Eyes and Ears

An expertly translated and contextualized reader of Chinese Cold War-era primary sources documenting security agency tradecraft.

This expertly translated and contextualized primary-source reader brings together documents collected over decades of research, tracing the evolution of Chinese Cold War-era domestic intelligence doctrine and security agency tradecraft. These documents provide a rare inside glimpse of the Maoist surveillance state at work.This essential primary-source reader brings together documents collected over decades of research into security agency tradecraft and Chinese Cold War-era human intelligence. Michael Schoenhals' expert translation of the texts teases out meanings from memoranda, decodes marginal notes from senior officers, and unpacks the hastily scribbled communications of covert human sources. Together, these sources trace the resilience of covert human intelligence as an institution, even when faced with revelations of major misconduct and calls for its reform. With editorial introductions providing valuable context, this collection offers an informed interpretation of the domestic recruitment and running of agents that sheds critical new light on Chinese security agencies' intelligence gathering operations and capacity building during the Cold War.