2024๋…„ 11์›” 21์ผ

The Power Vertical: Centralization in the PRC’s State Security System

Edward Schwarck

On September 25, 2024, newly promoted chiefs of provincial state security bureaus in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) gathered in Beijing for a “training course (ๅŸน่ฎญ็ญ)” organized by the Ministry of State Security (MSS). Coverage of the event was characteristically sparse, yet a careful reading of Minister Chen Yixin’s (้™ˆไธ€ๆ–ฐ) speech at the opening session yields fresh evidence for reform of the PRC’s secret intelligence and counterespionage system (China Peace, September 25).

Chen used his address to analyze the “strengths and ‘shortcomings’ (ไผ˜ๅŠฟๅ’Œ ‘็Ÿญ็ผบ’)” of provincial bureau appointees, describing them as “a team that the Party Committee of the MSS has comprehensively considered, carefully selected, and placed high hopes on (ๅ›ฝๅฎถๅฎ‰ๅ…จ้ƒจๅ…šๅง”้€š็›˜่€ƒ่™‘、็ฒพๅฟƒ้€‰ๆ‹”、็€ๅŠ›ๅŸนๅ…ป、ๅฏ„ไบˆๅŽšๆœ›็š„ไธ€ๆ”ฏ้˜Ÿไผ).” Chen then exhorted his audience to “take the lead in implementing vertical management by the ministry’s Party Committee over the work of the entire [state security] system (ๅธฆๅคด่ฝๅฎž้ƒจๅ…šๅง”ๅฏนๅ…จ็ณป็ปŸๅทฅไฝœ็š„ๅž‚็›ด็ฎก็†).” These comments are striking.


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