Recommended Reading: In Manila, How China Set Up an Influence, Espionage Network

Rappler’s Bea Cupin reports on the findings of a recent Philippine intelligence report over the apparent influence and espionage operations facilitated by an agent of the Chinese Ministry of State Security in the country.  

In what may be the first documented incident of its kind in the Philippines, local intelligence operatives flagged the activities of a certain Zhang “Steve” Song. Zhang, who publicly presents himself as a Manila bureau chief for a Chinese state-owned newspaper, had been previously identified by the United States as a covert agent when he was working as a news correspondent in Washington, D.C. Despite Zhang’s frequent meetings with key Philippine figures in government and the private sector, as well as with the Chinese Embassy in Manila, his media engagements and publications are sparse. Zhang also reportedly facilitated deals between tech giant Huawei and the University of the Philippines, amidst university stakeholders’ concerns over possible security implications. Finally, the report highlighted how Zhang maintained a network of sources who were privy to the Philippine government’s defense and security policies, especially its strategies in the West Philippine Sea.