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Tianjin State Security Bureau

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Coordinates: 39°03′54″N 117°12′49″E / 39.0651°N 117.2135°E / 39.0651; 117.2135 (TSSB)
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39°03′54″N 117°12′49″E / 39.0651°N 117.2135°E / 39.0651; 117.2135 (TSSB)

Tianjin State Security Bureau
Chinese: 天津市国家安全局
Ministry overview
FormedDecember 1983; 40 years ago (1983-12)
Preceding ministry
  • Tianjin Public Security Bureau
JurisdictionTianjin, China
Headquarters85 Zhujiang Road, Meijiang Subdistrict, Hexi District, Tianjin, China
Ministry executive
  • Director
Parent ministryMinistry of State Security

The Tianjin State Security Bureau (Chinese: 天津市国家安全局; pinyin: Tiānjīn Shì Guójiā Ānquán Jú; TSSB) is a bureau of the Chinese Ministry of State Security in Tianjin which serves as the direct-administered municipality's intelligence service and secret police. Established in December 1983 from parts of the Tianjin public security bureau and Tianjin Investigation Department, the bureau engages in global espionage operations far beyond the confines of the city, with an emphasis on operations against Japan and cyberespionage capabilities.[1][2]: 118  In an indictment, the United States government has accused the bureau of being behind the advanced persistent threat (APT) known as Red Apollo (APT10).

The TSSB is headquartered at 85 Zhujiang Road (珠江道) in the Mejiang Subdistrict of Hexi District, directly adjacent to the offices of Tianjin Television And Radio Station.[3]

Branches

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There are satellite offices in the Ninghe District,[4] and at No. 10 Jiangxiali, Qufu Road, Heping District.[5]

Activities

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Cyberespionage

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Further information: Red Apollo and Cyberwarfare by China

In 2018, the United States Department of Justice unsealed indictments against two hackers alleged to be operatives of the Tianjin State Security Bureau working for APT10. The indictment stated the two worked for the front company Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Company (天津华盈海泰科技发展有限公司) from 2006 to 2018, hacking companies and government systems, particularly those with managed service providers, in order to engage in industrial espionage, stealing sensitive US government information. Their intrusions were detected in more than 45 tech companies in at least 12 US states, as well as multiple federal agencies, targeting a diverse array of commercial activity, industries and technologies.[6]

Human rights violations

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Transnational repression

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Main article: Transnational repression by China

Since 2018, TSSB and others have begun targeting democracy movements and overseas Chinese student affairs, a change which Chen Yonglin, told Voice of America is a result of MSS budget shortfalls leading the ministry to delegate authority to provincial and municipal bureaus. Chen stated, "[n]ow the security departments of all provinces and cities have the right to send personnel overseas to arrest people and talk to anti-communist people. The central government requires all localities to manage their own people well."[7]

Detention of dissidents

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In March 2017, the Associated Press reported that Feng Chongyi, a professor of Chinese studies at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia, was restricted from leaving China following a visit to investigate lawyers arrested following the widespread crackdown and detention of human rights lawyers following Xi Jinping's ascent to power. He was banned from leaving by the TSSB on the pretext of endangering national security.[8] 80 academics from Australia, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong jointly wrote to Chinese leaders to object to his detention.[9]

List of directors

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Previous directors of the Tianjin SSB include:

No. Director Took office Left office Time in office ref.
1 Zhao Shiwen December 29, 1983 unknown unknown [10]
? Dǒng Hǎizhōu [zh] (董海舟) unknown unknown unknown
? Lù Zhōngwěi [zh] (陆忠伟)

(Used alias Zhong Wei as director)

c. 2000 unknown unknown [2]: 118 
Hú Yīfēng (胡一峰) 2012 November 4, 2014 unknown [10][11]
Zhāng Yǔ (张宇) November 4, 2014 after 2016 unknown [11]

References

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  1. ^ Joske, Alex (2023). "State security departments: The birth of China's nationwide state security system" (PDF). Deserepi: Studies in Chinese Communist Party External Work. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b Joske, Alex (2022). Spies and Lies: How China's Greatest Covert Operations Fooled The World. Melbourne: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 9781743797990.
  3. ^ "APT10 was managed by the Tianjin bureau of the Chinese Ministry of State Security". Intrusion Truth. 15 August 2018. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  4. ^ Yuanyuan, Ma, ed. (7 December 2015). "区领导视察天津市国家安全局宁河分局并指导工作——天津宁河长安网" [District leaders inspected the Ninghe Branch of the Tianjin National Security Bureau and guided the work]. Tianjin State Security Bureau (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Yihua, Qin, ed. (29 July 2008). "天津市国家安全局通告-奥运,安全-北方网-新闻中心" [Announcement from Tianjin Municipal Bureau of State Security]. news.enorth.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Two Chinese Hackers Associated With the Ministry of State Security Charged with Global Computer Intrusion Campaigns Targeting Intellectual Property and Confidential Business Information". United States Department of Justice. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  7. ^ Yu, Xiao (30 October 2020). "国保不仅监控中国留学生言论，还胁迫他们"戴罪立功"当卧底" [The State Security not only monitors the speeches of Chinese students studying abroad, but also coerces them to "take crimes and make meritorious service" as undercover agents]. Voice of America (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  8. ^ Shan, Gao (26 March 2017). "澳大利亚悉尼科技大学教授被中国禁止离境" [University of Technology Sydney professor banned from leaving China]. Radio Free Asia (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  9. ^ Yeliang, Xia (31 March 2017). "维护冯崇义教授的权利" [Protect the rights of Professor Feng Chongyi]. Radio Free Asia (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  10. ^ a b "天津市國家安全局 - 怪猫的图书资源库" [Tianjin State Security Bureau]. Fudan University (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  11. ^ a b Yanhong, Yin, ed. (5 November 2014). "张宇任天津市国家安全局局长 胡一峰不再担任_中国经济网——国家经济门户" [Zhang Yu was appointed as the head of the Tianjin National Security Bureau and Hu Yifeng no longer served]. Tianjin Daily (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
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