[10 December 2023] Today the European Intelligence Academy presents an essay by Nicholas Eftimiades as the latest installment in its Research Paper Series. Nicholas Eftimiades, a 34-year veteran of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of State and the Defense Intelligence Agency, hardly needs an introduction. He is the author of Chinese Intelligence Operations (1994) and the seminal Chinese Espionage Operations and Tactics (2020), which is widely viewed as the standard work on the subject. In his paper for the EIA, which is entitled “Chinese Espionage Recruitment Motivations”, Eftimiades revisits the traditional MICE idea and offers a revision that reflects the complexity of Chinese espionage in our time.
Eftimiades argues that China’s human intelligence (HUMINT) collection efforts are both extensive and encompassing. What is more, they present distinctive challenges for Western intelligence and security services, as well as private industries. He points out that the targets of China’s commercial espionage and academic research theft often lack the organizational structure, experience, or a comprehensive legal framework to effectively counteract these threats. On the positive side, Eftimiades notes that, in the past five years, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies have established new organizational structures and partnerships with private industries. These initiatives aim to improve communication, raise awareness of threats, provide training, and implement best practices. However, these measures should be seen as just the initial responses to navigate the evolving global intelligence landscape driven by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), he argues.
Eftimiades goes on to suggest that, in order to effectively confront the current challenge posed by Beijing’s extensive global intelligence program, Western law enforcement, intelligence, and security agencies must begin by gaining a deeper understanding of recruitment processes and motivations. Eliminating MICE (Money, Ideology, Coercion, Ego) becomes a crucial initial step in this direction. Democratic institutions and businesses must remain vigilant against China’s ‘whole of society’ approach to espionage, he says. As a response, ongoing efforts should focus on refining strategies, fostering cooperation, and adapting to the dynamic intelligence landscape influenced by the PRC. Navigating this complex environment requires a continuous commitment to enhancing capabilities, sharing intelligence, and establishing resilient defense mechanisms.
Eftimiades’s paper is available in PDF format here. [EIA]