In previous translations, CDT has revealed how Chinese political police, the Domestic Security Department or DSD, has recruited a vast network of intelligence agents to spy on Chinese citizen. Chinese netizens have now dug out and spread online documents from the DSD and university security departments over the past several years which reveal another component of this informant system, within Chinese universities. These documents are intended to be confidential and not readily available online but some universities apparently mistakenly left them in the public domain where clever netizens were able to search them out.

Following is a summary of the DSD documents at Dezhou University in Shandong, followed by CDT’s translations of the documents:

According to disclosures in official documents of the Security Department of Shandong’s Dezhou University, the University has, beginning in 2005, recruited Domestic Security Department (DSD) informants from among the University’s teachers and students.

This work may very well have already started in 2001. A document entitled “Dezhou University DSD Information Work; Rules Concerning Rewards and Punishments,” promulgated May 26, 2005 states: “in accordance with the demands of higher authorities and the Public Security Bureau (PSB) organs, and in the spirit of the document ‘Dezhou University Comprehensive Governance Committee Document #2 (2001)’. . . .” This shows that Dezhou University had already in 2001 issued a document that references covertly controlling the thoughts and actions of university students. However, the systematic and open hiring and developing of “DSD informants” began in 2005.

Dezhou University requires DSD informants to “grasp developments [concerning those who] oppose the social situation, launch the fight at the invisible battle front, take strict precautions against the powers of opposition whether they be foreign or domestic, within the borders or without, [take strict precautions against] ethnic separatists, religious extremists, and violent terrorists, and ensure that these influences do not permeate, stir-up or destroy the college and university environment.”

“Collect intelligence information in a timely manner, especially information at deep levels, information that can provide an early warning, inside information, and actionable information. Information [relating to issues that may] influence security and stability should be reported in a timely manner, as provided by regulations, to the Security Department’s Residency and Political Security Section. In emergency situations [the intelligence] can also be directly reported to the appropriate leader.” Clearly, the establishment of the DSD informants corps has in effect created among students and teachers an invisible net of surveillance, control and secret reporting.

In October 2005, Dezhou University took an additional step to enlarge the corps of DSD informants, and began recruiting “security informants”. Security informants are managed in the same way as special agents. The “Directive on Recruiting and Managing Student Security Informants” states: “The Student Security Informants Corps is a secret power within the campus. It is directly led by the relevant leaders within the University Security Department’s Residency and Political Security Section. [The existence of this secret power] is not disclosed inside or outside of campus. Security informants’ one-way communications, the undisclosed existence of informants and contact people, and mutual exchanges of information are all to be kept strictly confidential.

The University authorities in order to encourage the active efforts of informers, adopted certain material incentives. “Dezhou University DSD Information Work; Rules Concerning Rewards and Punishments” states: “For those who provide valuable information, the University will give a certain material reward; for those who provide extremely valuable information, the relevant departments to which this intelligence is reported will give a great reward.”

The “Directive on Recruiting and Managing Student Security Informants” states: “The University will classify student security informants as work-study students. Under the condition [that these informants] each month complete a certain volume of work (report three or more items of valuable security information), they will be given a certain reward; for those who provide extremely valuable security intelligence information, they will be given a great reward.”

Dezhou University’s systematic cultivation and use of student special agents is not unusual. The University’s “Directive on Recruiting and Managing Student Security Informants” states that the establishment of the student security informant system was modeled after the experience of “sister schools”. From this, it can be inferred that this type of situation is much more common than what has already been revealed.

Directive on Recruiting and Managing Student Security Informants (series)

Posted on: November 15, 2005
Posted by: Security Department

Directive on Recruiting and Managing Student Security Informants

In order to effectively carry out our University’s security and stability work, in order to maintain security, stability and the smooth flow of information, in order to destroy the seeds of discord that may affect security and stability before they sprout, in order to ensure that our University has a good atmosphere of security and stability, in order to protect social stability, and in accordance with the demands of higher authorities and the guidance of our University’s leaders, based upon the experience of sister schools and our University’s practical experience, and building upon the foundation of our University’s DSD informants corps, we hereby establish the Student Security Informants Corps; the specific directive implementing their work is as provided below:

I. Requirements for Becoming a Student Security Informant
1. Dependable political convictions, high level of ideological political consciousness and keen sense of responsibility.

2. Ardent love for security information work, strong concept of policy, law and maintaining secrecy. Strong ability to search for security information, to investigate and conduct interviews.

3. Bright minded, strong ability to manage and coordinate their work, [willingness to] observe discipline and law, [willingness to] maintain strict secrecy.

4. Not limited by age or gender.

II. Directive on the Recruiting of Student Security Informants
Student Security Informants are openly recruited from among the students of this school. Those students who wish to join the Security Informants Corps register with their department. After the Security Department and department leaders make a final check and review, the names are sent to the University’s appropriate leaders for approval. In addition, names can also be recommended by the heads of each department.

III. Organization Leaders
The Student Security Informants Corps is a secret force within the campus; it is directly led by the relevant leaders within the University Security Department and the Security Department Residency and Political Security Section. [The existence of this secret power] is not disclosed inside or outside of campus. Security informants’ one-way communications, the undisclosed existence of informants and contact people, and mutual exchanges of information are all to be kept strictly confidential.

IV. Major Responsibilities and Demands of the Student Security Informants Corps
1. Become familiar with, and diligently execute applicable laws, regulations, policies, and system rules.

2. Carry out in a thorough manner investigation and research, gain a firm grasp of ideological trends among teachers and students as well as topics of interest to the masses and sensitive problems that usually follow major programs, major activities, and major developments. Perform well the work of [gathering] information on trends.

3. Use all means to gather in a timely manner all kinds of valuable security information, both positive and negative, especially information at deep levels, information that can provide an early warning, inside information, and actionable information; be keen ears and observant eyes.

4. Provide timely reports in either written, or oral one-way communications to the contact person/s on the intelligence information gathered. In emergency situations, the information can be directly reported to the appropriate leader.

5. The University guarantees to keep information provided about students confidential.

6. Strictly observe confidentiality requirements.

7. Each academic year, the University will conduct one review of each Student Security Informant. Adjustments will be made to those not active in their work or who are unable to complete assignments.

V. Remuneration for Student Security Informants

1. For those Security Informants who are diligent in their work and whose results are outstanding, the University will give priority consideration in the students’ appraisals and political advancements. In the event that Security Informants run into difficulties in their studies or lives, the University will take care of these students to the extent possible under applicable policies.

2. The University will classify student security informants as work-study students. Under the condition [that these informants] each month complete a certain volume of work (report three or more items of valuable security information), they will be given a certain reward; for those who provide extremely valuable security intelligence information, they will be given a great reward.

University Security Department
September 21, 2005

University DSD Information Work; Rules Concerning Rewards and Punishments

Publication date: November 15, 2005

University DSD Information Work; Rules Concerning Rewards and Punishments

In order to effectively carry out our University’s security and stability work, in order to maintain security, stability and the smooth flow of information, in order to destroy the seeds of discord that may affect security and stability before they sprout, in order to ensure that our University has a good atmosphere of security and stability, in order to protect social stability, in order to the utilize the active efforts of DSD informants and contact people, in accordance with the demands of higher authorities and the Public Security Bureau (PSB) organs, and in the spirit of the document “Dezhou University Comprehensive Governance Committee Document #2 (2001),” we hereby establish the document, “University DSD Information Work; Rules Concerning Rewards and Punishments” as follows:

1. Each year, the Security Department will conduct one evaluation of all the University’s informants. DSD informants who actively provide security stability information, along with advanced individuals in comprehensive public order administration and security defense work, will all be honored personally or as a unit at year’s end.

2. For those who provide valuable information, the University will give a certain material reward; for those who provide extremely valuable information, the relevant departments to which this intelligence is reported will give a great reward.

3. DSD informants who are not diligent in searching for information, who do not report problems discovered in a timely manner, or who are not active in their work will be criticized or reported to the relevant University leaders so that adjustments can be made.

4. The University Security Department is responsible for interpreting these Rules.

5. These Rules are effective upon the date of publication.

May 26, 2005

　　　　　　　　　　　
The following document is from [Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology] Security Department:

Second Seasonal Training of the Police Security Informants, Conducted by the Security Department

Date: November 18, 2008
Source: Security Department
Edited and Released by: Party Committee Propaganda Department

On the afternoon of November 13, the Security Department conducted its second seasonal training of police security informants held in the Advanced Vocational University Auditorium. 181 police security informants of 08 class from second-tier colleges participated in the training.

Saiyin Deligen, the school’s Assistant President, Song Xiaogang, head of the School’s Security Department, Zhang Xiufeng, Section Chief of the Baotou City State Security Bureau, Guo Rong, Department Chief of the Batou City State Security Bureau, and Song Yumei of the Batou City Public Security Bureau DSD participated in the opening ceremony of the training session.

In the training session, Assistant School President Saiyin Deligen presented an important speech on the importance of police security information work in our school, how to do information work well, and the basic attributes a public security informant should possess.

The Security Department Chief, Song Xiaogang, conveyed the School’s views on the arrangement of public security information work as well as a number of rules concerning the work of public security informants.

During the training session, Zhang Xiufeng, Section Chief of the Baotou City State Security Bureau gave a specialized lecture on national security.

Finally, all student personnel watched a documentary together entitled “Security at the Olympics.”

UPDATE: The Chronicle of High Education reports:

Internet documents have emerged detailing how China’s security apparatus recruits large teams of campus-based spies to inform on students, prevent outbreaks of unrest, and squash dissenting opinions.

… College networks of informants have long been suspected, but the level of detail given by CDT is new.