Despite warm public rhetoric, a confidential document from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reveals deep suspicion of China, labelling it a serious espionage threat to Russian national security and sees it as “the enemy.”
As per a report published by The New York Times, an undisclosed FSB intelligence unit has warned of increased Chinese efforts to spy on Russia’s military, steal sensitive technology, and recruit Russian experts, even as Moscow publicly hails its partnership with Beijing as a “strategic alliance.”
The FSB’s internal eight-page memo, which was reviewed and verified by six Western intelligence agencies, outlines how China is allegedly targeting Russian scientists, military operations in Ukraine, and Arctic development through covert means.
It was reportedly authored in late 2023 or early 2024 and obtained by the hacker group Ares Leaks. Although the precise origin remains unclear, experts cited by The New York Times believe the document appears authentic and sheds rare light on Russia’s counterespionage strategy toward an ostensible ally.
“China is the enemy,” intelligence officers from the FSB’s 7th Service, a unit focused on Asian espionage, state in the memo, which sharply contrasts with the public narrative of Russia-China unity.
According to the document, the FSB launched a new counterintelligence program codenamed
Entente-4 just days before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, aiming to block Chinese infiltration while avoiding diplomatic fallout.
The memo warns officers not to publicly refer to China as a threat, showing the tightrope Russia walks in managing its dependency on Beijing.
The FSB claims China has sought to exploit Russia’s wartime focus to recruit disillusioned military experts, particularly those working on now-defunct projects like the Soviet-era
ekranoplan. “Priority recruitment is given to former employees…experiencing financial difficulties,” the memo reportedly says.
As per the report, Chinese intelligence has targeted Russians with Chinese spouses, used WeChat for surveillance, and deployed scientists and businesspeople to gather intelligence under the guise of academic or commercial cooperation.
Though Russia depends on China for oil exports, technology, and sanctions-busting trade, the document says Beijing may be eyeing long-term strategic gains, including territorial claims in the Russian Far East.
The FSB accuses Chinese researchers of promoting historical ties to areas like Vladivostok, publishing maps with ancient Chinese names, and searching for "ancient Chinese peoples" in Russian territory.
The memo also warns of Beijing’s growing soft-power strategy in Central Asia and spying activities in the Arctic. It claims Chinese firms and universities are being used as covers to study Russia’s Arctic projects and influence local policy.
Still, the FSB advises caution: any moves against China require high-level clearance to avoid damaging bilateral relations. “Jeopardising the support of China would be worse,” the memo concludes.
The document also reveals that Russia is not merely defending itself from Chinese espionage but is attempting to influence it. The FSB states that Russian counterintelligence has been instructed to deliberately feed China’s agents with positive information about Russian operations in Ukraine.
This suggests a strategic effort by Moscow to manage Beijing’s internal assessment of the war, especially as China closely watches Russia's performance against Western weapons. The goal appears to be to reassure China of Russia’s strength and maintain its support, despite private fears of Chinese exploitation.
According to Carnegie analyst Alexander Gabuev, cited by the New York Times, “Putin believes that he can go much deeper into this Chinese embrace, and it’s not risk-free, but it is worth it,” suggesting that Moscow sees the benefits of the relationship outweighing its espionage concerns.