China decries prejudicial nature of some overseas-made games

Some overseas-produced games embed discriminatory portrayals of Chinese people and distort China's territorial integrity while covertly engaging in infiltration and subversion tactics that pose risks to national security, the Ministry of State Security said on Tuesday.

The ministry released an article on its official WeChat account summarizing typical threats embedded in online entertainment spaces. It called on the public to strengthen cybersecurity awareness and remain clearheaded in the face of temptation.

According to the ministry, some games produced by overseas companies feature discrimination and prejudice against Chinese communities in their character designs, storylines and art styles. Characters associated with Chinese elements in certain games are portrayed as sinister and deceitful, cast as perpetrators of violence and shown engaging in acts that violate local laws.

Describing some games as "trampling the red line" and presenting "false coordinates", the ministry said some overseas games deliberately misrepresent China's territory. For instance, in a World War II simulation game, the foreign developer listed the Xizang autonomous region as a "core territory" of British India at that time.

"This distorts the fact that the Xizang autonomous region has been part of China since ancient times," the ministry stated.

The article also noted that some in-game maps misdraw borders involving Aksai Chin and Zangnan, and depict Taiwan as separate from the Chinese mainland.

"When cultural products such as games involve China's boundaries or map labels, we must remain vigilant and correctly discern them," the ministry said, emphasizing that safeguarding the country's territorial integrity is a red line that must never be crossed.

The ministry further revealed that foreign espionage and intelligence agencies have extended their reach into the gaming sector with deceptive new tactics.

One overseas game reportedly bypassed regulatory review by using a reward mechanism that offered in-game items for watching advertisements to deliver "spy recruitment" messages to targeted players.

These messages were disguised as "collaboration" or "part-time work" offers and enticed players with promises of high pay and opportunities to monetize knowledge, according to the ministry.

The ministry warned the public to resist temptation and remain cautious of "targeted hunting". It cautioned people to download games through official app stores and other legitimate channels and to avoid using unknown download links or installation packages.

"When encountering 'collaboration invitations' from foreign espionage agencies hidden within games, recognize their true intent to recruit, subvert and threaten our national security," the ministry said.

It urged citizens to stay vigilant online and report any situation that may endanger national security via the hotline 12339, the online reporting platform (www.12339.gov.cn), the ministry's official WeChat account or directly to local national security authorities.