The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has released a Mandarin-language recruitment video targeting Chinese soldiers. The video, titled "The Reason for Stepping Forward: To Save the Future," was posted on the CIA’s YouTube channel on Thursday. It shows a fictional Chinese military officer who contacts the CIA after losing faith in his leaders. A voiceover says: "This is the world I know, defending the homeland and protecting the people. But day after day, the truth becomes increasingly obvious: what leaders are really protecting is their own self-interest." The officer adds, "I could not let their madness be a part of my daughter’s future." This is the fifth Mandarin recruitment video from the CIA since October 2024. CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Reuters these videos reached many Chinese citizens despite YouTube being blocked in China. People use special software to bypass internet controls. The video follows a wave of purges in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Last month, Xi Jinping placed his top general Zhang Youxia under investigation for suspected corruption. Zhang was once seen as Xi’s closest military ally. Another senior official, Liu Zhenli, also faces investigation. Several officers, including former defence minister Li Shangfu, have been removed for corruption or disloyalty. Xi has recently commented on the PLA’s turmoil, saying the army had "undergone revolutionary tempering in the fight against corruption." He praised the army’s loyalty and capabilities. Between 2010 and 2012, China crushed much of the CIA’s spying network in the country, killing or imprisoning many agents. One spy was reportedly shot in public as a warning. China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded: "China will take all necessary measures to resolutely combat the infiltration and sabotage activities of anti-China forces abroad. We are determined to safeguard our national sovereignty, security and development interests; the schemes of anti-China forces will not succeed."