China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) — now considered the largest and most aggressive spy agency in the world, with a mission that starts at home but extends deep into the United States.
May 26, 2025 — A 60 Minutes investigation has revealed alarming new details about China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) — now considered the largest and most aggressive spy agency in the world, with a mission that starts at home but extends deep into the United States.
According to U.S. intelligence, China remains the most persistent and dangerous cyber threat to the U.S., responsible for widespread infiltration of federal agencies, infrastructure, and corporations. But the digital front is just one battle. The MSS operates a vast global human intelligence network, placing agents abroad — particularly in the U.S. — to monitor, harass, and control Chinese diaspora communities.
Jim Lewis, a veteran China analyst and former U.S. diplomat, emphasized the MSS’s scale and focus:
“ One estimate says the MSS might have 600,000 employees. And they are committed to going after the United States. We are target number two for them.”
Lewis also explains that China’s top espionage priority is its own citizens, driven by Xi Jinping’s deep fear that the Chinese Communist Party could collapse like the Soviet Union.
This fear is behind an extensive campaign of surveillance and repression, both within China and among overseas Chinese communities.
A striking example: Shujun Wang, a 76-year-old historian in New York and longtime pro-democracy advocate, was recently convicted of acting as an unregistered Chinese agent. For years, he secretly passed information about fellow activists to the MSS — betraying those who saw him as a trusted ally.
Further investigation revealed the existence of a clandestine Chinese “police station” in Manhattan’s Chinatown, allegedly used to intimidate dissidents. In total, over 140 individuals have been charged in the U.S. for espionage-related offenses connected to China in just the last five years.
Experts say this activity aligns with President Xi Jinping’s global strategy to extend China’s influence and suppress opposition wherever it arises.
“It’s the largest espionage operation against the U.S. in history,” Lewis added. “And we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg.”
As counterintelligence efforts increase, U.S. officials warn that China’s covert operations are becoming more widespread and harder to detect — posing a growing challenge to national security and democratic values worldwide.
