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China's MSS warns of foreign intelligence services exploit games to infiltrate, recruit spies, threatening national security

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Nov 25, 2025 09:02 AM

China's Ministry of State Security on Tuesday warned that some foreign intelligence services are extending their reach into the gaming world, using in-game advertisements as a new channel for infiltration and recruitment. The ministry cited a case in which a foreign-developed game bypassed oversight and pushed targeted "spy-recruitment" ads through a "watch ads for rewards" feature — disguising their intent with terms like "cooperation" and "part-time work," and luring players with promises of "high income."

Certain hostile foreign forces and individuals with ulterior motives are seeking to turn gaming platforms into a "hunting ground" for spreading discrimination and slandering, peddling political rumors, and even conducting infiltration and subversion — activities that threaten China's national security and demand heightened vigilance, according to an article published on the ministry's WeChat account.

The article noted that some foreign-produced games weave overt or covert prejudice against Chinese communities, particularly the Chinese people, into character designs, storylines, and visual styles. In certain cases, characters with Chinese cultural elements are deliberately cast as sinister or scheming figures, portrayed as perpetrators of violence, or shown engaging in reprehensible, illegal behavior.

Some foreign-produced games deliberately misrepresent China's territory through distorted maps and malicious labeling, undermining China's national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. For example, one overseas game company openly portrayed China's Xizang as part of "core territory" of British Raj in a World War II simulation game, distorting the historical fact that Xizang region has always been an integral part of China. In some game-related maps, there are also errors such as misdrawing the borders of Zangnan, or separating Taiwan Province from China, according to the ministry's article.

The ministry reminded the public not to adopt an "entertainment-above-all" mindset when confronted with hidden malicious intent and attacks embedded in games, warning against overlooking the deeper risks. It called for taking proactive measures, and firmly resisting any attempt to smuggle in biased content or undermine China's national security under the guise of entertainment.

The article also stressed the need to stay alert to "sleight-of-hand" distortions involving China's territorial boundaries in games and other cultural products, saying heightened vigilance and accurate identification are essential to safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Confronted with the undercurrents of infiltration and recruitment, the public should stay vigilant, maintain a firm zero-tolerance attitude, and help strengthen the "digital Great Wall" that safeguards national security in the new era, said the ministry.