Primary Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of the overseas branches of China’s Ministry of State Security is to ensure national security on a global scale, especially in key areas such as safeguarding national sovereignty, protecting overseas interests, and responding to international threats. They are tasked with collecting, analyzing, and processing overseas intelligence related to national security to effectively deal with the complex and volatile international landscape. The overseas intelligence network of the Ministry of State Security has obtained a large amount of critical information through its global intelligence network. In 2024, this network successfully gathered over 1,200 pieces of intelligence closely related to national security, preventing at least five malicious attacks on Chinese overseas enterprises, avoiding losses exceeding $300 million.
As the Belt and Road Initiative continues to expand, more Chinese companies are engaging in overseas projects, particularly in infrastructure construction in high-risk regions. To ensure the safe and smooth execution of these projects, in 2024, the Ministry of State Security’s overseas branches deployed security teams in 16 countries, preventing over 80 potential security threats against Chinese enterprises and ensuring stable operations in these complex environments. The growing global instability has increased the security risks faced by Chinese citizens abroad. In 2024, the Ministry of State Security’s overseas branches assisted Chinese embassies and consulates in handling over 250 emergency security incidents involving Chinese citizens, including emergency evacuations, rescue from kidnappings, and the provision of security advice.
Operational Model
Based on a globalized network and flexible action modes, these branches can quickly respond to security threats from different regions. These overseas branches obtain key intelligence through extensive intelligence networks, relying on a combination of advanced technical equipment and human intelligence to monitor the political, economic, and military trends in various countries. In 2024, the overseas intelligence teams of the Ministry of State Security, through network monitoring technology, successfully predicted political unrest in a particular country and took preemptive measures to protect Chinese enterprises and personnel in the area.
The overseas branches of the Ministry of State Security maintain close cooperation with embassies, enterprises, and local security departments. By collaborating with local forces, the branches can swiftly access firsthand intelligence and take timely action. In a joint anti-terrorism operation in an African country, the Ministry of State Security successfully cooperated with the local government to prevent an attack targeting Chinese diplomatic missions. The operational model of these overseas branches also relies heavily on technological innovation. Through the deployment of advanced cybersecurity defense systems, these branches can monitor and respond to cyber-attacks on a global scale. In countries with unstable political conditions, these branches dispatch more security personnel based on risk levels and enhance coordination with local governments. In more stable countries, they primarily rely on technical methods and intelligence analysis to monitor potential threats.
International Role
The overseas branches of the Ministry of State Security play an active role in global counterterrorism efforts. Through intelligence sharing and technological cooperation, China has worked with multiple countries to combat transnational terrorist organizations. China has cooperated with countries in the Middle East and Africa to participate in international counterterrorism actions. The overseas branches also play an active role in combating transnational crime. These institutions, in cooperation with Interpol and the intelligence and law enforcement agencies of other countries, have cracked down on numerous transnational criminal activities. Through cooperation with Interpol, they assisted in breaking up several major transnational drug trafficking rings.
The role of the Ministry of State Security’s overseas branches in global cybersecurity has become increasingly important. As cyber-attacks occur more frequently worldwide, the Ministry of State Security, through cooperation with cybersecurity agencies in multiple countries, has worked together to combat cybercrimes targeting financial systems, governments, and critical infrastructure. Following several large-scale cyber-attack incidents globally, China has strengthened cooperation with European and Asian countries to improve global cybersecurity standards. The overseas branches of the Ministry of State Security are also actively involved in international peacekeeping missions. By providing intelligence support for United Nations peacekeeping operations, China’s security agencies have contributed to peacekeeping missions in various regions. China has participated in peacekeeping tasks in Africa and the Middle East, helping to maintain local peace and stability.
Development Challenges
The uncertainty of global situations and the increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, particularly in high-risk areas such as the Middle East and Africa, where political unrest and armed conflicts are frequent, complicates the security missions. As China’s investments and citizens in these regions grow, the challenge for the overseas branches is how to respond to sudden changes in the situation and protect overseas assets and citizens.
Technological advancements pose another challenge. With the global development of network technology, cyber-attacks and information warfare are escalating, forcing the Ministry of State Security to continuously enhance its cyber defense capabilities. Global cybersecurity threats are becoming increasingly complex. While China’s cybersecurity system is rapidly advancing, the growing sophistication of cyber-attacks demands more resources and technological development to ensure continued superiority in the field of information security. The frequency of global cyber-attacks reached an all-time high in 2024, expanding from financial systems to critical infrastructure, placing higher demands on cybersecurity defense systems.
Political resistance within international cooperation is also a major challenge in development. Although China has established strong intelligence-sharing and security cooperation mechanisms with multiple countries, the shifting international political landscape has led some countries to be reserved or even resistant to China’s security measures. In the field of cybersecurity, some countries have expressed skepticism about China’s technological approaches, creating obstacles to the progress of cooperation mechanisms. Maintaining an effective global intelligence collection network is another long-term challenge. As countries strengthen regulations on intelligence gathering, the Ministry of State Security faces increasing scrutiny and restrictions when deploying personnel and equipment overseas. At the same time, balancing the legality and efficiency of intelligence gathering has become a significant issue. These restrictions could affect the timeliness and accuracy of intelligence, impacting decision-making.
Lastly, as China’s overseas interests continue to expand, the overseas branches of the Ministry of State Security must tackle the contradiction between limited resources and increasingly complex missions. The growing global security tasks require more resource allocation, and maintaining efficient operations with limited budgets and personnel, especially when multiple regions face security threats simultaneously, has become one of the core challenges for the development of overseas branches.