2010–2012 killing of CIA sources in China

2010-2012 killing of CIA sources in China

Location|

China

Target| CIA informants
Date| 2010 (2010)–2012 (2012)
Executed by| Ministry of State Security
Casualties| 30+ killed or captured

Between 2010 and 2012 espionage networks of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were dismantled by Chinese intelligence authorities in an intelligence breach. Intelligence gathering in the country by the United States was hindered for years afterward.

A large number of informants were killed,[1] while many others were imprisoned.[2] It was initially estimated that between 18 and 20 sources were killed.[3] Later estimates concluded that at least 30 sources were lost.[4] The incident was considered one of the worst intelligence breaches of the CIA in decades.[5][6] According to American officials, the number of sources lost during this period rivaled the number lost in the Soviet Union as a result of the leaks from Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen.[3]

## Background

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Main article: American espionage in China

## Causes for breach

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The causes of the security breach leading to the destruction of the network were widely disputed in the ensuing investigation by U.S. intelligence.[7][8]

### Mole

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Some investigators suspected that a traitor in the CIA had leaked the identities of informants.[9] In January 2018, a former CIA officer named Jerry Chun Shing Lee was arrested and would eventually plead guilty[10][11] on suspicion of helping dismantle the network.[12]

### Communications hack

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Foreign Policy reported that the CIA had botched the communications system, which was brought over from its operations in the Middle East, that was used to contact its informants in China.[6] The internet-based system was imported under the assumption that it made the CIA "invincible".[4]

On November 2018 Yahoo News reported that the compromised communications system consisted of websites, some of which were identified by carefully crafting Google Search queries, a technique known as Google hacking.[13]

On September 2022 Reuters provided screenshots of nine specific websites used as part of the communication system, which consisted of "more than 350 websites" in total. The websites were written in various languages, suggesting that they were used to communicate with CIA operatives from at least 20 countries including not only Iran and China but also Brazil, Russia, Thailand and Ghana.[14]

## Aftermath

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The CIA has struggled to rebuild its intelligence network in China; the effort has been described by officials as expensive and time-consuming.[4] The cause of the leak that killed the agents was disputed by investigators, with some believing a mole was responsible, others believed the CIA comms system was hacked.[3]

In 2023, CIA director William Burns stated that the agency had "made progress" in rebuilding its intelligence networks in China.[15]

## References

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1. ^ "Chinese paper applauds anti-spy efforts after NY Times report CIA sources killed". Reuters. 2017-05-22. Archived from the original on 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
2. ^ "CIA rebuilding spy networks in China a decade after losing agents, director reveals". Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
3. ^ a b c Mazzetti, Mark; Goldman, Adam; Schmidt, Michael S.; Apuzzo, Matt (2017-05-20). "Killing C.I.A. Informants, China Crippled U.S. Spying Operations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
4. ^ a b c "The CIA falsely believed it was 'invincible' in China". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
5. ^ "China Used Stolen Data to Expose CIA Operatives in Africa and Europe". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020.
6. ^ a b "Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Chinese Agents". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018.
7. ^ "Chinese paper applauds anti-spy efforts after NY Times report CIA sources killed". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
8. ^ "China killed or jailed up to 20 US spies in 2010-2012". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
9. ^ Lawler, Dave (January 19, 2018). "How the CIA's spy network in China collapsed". Axios. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
10. ^ Hannon, Elliot (May 1, 2019). "Former CIA Agent Pleads Guilty to Spying for China". Slate.
11. ^ "Former CIA Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Espionage". U.S. Department of Justice. 2019-05-01. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
12. ^ Goldman, Adam (2018-01-16). "Ex-C.I.A. Officer Suspected of Compromising Chinese Informants Is Arrested". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
13. ^ Dorfman, Zach; McLaughlin, Jenna. "The CIA's communications suffered a catastrophic compromise. It started in Iran". Yahoo News.
14. ^ SCHECTMAN, JOEL; SHARAFEDIN, BOZORGMEHR. "America's Throwaway Spies". Reuters. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
15. ^ "China vows countermeasures after CIA chief William Burns says agency is working to rebuild spy network". Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.