National Security Education Day in China is a special time for cartoon propaganda, and this year is no exception. The Suzhou State Security Bureau has created a cartoon guide to China’s national security law, broken into three parts:
- Leaders’ views on National Security– From Mao to Xi.
- Key content of the National Security Law, with illustrations reciting core provisions.
- Cautionary Cases – 3 examples that are actually 2.
While the design of the entire comic, with its sometimes racially charged imagery, is sure to get folks’ attention, it’s the section on cautionary tales that is most interesting. (full booklet found below as scanned in by another site)
Cautionary Case 1
In October of 2013, Mr. Zhao, who had worked as a reporter in X County for 30 years, was compromised by a foreign website. Zhao was enticed to use his job to steal the local government’s classified materials as well as military secrets; and reported these to the foreign website, receiving 70,000 RMB in fees as a spy. In January 2015, the county’s intermediate people’s court convicted Zhao for prying into state secrets and sentenced him to 7 years imprisonment , and 2 years deprivation of political rights. [No word on why the foreign agent not wearing shoes].
Cautionary Tale 2
In looking for work online, Mr. Gu was enticed to defect by a foreign website, and entered a military unit based in Suzhou 29 times, sending 93 pictures, 22 labeled maps, 25 satellite maps, and 29 visit reports to the foreign website; receiving more than 30,000 RMB.
Cautionary Tale 3:
In February 2015, Gu’s arrest was carried out by the Suzhou state security bureau.
[This is labeled as a separate case, although it seems to be a continuation of case 2. If this is the same Gu, was he ever given a trial or sentence? If it isn’t the same Gu, what warning should we take from his arrest?]
