Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

Espionage

Espionage
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Espionage. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
French national Martin Ryan (left) attends his trial on spy charges in Baku, Azerbaijan, on January 6. Photo: AFP
France

‘I’m not a spy’: Frenchman jailed for 10 years in Azerbaijan

Prosecutors say Martin Ryan passed on secrets about Azerbaijan, as well as Russian and Chinese firms, to the French security service.

Britain

3 arrested in UK on suspicion of spying for China, including MP’s husband

videocam
The Philippines

Philippines arrests Filipino nationals suspected of spying for China

videocam
Crime in China

China’s latest box office draw: spy thriller backed by state espionage agency

Scare Out – supported by the intelligence services and made by acclaimed director Zhang Yimou – is one of the most popular films over Lunar New Year.

videocam
4
The film was produced under the direct supervision of the Ministry of State Security. Photo: Handout
Iran

Iran sentences British world travellers to 10 years for spying

Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested while travelling through the country on a round-the-world trip, according to relatives.

China's military weapons

Will China’s state-backed thriller spill details of little-known spy cases?

‘Scare Out’ depicts leak of PLA jet secrets, and some speculate the plot could be based on true story involving stealth fighter tech.

22
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

Video | Chinese military officers target of new CIA video

US spy agency’s outreach, depicting a disillusioned mid-level officer, risks unsettling fragile calm before April’s Trump-XI summit.

The CIA has released a provocative recruitment video targeting Chinese military officers. The US spy agency used its YouTube channel to publish the video on February 12, 2026, the same day US President Donald Trump boasted about his “very good relationship” with China.
00:44
US-China relations

CIA targets Chinese military officers in new recruitment video

US spy agency’s outreach, depicting a disillusioned mid-level officer, risks unsettling fragile calm before April’s Trump-XI summit.

videocam
55
Germany

German court jails US military contractor in China spy case

The defendant, partially named as Martin D. was sentenced for offering US military secrets to China, highlighting espionage concerns amid global tensions.

Russia

Russia says suspect in shooting of top general detained in Dubai

Moscow says Russian Lyubomir Korba was held in Dubai for a shooting, with two accomplices identified – one in Moscow, while one fled to Ukraine.

Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev was hospitalised after being shot several times on Friday. Photo: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP
Diplomacy

As I see it | Starmer faces a hysterical backlash over new Chinese embassy

The worst features of UK politics and media, with help from ‘yellow-ribbon’ BN(O)ers, have been on full display over the ‘mega’ embassy plan.

8
The location proposed for the new Chinese embassy at the old Royal Mint Court is seen in London, United Kingdom, on January 14. Photo: EPA
Mainland China

Greece arrests forces member for espionage with suspected links to China

Member of the Greek Air Force was arrested following a Western intelligence tip-off.

Chinese overseas

2 Chinese in France suspected of spying from Airbnb are under investigation

The Chinese nationals and two others were arrested on Wednesday in an alleged spying case involving a satellite dish.

France

France arrests 4 people, including 2 Chinese, for alleged spying

China’s foreign ministry responds, says it opposes ‘malicious slander and smear’ against ‍the country.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in February 2025. Photo: Reuters
Japan

‘People are so polite’: why do Russian spies find Japan such an easy target?

A Russian spy, posing as a Ukrainian citizen, used a simple request for directions to trick a local worker into selling industrial secrets.

4
People visit an observation tower in a suburb of Tokyo on Monday. Japan is pushing to strengthen its laws against spying. Photo: AFP
United States

Why was America’s top spy present at FBI raid on election facility?

DNI’s Tulsi Gabbard raises eyebrows as her team defends her presence as vital for ‘identifying vulnerabilities in our critical infrastructure’.

Diplomacy

Opinion | Why UK Prime Minister Starmer’s visit to China could be historic

The British prime minister must decide whether Britain has the strength to look east and west, and not simply look inward.

videocam
4
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China-EU relations

EU moves to force Huawei out of networks, opening door to wider China tech bans

European Commission plan would make vendor removals mandatory within three years and allow broader curbs if China is deemed a cyber risk.

videocam
48
If approved, the European Commission plan could be the tip of the iceberg for Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese operators. Photo: Shutterstock
China’s Communist Party

China warns of ‘honey trap’ risks after defence official jailed for espionage

A mainland military project manager was lured into a sexual relationship by a spy posing as a business representative while on a trip abroad.

videocam
US-Venezuela conflict

China-linked hackers ‘used Venezuela-themed phishing to target US agencies’

Swiss firm says Mustang Panda leveraged US-Venezuela tensions as geopolitical lures in a malware campaign against government-related targets.

videocam
US-China relations

Biden administration decision to scrap China Initiative flawed: White House

US top science adviser Michael Kratsios says ceasing programme aimed at combating economic espionage from Beijing ‘damaging’.

videocam
Michael Kratsios, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the Biden administration’s decision to terminate the China Initiative programme was “damaging”. Photo: Reuters
France

France charges maths professor accused in China spying case

The academic allegedly let a Chinese delegation visit sensitive sites and could be jailed for years if convicted.

French and Chinese flags are flown in Beijing ahead of a welcome ceremony for French President Emmanuel Macron in January 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE
Crime in China

China warns of covert mapping by foreign forces to steal sensitive geodata

Counter-espionage agency says ‘anti-China’ actors are gathering information on natural resources, energy facilities and terrain in key areas.

Defence

Former US Navy sailor gets 16 years for selling ship secrets to Chinese contact

Jinchao Wei, 25, provided information about the USS Essex and other ships in exchange for about US$12,000.

US-Venezuela conflict

Could China execute special forces operation like US precision Maduro abduction?

The Pentagon sees China’s 20,000-30,000 special operation personnel as limited by logistics support and fragmented command structure.

videocam
110
On January 5, Nicolas Maduro is escorted towards the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan after being abducted from Caracas by US forces. Analysts ask whether China has the capacity to carry out a similar opertion. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Why the Philippines is taking control of undersea cable security

The moves will help strengthen regional stability and prevent Indo-Pacific connectivity from being quietly weaponised, analysts say.

Philippine Navy personnel during a joint military exercise with Australia last year. The navy says it is exploring ways to monitor undersea cables. Photo: Facebook/Armed Forces of the Philippines
Semiconductors

China’s CXMT in crosshairs of South Korean prosecutors over Samsung tech leak

Prosecutors in Seoul indict 10 people, including ex-Samsung executives, for allegedly leaking the firm’s technology to memory chipmaker CXMT.

US-China relations

Mistrial in case of ex-top aide to New York governor charged as China agent

Linda Sun, ex-deputy chief of staff to Kathy Hochul, walked free after jury was deadlocked on all 19 counts and could not reach a verdict.

videocam
29
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement