China Decoded is Newsweek’s in-depth newsletter about China’s growing influence on the world. It goes beyond the headlines to examine how Beijing thinks, how its policies travel beyond China’s borders, and what they mean for the United States and its allies. The newsletter is written by journalists with deep experience covering China.
Didi Kirsten Tatlow, Senior Correspondent for International Affairs and Investigations, has reported extensively on Chinese politics, influence and security. John Feng, China Editor, is based in Taiwan and covers China’s domestic politics, foreign policy and the strategic competition between Beijing and Washington. Below, for Newsweek Members, we are reproducing the latest edition of China Decoded in full: All states spy.
But China does it with a twist; it passed a law in 2017 that obliges every Chinese citizen to spy. In civil liberties terms that’s deeply abusive. Article 7 of the National Intelligence Law says all Chinese citizens and organizations including companies ought to “support, assist and cooperate with state intelligence work.” In return, the law promises that the state will protect them.
A better translation of the law would be State Intelligence Law, as it protects the Communist Party state. China-born Wanying “Heather” Zhang, whom the FBI arrested last Sunday and alleges is a foreign agent for China, is not a Chinese citizen. She is a naturalized American and a resident of Irvine, California.
A realtor with two reviews on Zillow. Incidentally, both were bad, which doesn’t prove anything but is curious. Here’s one by Rachel Bleau from January this year: “She ghosted me after we sent all of our information to apply for a rental.
I’ve called, texted and emailed and haven’t heard back in weeks. Be careful when sending her information….”The other one was from 2021: “Do NOT lease with this agent! We are a military family and Heather isn’t knowledgeable of the current laws,” wrote Cheryl McKenzie.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
