Stanford student reveals attempt at recruitment by the alleged Chinese spy: 'If a stranger asks you to visit China ...'

Stanford student reveals attempt at recruitment by suspected Chinese spy, warns fellow students to be vigilant: ‘If you ever get a message out of the blue from a stranger you say to visit China, you must wait for you’ ‘If a stranger asks you to visit China, stay attentive.’ The Times reports an alleged Chinese intelligence operative in a sophisticated attempt to recruit her as a spy. Elsa Johnson, 20, revealed that she was bombarded in three months with messages from a man claiming she was a fellow Stanford student, who tried to lure her to China with promises of money and fame. Stranger appears out of the blue on Instagram The initial contact comes via Instagram on June 10, 2024 of a man who identifies himself as “Charles Chen”. Johnson told The Times: “I was incredibly creeping through it … but wanted to find out the truth.” Chen claims to be an international student in Stanford and posted pictures of himself in American places and opportunities, including one in a graduation surrounded by smiling young women. Friendly approach quickly turns suspiciously that Johnson said Chen asked if his mandarin was talking, information that was not shared on her profile publicly, and Red Flags raised. “I didn’t know how he could know it. I suddenly felt on the edge, ‘she told the news shop. She started separating their conversations with the screenshot because she suspected Chen could work for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Promises of fame, and Money Chen have repeatedly put Johnson under pressure to travel to China, and offered to pay for flights, accommodation and even a bank thread to demonstrate that he could cover the costs. “A lot of people in Stanford were in China this summer,” he wrote. “If someone paid for you would you come?” He also shared videos of other American students who he claimed to be fame in China, which indicates that Johnson could achieve the same. Warnings from Stanford experts and FBI After Johnson reaches out to other students named by Chen, she learned that at least ten female students have been targeted in the same way since 2020. She consulted Chinese studies experts and worked with the FBI. “The FBI warned me to never click on any links sent by obscure Chinese social media accounts and do not share information with suspicious individuals I did not know,” Johnson said. The FBI and experts confirmed that Chen was probably not associated with Stanford and that he created false profiles to perform an extensive entrance operation, possibly linked to China’s state security ministry. The alleged objectives of the CCP told The Times that the target of young, white American women could be part of a broader strategy by Beijing to influence the opinion and gather intelligence: “The CCP considers people like me as valuable assets in their propaganda war, which can give the impression that there is nothing from China.” Experts have said that such operatives are aimed at learning about the guidance of American universities’ research, especially in AI, robotics and other sensitive technologies. Broader concerns about Chinese students in US Johnson have also expressed concern about the growing number of Chinese students in the United States and the potential for spying: ‘Thanks to the US universities’ open -door policy, Chinese academics are allowed to work with our smartest researchers and scientists, and advances in AI, robotics, weapon and core technology at home,’ she said. She warned fellow students to be vigilant: “If you ever get a message out of the blue from a stranger who says you should visit China, you must be on your guard.”