Former CIA operative J. Michael Waller has raised concerns about China and Russia deploying ‘sex spies’ to seduce and steal U.S. technology and state secrets through honeypot tactics. This form of psychological warfare involves using romantic or sexual relationships to gain access to sensitive information. Waller, who worked in Poland, claims to have encountered a Chinese woman who appeared interested in his CIA work. After realizing she was a spy, he reported the woman to the Polish authorities, who swiftly expelled her from the country. Waller noted that this Chinese spy had extensive knowledge of his background, even details not officially documented in his profile. The U.S. government now has strict policies to prevent American personnel from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens, a measure implemented by former U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns before Trump’s presidency. These policies aim to thwart espionage efforts by limiting the opportunities for foreign agents to manipulate and infiltrate.
Waller described the tactics as a form of psychological warfare, where operatives like the Chinese spy exploit human vulnerabilities by appealing to loneliness or the desire for companionship. He warned that the spies are trained to build long-term emotional bonds, even going as far as marrying their targets to establish deep trust. This aligns with recent reports of Russian ‘sex spies,’ such as Aliia Roza, who admitted that they target individuals in Silicon Valley for access to emerging technologies and trade secrets. Roza explained that the process often begins with ‘love bombing,’ where operatives shower their targets with compliments and personal details to trigger the hero instinct. The former CIA operative emphasized that anyone who receives an intense interest from a Chinese female should be wary, as it could be a sign of espionage. This highlights the growing sophistication of foreign espionage techniques and their potential impact on national security and international relations.