China warns university students to beware of well-paid jobs offered by foreign spies

China’s top intelligence agency has warned university students to be wary of lucrative job postings that may serve as covers for foreign espionage, as they begin searching for work ahead of a record graduation season.Offers such as earning 800 yuan (US$117) a day for remote data processing or research projects promising easy money could be “traps” to recruit students to illegally collect sensitive information for foreign intelligence agencies, the Ministry of State Security said.“Be wary of promises of salaries that far exceed industry standards,” the ministry said in a notice posted on social media on Thursday.It also warned that recruitment traps may involve requests for supplementary résumé details, such as information on previous internships in military units or experience in classified research projects.The ministry’s warning comes as university students enter the spring recruitment period, ahead of another record-breaking graduation season.Some 12.7 million university students are expected to graduate this summer, around 4 per cent more than last year. Most of them will enter a shaky labour market, weighed down by deflationary pressures and external uncertainties.Nearly one in six – 16.1 per cent – of those aged 16 to 24 living in urban areas, excluding students, were unemployed in February, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.Many have opted for postgraduate study to improve their prospects or delay entering the workforce, while others have turned to gig work and flexible employment.But the ministry has said some have been drawn into foreign intelligence networks through roles that initially appeared to be professional opportunities.In November, it shared the case of a postgraduate student who accepted a part-time research assistant position with a foreign embassy after responding to a post on a university forum.Initially tasked with writing research reports based on public economic data, he was later offered double the pay to collect and analyse sensitive information and write reports on topics such as politics, energy and international relations.Further ReadingThe foreign operatives had also hoped to establish connections with professionals in sensitive fields through the student, though the latter felt that something was off and soon distanced himself.“When faced with so-called ‘academic exchanges’, ‘collaboration invitations’ or ‘high-paying part-time jobs’ from overseas institutions or individuals, one must remain highly vigilant and clear-headed,” the ministry said in November.“[One must] recognise espionage ‘traps’ and avoid being misled by small gains.”The unemployment rate for those aged 25 to 29 living in urban areas, also excluding students, stood at 7.2 per cent in February.