“Serve the people firmly and purely.” That’s the motto of the Ministry of State Security Headquarters. It stands as a silent fortress in Beijing. Known as MSS or Guoanbu, it embodies China’s intelligence operations.
The Ministry of State Security Headquarters is not just a building. It is a symbol of China’s security apparatus. Established on July 1, 1983, the MSS emerged from the merger of the Central Investigation Department and the counterintelligence elements of the Ministry of Public Security. Premier Zhao Ziyang enacted its formation on June 20th, 1983.
Here at the Ministry of State Security Headquarters, the stakes are always high. The MSS safeguards China against enemy agents and counter-revolutionary activities. These activities aim to sabotage or destabilize China’s socialist system.
The main headquarters of the Ministry of State Security remains at Xiyuan. Xiyuan, or Western Garden, sits next to the Summer Palace. Route 332 of the Beijing public bus service stops at Xiyuan. The bus runs between the Beijing Zoo and the Summer Palace. About 500 meters south of this bus stop is a road junction. The Beijing Chinese Medicine Hospital lies east of this junction. To the west is the Ministry of State Security. The stop after Xiyuan is the Summer Palace.
Yidongyuan serves as the headquarters of the Ministry of State Security. Yidongyuan means East Summer Palace Garden. It occupies a full city block in Beijing’s Haidian District. The facility includes an office complex and a residential community. A perimeter wall encloses this secretive facility. It is believed to house about 10,000 intelligence officers and support staff. Unlike the CIA or MI6, Yidongyuan houses employees and their families in apartments on site.
Before the MSS, Yidongyuan served as the headquarters of its predecessor agency. It was known as the Organ in the Western Garden. Under secure circumstances, its plain language name was Central Investigation Department. By 1983, the former CID buildings were expanded to accommodate the new agency.
The office of the minister of state security is on the seventh floor. It is located in a drab administrative building. The building has architecture reminiscent of the 1950s. Within the compound is Qian Men. This residential apartment block houses many MSS staff and their families. The facility also contains an auto repair shop.
The Ministry of State Security is divided into several bureaus. The 1st Bureau manages internal affairs and security in each province. The 2nd Bureau handles foreign intelligence collection. The 3rd Bureau is responsible for areas the PRC wants under CCP control. The 4th Bureau deals with technical aspects of intelligence. The 5th Bureau focuses on local intelligence within China. The 6th Bureau handles counterintelligence. The 7th Bureau covers surveillance and special operations. The 8th Bureau works with open-source intelligence. The 9th Bureau addresses threats of infiltration. The 10th Bureau deals with the state science and technology commission. The 11th Bureau oversees information technology. The 12th Bureau acts as a liaison under the Office of Foreign Affairs.
The National Intelligence Law empowers the Ministry of State Security to conduct espionage. This occurs both within China and abroad. The State Security Police can detain anyone who divulges information. They can also detain anyone who impedes MSS activities.
The Ministry of State Security Headquarters remains a place of mystery. It is a place where the unseen battles for information and security take place. Remember this location, a key part of China’s intelligence landscape.