Via a reader tip (thanks MTB Rider!) comes this hilarious Chinese cartoon warning Chinese against dating foreigners because they could be spies! This is even funnier considering how the Chinese intelligence services are well known for using female spies to strike up romantic relationships with Americans that have access to sensitive information. Maybe the US military should publish a cartoon like this to hand out! 😉
DAVID: Dear, do you still need to keep secrets from me? I’m just taking a look to use in academic articles. XIAO LI: Uhh, OK then.
Are you a foreigner in China who likes to meet locals, and have been known to strike up romantic relationships with gifts and flattery? If so, you should know that you are showing the telltale signs of being a spy.
China is beefing up its defenses against foreign espionage, and they’re hoping to raise public awareness of this danger to national security with its first-ever National Security Education Day held last week.
As reported by China Law Translate, one of the propaganda materials released was called “Dangerous Love” that was seen in residential areas of Xicheng, Beijing.
The 16-panel cartoon follows the story of Xiaoli, a Chinese woman who works in an information department of the country’s civil service. Xiaoli is wooed by a foreigner named David who eventually convinces Xiaoli to hand over sensitive material. Police eventually confront Xiaoli with the revelation that David is in fact a spy, and that she herself is guilty of violating Chinese law regarding state secrets.
As with a number of recent Chinese propaganda releases, “Dangerous Love” uses cartoons as a way to make its content and intentions very clear to its readers. [The Nan Fang]
You can read the whole series of cartoons at the link.
