A top-secret Russian intelligence memo leaked to The New York Times exposes deep mistrust toward China within Russia’s security services, despite the Kremlin’s public embrace of Beijing as a strategic partner.

Espionage Behind the “No Limits” Partnership

While President Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping proclaim an unbreakable alliance, Russia’s FSB sees China as a growing intelligence threat. The eight-page memo from the FSB’s 7th Counterintelligence Service warns of Chinese espionage in Ukraine, the Arctic, and inside Russian military labs. The document, authenticated by six Western agencies, outlines how Chinese agents use academics, tech firms, and mining cover to gather sensitive information.

Chinese intelligence has reportedly attempted to recruit Russian officials, scientists, and journalists, often exploiting discontent or financial hardship—especially among aeronautics experts and ekranoplan engineers.

China Exploiting Russia’s Wartime Distraction

The memo says that just three days before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the FSB launched “Entente-4,” a counterintelligence program aimed specifically at thwarting Chinese espionage. The timing reflects Moscow’s concern that China would exploit Russia’s shift of focus to the West.

Beijing has reportedly intensified efforts to monitor Western weapon systems used in Ukraine, while also pushing for drone cooperation and defense tech co-development with Russia—efforts the FSB views as dangerous and one-sided.

Fears of Border Revisionism and Arctic Intrusion

The FSB warns that some Chinese academics are promoting revanchist narratives about territories like Vladivostok, annexed by Russia in the 19th century. The report highlights China's publication of maps using historical Chinese place names in the Russian Far East. Russian intelligence is also alarmed by Chinese activity in the Arctic and Central Asia, where Beijing’s soft power and intelligence tactics are expanding under the guise of humanitarian exchange or infrastructure support.

Strategic Tensions Masked by Political Alliance

Despite the alarm, the FSB memo instructs agents not to publicly identify Chinese intelligence as adversarial. Officers must seek high-level approval before acting on any China-related espionage cases to avoid “negative consequences for bilateral relations.”

Putin’s reliance on Chinese economic support—oil purchases, tech exports, and joint projects—means the Kremlin is unlikely to act openly against Beijing, even as its own intelligence agencies prepare for a long-term shadow war.