From wedding photographers to farm gadgets, Chinese campaign warns of spy risks

Documentary series aired on state TV says cover stories, tech tools and scope of espionage ‘far exceed what most people can imagine’3-MIN READ3-MIN1ListenPublished: 2:14pm, 27 May 2026Updated: 2:32pm, 27 May 2026Foreign spies in China have disguised themselves as wedding photographers near naval ports, or have collected mapping data using advanced radar and GPS optical lenses mounted on cars under the cover of autonomous driving research, according to China’s top body protecting state secrets.The National Administration of State Secrets Protection warned of foreign spies’ “eyes in the dark” in its latest anti-espionage documentary aired on CCTV national television on Tuesday.“In real life, the methods, tools, covertness and scope of espionage employed by foreign intelligence agencies [against China] far exceed what most people can imagine,” said the first episode of the administration’s five-part documentary named “On your guard: be vigilant against the risks of leaks around us”.00:44CIA targets Chinese military officers in new recruitment videoThe CCTV broadcast said foreign spy agencies were operating under a variety of covers, acknowledging that China faced greater challenges in protecting its secrets amid the rapid advancement of technology innovation.