### CIA Launches Recruitment Drive Targeting Informants in Authoritarian Regimes

In a bold new initiative, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has begun recruiting informants from China, Iran, and North Korea. The agency made the announcement through social media posts in Mandarin, Farsi, and Korean, detailing how to communicate securely with the CIA.

Following a similar campaign deemed successful in Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, the CIA is renewing efforts to reach individuals residing under authoritarian regimes. "We want to make sure individuals in other authoritarian regimes know that we're open for business," a CIA spokesman commented. Platforms like X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Telegram, and LinkedIn have been utilized, along with the dark web, to disseminate recruitment messages. Instructions emphasized using trusted encrypted Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or the anonymous Tor web browser to contact the CIA without risking exposure.

Experts like Mason Richey, an associate professor of international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, noted the uniqueness of such recruitment tactics, particularly in the Korean context. "I can't remember any sort of recruitment effort like this, using YouTube or social media in this way, at least in Korean,” he said. However, Richey expressed skepticism about the campaign's potential efficacy in North Korea, given the limited internet access. Instead, he suggested it might target North Korean traders who interact with China and could access VPN networks.

North Korea, Iran, and China are considered exceptionally challenging targets for intelligence gathering by US operatives due to rigorous state surveillance. "This effort represents just one way in which CIA is adapting to a new global environment of increased state repression and global surveillance," the CIA noted in a statement.

Despite skepticism from analysts, American intelligence officials are optimistic about collecting valuable information. CIA Deputy Director David Cohen expressed confidence in reaching discontented individuals within China, noting a disaffection with the direction taken by the Xi regime. Cohen emphasized that these individuals might see cooperation with the CIA as a way to contribute positively to their country's future.

In contrast, Chinese officials have dismissed the recruitment drive as an organized disinformation campaign. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy, declared that attempts to create discord between the Chinese people and the Communist Party would fail.

Commenting on the broader implications, Professor Richey remarked that the campaign reflects the US's assessment of its security landscape. He suggested that the US perceives itself as confronting a bloc of adversarial states, reminiscent of Cold War dynamics.