
The Czech Security Information Service’s annual report, published on September 12, exposes China’s covert activities in the Czech Republic. These activities involve creating fake LinkedIn profiles and offering financial incentives to collect information and establish a network of influencers. The report highlights that China poses a substantial threat to Euro-Atlantic civilization, including the Czech Republic. It cautions that succumbing to China’s influence would result in the gradual loss of technological and strategic expertise to a system rooted in communist dictatorship. This system undermines the core principles of democracy and the free market, which are essential to our civilization’s foundation. The report serves as a stark warning about the potential consequences of China’s covert operations.
The agency revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used its diplomatic mission to gather intelligence on Prague’s political landscape as part of its influence operations in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, the regime sent intelligence agents to forge relationships with local influential figures. The report highlighted that these agents engaged with academics to obtain “non-public information” and gain a comprehensive understanding of the Czech environment. This strategy aims to enhance China’s influence and control within the region.
The report reveals that Chinese intelligence operatives have been targeting Czech academics by creating fake LinkedIn profiles. They pose as representatives from fictional consulting or headhunting firms based in Hong Kong and Singapore. These operatives then request reports or studies on topics aligned with China’s political interests, offering financial incentives under the pretence of professional collaboration. According to the report, these studies often serve as an initial step towards deeper cooperation, eventually leading to the provision of specific, sensitive information.
When foreign scholars agree to produce these reports, Chinese agents often extend invitations for fully-funded trips to China. The goal is to build a network of contacts who feel a sense of obligation and may be more likely to support Chinese interests in the Czech Republic in the future, the agency noted. The report also mentioned that these invitations aren’t limited to researchers; they can also be extended to former and current political figures, representatives from national and local governments, and influential business leaders.
The report underscores that participants in Chinese-sponsored activities might be approached by Chinese intelligence services or used for propaganda purposes. The hospitality extended by the Chinese could create a sense of obligation, which they might later exploit. This report follows a series of global allegations of Chinese espionage, raising concerns about the CCP’s activities.
In the United States, Linda Sun, a former high-ranking aide in the New York governor’s office, was recently convicted by a U.S. jury for acting as an agent for the CCP in exchange for millions of dollars in business and other benefits. In the United Kingdom, a parliamentary researcher who once worked for a senior lawmaker in the governing Conservative Party was charged with providing judicial information to Beijing in April, along with another man. These incidents highlight the growing concerns about China’s covert operations and espionage activities worldwide.
In Germany, authorities apprehended a long time aide to a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in April, suspecting him of working for the CCP’s secret service and spying on Chinese dissidents. Meanwhile, in January, the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into former senator Frank Creyelman. The probe centers on allegations that CCP spies had bribed him for years to sway discussions in Europe.
The Czech intelligence agency has expressed significant concerns about the CCP’s efforts to silence critics and disseminate its propaganda. The agency highlighted Beijing’s keen interest in suppressing dissent and closely monitoring events that it views as threats to its authoritarian rule. The CCP’s primary targets, known as the “five poisons,” include Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghurs, Tibetans, supporters of Taiwanese independence, and democracy advocates in China.
According to the agency, whenever Chinese authorities become aware of an event in the Czech Republic where negative comments about China might be made, they initiate systematic measures to collect sensitive information about the event’s location, content, and participants. This proactive approach aims to mitigate any potential criticism and maintain the CCP’s control over its narrative.
In 2023, the Czech intelligence service observed the collaboration between Czech and Chinese media, discovering that Chinese content was primarily being distributed to smaller local TV channels. This content aimed to shape the Czech public’s perception of China by highlighting only the positive aspects of the communist regime while ignoring or denying any human rights abuses, oppression of ethnic minorities, and territorial aggression. The report emphasized that China places great importance on its image both domestically and internationally. Consequently, it has been actively working to suppress any information that could tarnish its portrayal as a hegemon promoting global peace and order.