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Beijing residents could be rewarded with up to 500,000 yuan if they can provide useful information on spies or related activities, according to a government policy that took effect on Monday.
Under the policy, informants will be offered rewards ranging, from 10,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan, depending on how useful the information is, according to the policy issued by the National Security Bureau(安全局) of Beijing. Informants can pass information to authorities by calling a hotline, sending letters or visiting the bureau.
Informants' privacy and information about spy-related messages will not be disclosed, while information providers can ask authorities for protection if they or their relatives are in danger due to the act of informing, according to the policy.
However, informants will face punishments if they slander (诽谤) others on purpose or invent and spread false information, the policy states clearly.
The bureau said that China is witnessing rapid increases in international exchanges and the number of people entering or exiting the country each year. "Meanwhile, overseas espionage agencies(间谍机构)and other unfriendly forces have also strengthened their disruptive(破坏的) activities in China, including political, economical and military information." it said.
Some Chinese individuals have also betrayed the nation to benefit their private interests, which offers overseas espionage agencies opportunities, the bureau said, adding that Beijing is the primary location for such activities. Therefore, it's necessary to take new measures in anti-espionage investigation, and to encourage the participation of the general public.
One of the most recent cases made public occurred in the eastern province of Jiangsu in January. Two residents in Lianyungang city, surnamed Zhang and Wan, called the national security authorities after they found a device with instructions in foreign languages while fishing in the Yellow Sea. The device was later found to be spying equipment made and used by overseas agencies to collect data, according to an official release.
China has strengthened legislation(立法) on State security in recent years. Facing a more complex State security situation, in 2014, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted the Counterespionage Law.
