Chinese Espionage Operations and Tactics

Chinese Espionage Operations and Tactics

Author: The Institute of World Politics August 1, 2025 Duration: 58:46
About the Lecture: China’s espionage activities are changing the global balance of power, impacting the U.S. and foreign economies, and providing challenges to domestic, national security, and foreign policy formulation. China's "whole of society" intelligence approach provides a sophisticated and expanding global reach to target individuals for recruitment and collection. This briefing analyzes more than 865 cases of Chinese espionage operations and tactics including espionage, economic espionage, covert action, and illegal exports of technology. The briefing identifies tradecraft methodologies, recruitment motivations, and key indicators. About the Speaker: Nicholas Eftimiades is a professor of homeland security at Penn State University. He retired from the US Department of Defense in 2017. His 34 year government career includes employment in CIA, as a Special Agent in the US Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, and a Senior Intelligence Officer in Defense Intelligence Agency. Mr. Eftimiades held positions in analysis, human and technical intelligence collection, and leadership. He served overseas for 10 years. Mr. Eftimiades is recognized as a leading authority on China and its espionage activities. His book Chinese Intelligence Operations was the first ever scholarly examination of the structure, operations, and methodology of the intelligence services of the People's Republic of China. His recent book Chinese Espionage: Operations and Tactics (Second Edition) updates that work and is the most detailed account ever published on China’s intelligence operational tradecraft. Eftimiades testified numerous times before Congress, as a certified expert in US courts, and advises government agencies and private industry. Nick is a frequent lecturer and public speaker on China and national security issues. He has appeared as an expert on dozens of television and radio broadcasts. He has been quoted in hundreds of newspapers and magazines across the world. He has taught over 1,000 US government counterintelligence officers and commercial industry insider threat specialists. Mr. Eftimiades has an M.S. Strategic Intelligence, National Defense Intelligence College, and a B.A. East Asian Studies, George Washington University. He has lived and studied in Asia for five years. Mr. Eftimiades held senior appoints on the DoD Defense Science Board, DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council/Economic Security Subcommittee, and as an Intelligence Community Associate for the National Intelligence Council. Eftimiades was also a Senior Research Fellow for six years at King’s College War Studies Department, London UK.

Tune into The Institute of World Politics for a direct line to the conversations shaping our world. This isn't a series of lectures, but a collection of dialogues and talks from a unique graduate school focused squarely on national security, statecraft, and international affairs. Each episode brings you the voices of seasoned practitioners, scholars, and policy experts who grapple with complex global realities. You'll hear in-depth discussions on the ethical dimensions of foreign policy, the foundations of the American political economy, and the enduring principles of the Western moral tradition as they apply to contemporary challenges. The podcast serves as an audio extension of the Institute's mission to cultivate thoughtful leaders, offering listeners a chance to engage with ideas that inform real-world decision-making. It's an opportunity to sit in on nuanced conversations that move beyond headlines, providing context and depth on how nations interact, compete, and cooperate. Remember, the perspectives shared by guest speakers are their own, fostering a rich diversity of thought on critical issues. For anyone curious about the forces driving international events and the art of principled leadership, this podcast provides a substantive and compelling resource.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Institute of World Politics
Podcast Episodes
Turkey, Russia, & Iran through the Lens of Modern Warfare & Terrorism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:57
About the Lecture: From the Black Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, war and counterterrorism operations define this century. The stakes in this vast, interconnected region are high and growing, and the U.S. needs a bette…
Private Investment as a Critical Support to U.S. National Security [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:56
About the Lecture: Mr. Dave Horvath brings his background in business and the military to the lectern at IWP to discuss private investment as it relates to U.S. national security. In this lecture, he will discuss the imp…
Politicization of US Intelligence: Causes and Consequences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:47
***This lecture is sponsored by the IWP IAFIE Alpha Student Chapter*** About the Lecture: "The Politicization of U.S. Intelligence: Causes and Consequences” is a presentation in association with Dr. Gentry's recent boo…
Wither the CIA? with Fred Rustmann [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:53
Mr. Fred Rustmann, an IWP Chancellor’s Council Member and Retired Senior CIA Operations Officer, discusses "Wither the CIA?" This video is part of the 2023 Annual Chancellor's Council Meeting sponsored by The Institute o…
Moscow and Tehran: U.S. Policy Considerations with Mr. Ilan Berman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:18
The IWP Student Chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society welcomes Mr. Ilan Berman to speak on the relationship between Russia and Iran. About the Lecture: The IWP Student Chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society welco…