Amid Putin-Xi Bonhomie, Russian Intelligence Cautious Of "Enemy" China

While the world sees Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as unshakable friends, a leaked internal document from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) sheds light on Moscow's growing distrust toward Beijing. Russia's powerful intelligence unit refers to China as "the enemy" in an eight-page planning document obtained by The New York Times.

The document, authored by a previously undisclosed FSB unit, reportedly warned that China is a serious threat to Russian security, with Beijing increasingly trying to recruit Russian spies and get its hands on sensitive military technology, at times by luring "disaffected Russian scientists". The document, cited by the NYT,  was first obtained by Ares Leaks, a cybercrime group,  but did not say how it did so. 

'China Spying On Western Weapons'

Citing intelligence officers, the NYT reported that Beijing is spying on Moscow's military operations in Ukraine to gather more information on Western weapons and warfare.

'Claim Russian Territory'

China, which shares a land border with Russia, may be planning to lay claim to the Russian territory. Russian intelligence reportedly fears that Chinese academics are laying the groundwork for the same, particularly in sparsely populated and strategically significant regions near their shared border. 

The document said that Beijing's intelligence agents were carrying out espionage in the Arctic using mining firms and university research centres as cover. 

Russia-China Bonhomie

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow's consequential yet opaque bond with Beijing has shifted the global balance of power. Moscow has managed to survive years of Western financial sanctions following the invasion, and Beijing has a part to play in the success.

China is the largest customer for Russian oil. It also supplies essential computer chips, software and military components to Moscow. After the invasion, when Western companies abandoned Russia, Chinese brands captured the market to replace them. The two neighbours, fighting western geopolitics, also want to make movies together and build a base on the moon.

Counterintelligence Programme 'Entente-4' 

But despite the closeness, Russia has been cautious of China's conniving past. Just three days before Russia's full-blown invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the FSB approved a new counterintelligence program called "Entente-4"-- a name seen as a pointed irony, given Moscow's public embrace of Beijing. It belied the initiative's real intent--- to prevent Chinese spies from undermining Russian interests.

The report noted that while most of Russia's espionage resources focused on Ukraine, the FSB feared China-- which shares more than 4,000 miles of its border-- might take advantage

"Since then, according to the document, the FSB observed China doing just that. Chinese intelligence agents stepped up efforts to recruit Russian officials, experts, journalists, and businesspeople close to power in Moscow," the report said.

To counter growing threats from China, the FSB has reportedly instructed its officers to intercept the "threat" and "prevent the transfer of important strategic information to the Chinese." Officers have also been asked to conduct in-person meetings with Russians working closely with China and warn them of Beijing's intentions of taking advantage of Russia and obtaining advanced scientific research, according to the document.

The FSB ordered "the constant accumulation of information about users" on the Chinese messaging app WeChat. That included hacking phones of espionage targets and analysing the data in a special software tool held by a unit of the FSB, the report said.