The Sixth Bureau 2. The Spy’s Diary
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Feb 16, 2026 Investigators uncovered an online diary that mixes personal life with classified tradecraft notes. Recordings reveal methods for recruiting and cultivating Western experts for aerospace theft. Stories include spotter networks, hacking and social distractions, long-term recruitment tactics, and a taxonomy describing levels of covert sources.
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Spy's Diary Reveals Intimate Details
- Xu Yanjun kept a detailed online diary documenting both his personal life and covert MSS operations.
- The diary revealed meetings, source handling, promotions, and intimate details that humanized a secretive spy.
MSS Combines Intelligence With Industrial Theft
- The Ministry of State Security runs large, state-directed industrial espionage alongside traditional intelligence work.
- The 6th Bureau specifically targets aerospace to accelerate China's domestic aviation industry.
Secret Hotel Briefing Caught On Tape
- Xu recorded a 2017 session where Honeywell engineer Arthur Gao lectured, unaware MSS officers posed as academics.
- After Gao left, Xu explained MSS recruitment and source taxonomy while the FBI tape kept rolling.