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| From New York to the Caribbean: The 'Mission of Vengeance' Spy Thriller Unveils the Realities of Chinese and Russian Influence Tactics |
America needs to wake up—there’s a real
problem brewing with Chinese influence, and it's seeping right into our cities
and government. Just take a look at what's been happening in New York. The
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been methodically infiltrating U.S.
institutions, and now it’s not even trying to hide. They’ve reached into the
office of New York's top cop.
Former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban had
an assistant, Giu’An Lin, who was linked to CCP-controlled groups. And that’s
just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve also got Linda Sun, a former aide to
Governor Hochul, busted for acting as a secret Chinese agent. And let’s not
forget about the secret police station run by Chinese operatives right in
Manhattan.
These aren’t isolated incidents—they’re
part of a bigger game the CCP is playing, an influence campaign stretching
across major U.S. cities, from coast to coast. It’s creeping into our politics,
law enforcement, and society, and it's time we took it seriously.
In my spy thriller, Mission
of Vengeance, I dive into a world that mirrors some of the very
real tactics we're seeing today. Just like the CCP uses covert influence in the
U.S., in the novel, it’s former Russian KGB agents pulling the same kind of
stunt in the Caribbean. They build a web of lies, using fake social media
profiles and Russian hackers to manipulate the media and spread disinformation
across the Caribbean and the U.S.
Now, while my book is fiction, the
parallels to what’s happening are hard to miss. In the story, these Russian
operatives, now nationals in the Dominican Republic, work quietly behind the
scenes, much like what we’re seeing with Chinese operatives in the U.S. right
now. The CCP isn’t just targeting New York’s police department; they’re
influencing everything from education to Hollywood. It’s all part of a deeper
strategy, and it’s not about cultural exchange or goodwill. They’re aiming to
get pro-Beijing politicians elected and shift U.S. policy to benefit China.
The strategy the CCP is using closely
echoes what my fictional Russians do in Mission
of Vengeance—manipulating media, spreading fake news, and using
social media to sow division and chaos. Fiction may exaggerate, but these
real-world tactics should make us all pay attention.
The
perfect example of how China’s influence is spreading comes from a campaign
called “Spamouflage,” which has been running since 2017. Now, this isn’t your
typical political meddling—it’s not about favoring one side or the other. What
the CCP is really after is division. They’ve been setting up fake social media
accounts on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and TikTok, pushing
out propaganda and stirring the pot in U.S. political conversations. And the
crazy part? They’ve gotten more sophisticated at it every year.
This isn’t just some abstract threat—it’s
happening in real time. Recently, Chinese operatives pretended to be American
anti-war activists, spreading memes calling Trump a "fraud" and Biden
a "coward." It’s unsettlingly similar to the tactics the Russians use
in my spy thriller, where hackers flood social media with disinformation to
target Americans.
America needs to wake up! This threat is
very real, whether it’s through Chinese investments, CCP-backed influence
operations, or cyber campaigns. Just like my fictional CIA spymaster Corey
Pearson uncovers, these operations are quiet, subtle, and if we’re not careful,
they’ll undermine even the strongest of democracies.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it best—the dragon isn’t at the gates anymore. It’s already inside.
Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and authors the ‘Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster’ series. Check out his latest spy thriller, ‘Mission of Vengeance’.
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