Chinese entities recruit for defence and policy OSINT roles via job sites, MI5 and Five Eyes bulletin says

MI5 and the intelligence services of the Five Eyes alliance have warned that Chinese agents are posting analyst positions on job boards including LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork to identify and recruit civil servants, military personnel and others with access to sensitive information.

The bulletin states that agents advertise foreign-policy or defence-analyst roles at what appear to be legitimate think tanks or private firms. After scanning submitted CVs, recruiters conduct virtual interviews while concealing their identities and ask candidates to prepare trial reports on topics such as China’s relations with other countries, defence or trade.

Candidates who complete the initial tasks are then pressed for more sensitive details and directed to encrypted messaging platforms. Recruits receive payments ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars per report through online payment services.

The services said the targets include security-clearance holders specialising in defence, foreign affairs and intelligence, military personnel who have served in the Indo-Pacific, and academics, journalists and think-tank staff with links to policy or economic sectors.

Even without classified access, disclosure of government policy or military strategy can compromise national security, the bulletin said. China’s military intelligence services seek “privileged military, political and economic intelligence” that can give China a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes countries, according to the document.

The warning was issued as Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper concluded a state visit to China during which Foreign Office staff used burner phones because of security concerns.

Opposition figures criticised the timing. ” Cooper said she had raised Lai’s case during the visit and would continue to do so. “Our case remains we want to see his release as soon as possible, he’s a very elderly man,” she said.