China warns university students to beware of well-paid jobs offered by foreign spies

China’s top intelligence agency has warned university students to be wary of lucrative job postings that may serve as covers for foreign espionage, as they begin searching for work ahead of a record graduation season.

Offers such as earning 800 yuan (US$117) a day for remote data processing or research projects promising easy money could be “traps” to recruit students to illegally collect sensitive information for foreign intelligence agencies, the Ministry of State Security said.

“Be wary of promises of salaries that far exceed industry standards,” the ministry said in a notice posted on social media on Thursday.

It also warned that recruitment traps may involve requests for supplementary résumé details, such as information on previous internships in military units or experience in classified research projects.

Some 12.7 million university students are expected to graduate this summer, around 4 per cent more than last year. Most of them will enter a shaky labour market, weighed down by deflationary pressures and external uncertainties.