China: Cash or "spiritual" rewards in return for secretly reporting people threatening national security

Recentlty CNN.co.jp reported the following:

国家安全脅かす人物の密告募る、見返りに現金または「精神的」報酬　中国

2022.06.09 Thu posted at 11:13 JST

  香港（ＣＮＮ） 中国政府が市民に対し、国家の安全を脅かす人物に関する情報を提供すれば最大で１０万人民元（約２００万円）以上の報奨金を支払うと持ちかけている。中国政府は外国のスパイや「敵対勢力」の脅威が増大しているとして、そうした勢力を排除する姿勢を強めている。

国家安全省の６日の発表によると、重大な情報の提供者には表彰状という「精神的報酬」、または現金による「物質的報酬」を進呈する。

報奨金の金額は、情報の価値に応じて１万元から１０万元以上まで４段階に分けられている。

密告者は関与した人物や行為について具体的な情報を提供する必要があり、その情報は当局にとって新しいものでなければならない。報告は対面でも、ネット経由でも、国家安全保障ホットライン経由でも受け付ける。

中国では２０１７年に北京市が、スパイ摘発に協力した人物に最大で５０万元の報奨金を支払う制度を導入。国営メディアによると、１年以内に５０００件近い情報が寄せられ、研究者やタクシー運転手など幅広い情報提供者に報奨金が支払われた。

国家安全省の担当者は国営紙に対し、「この措置の制度化は、国家安全保障の取り組みを支持・支援しようという国民の熱意をかき立て、国民の心、士気、知恵、力を広く結集させる一助となる」とコメントした。

中国政府や国営メディアは、中国が「敵対的な外国勢力」によって常に脅威にさらされていると強調してきた。

国家安全省の担当者は「中国の国家安全保障は、重大かつ複雑な状況に直面している。特に外国の情報機関や敵対勢力は潜入・スパイ活動を著しく増大させ、多様な手段を用いて標的を拡大し、中国国家の安全に深刻な脅威をもたらしている」と述べている。

Translation

Hong Kong (CNN) - The Chinese government would offer citizens a bounty of up to RMB 100,000 (about 2 million yen) if they provided information on people who threatened national security. The Chinese government had stepped up its stance to eliminate foreign espionage and "hostile forces" as threats were increasing.

According to the announcement on the 6th of the National Security Ministry, the provider of important information would be presented with a "spiritual reward" called a certificate of commendation, or a "material reward" in cash.

The amount of the bounty was divided into four stages from 10,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan or more according to the value of the information.

The informer needed to provide specific information about the person or act involved, and that information had to be new to the authorities. Reports were accepted face-to-face, online, and via the National Security Hotline.

In China, in 2017, Beijing introduced a system to pay up to 500,000 yuan incentives to those who cooperated in the detection of spies. According to state media, nearly 5,000 pieces of information were received within a year, and incentives were paid to a wide range of informants such as researchers and taxi drivers.

A person in charge of the Ministry of National Security told the state newspaper that "The institutionalization of this measure will arouse the people's enthusiasm to support and assist national security efforts, and will broadly help mobilize the people's hearts, morale, wisdom and power.”

The Chinese government and state media had emphasized that China was constantly under threat from "hostile foreign forces."

A National Security ministry official said "China's national security faces a serious and complex situation. Especially foreign intelligence and hostile forces infiltration, espionage have significantly increased, and expanding its target using a variety of means, it is posing a serious threat to the security of the Chinese state. "

So, the Chinese government will offer citizens a bounty of up to RMB 100,000 (about 2 million yen) for information on threats related to national security. China feels that its national security is facing a serious and complex situation due to foreign intelligence and hostile forces infiltration, and that espionage has significantly increased. I am wondering where these spies come from.