the Bureau of State Security personally offers a bag of money in exchange for turning in a suspected spy. In another part of the video, captured spies locked in birdcages are equated with their cash winnings.

This animated video may appear juvenile, but there's another version that is specifically directed at children. A video (bilibili.com/video/av9742152/) appearing on the child-orientated Bilibili video platform and promoted by the Communist Youth Party uses internet memes and a hokey rap to drive home the simple message "cash for spies."

The use of public information to implicate criminals has been so influential in Beijing that local residents can report suspicious criminal activity using the "Chaoyang Masses" phone app. The success of the "fifth information column" has been successful in nabbing high-profile celebrities like Jaycee Chan that netizens have likened it to international intelligence agencies like the CIA and M16.

While this comparison may seem exaggerated, the Beijing News reported Chinese intelligence agencies greatly depend upon public information, going so far as to admit the public is directly responsible for the majority of apprehended espionage suspects.

The enormous size of the cash reward underscores how seriously China is worried about foreign spies.

As the Beijing News reported, the Chinese public is urgently needed to take part in anti-espionage activities that pose a "real threat to China's security". Apparently, spies from foreign intelligence agencies and other "hostile powers" are exploiting China's open borders, spilling into the country to infiltrate the government, subvert political power, steal state secrets and instigate unrest.

Although there is no real reason to be concerned, expats living in Beijing should perhaps reconsider wearing black capes and Guy Fawkes masks.

Beijing residents wanting to report suspicious espionage activities can call the bureau's hotline (12339), write a letter, or personally report it at the offices for the Bureau of State Security on Qianmen East Boulevard.

Images: Miaopai.com, Bilibili.com

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