Odd Lots The Sixth Bureau, Episode 1: Your Friend From Nanjing
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Feb 15, 2026 A deep dive into a clandestine intelligence operation that targeted American aerospace secrets. A covert meeting staged as a friendly contact leads to surveillance, planted cameras, and a two-hour monitored encounter. Unearthed records reveal terabytes of material and a focused effort to steal jet engine technology. The story explores the mechanics and wider reach of an international espionage campaign.
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Undercover Meeting In A Hotel Room
- An undercover FBI agent posed as a friend from Nanjing to befriend Ji Chao-chun and gain his trust.
- The agent lured Ji to a hotel, handed him a burner phone, and warned him to stop contacting his handler after revealing Xu Yanjun's arrest.
A Rare Window Into MSS Operations
- Xu Yanjun's arrest gave investigators access to terabytes of MSS materials, including emails, chats, and a personal diary.
- Those records provided an unprecedented inside view of the Ministry of State Security's operations and methods.
Breaking The MSS's Remote Immunity
- The Ministry of State Security operates covertly and its officers are usually anonymous, making prosecutions rare.
- Xu became the first MSS officer lured out, arrested, and tried in the U.S., marking a historic break in secrecy.