Big Take Podcast: The Sixth Bureau

Episode 1: Your Friend From Nanjing

Release Date: February 13, 2026
Hosts: Jordan Robertson & Drake Bennett (Bloomberg News and iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

The premiere episode of “The Sixth Bureau” plunges listeners into the clandestine world of Chinese espionage—specifically through the lens of a real-life FBI operation targeting the Ministry of State Security (MSS), China’s main spy agency. Using actual surveillance recordings and fresh interviews, the episode details how U.S. law enforcement lured Chinese intelligence officer Xu Yanjun to his historic arrest and, in doing so, exposed the workings of the world’s largest spy agency. The episode uses the story of Ji Chao Chun, a Chinese agent in the U.S., to pull listeners inside this game of deception, trust, and technological ambition.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: The Sting Operation

• The episode opens with actual FBI surveillance audio of April 25, 2018, as an undercover agent (posing as “Chen”) approaches Ji Chao Chun in Chicago.
• The initial exchange is tense:
  • “Are you Ji Qiaoqin?” (Chen, 01:09)
  • Ji is wary and confused at first, until Chen uses a coded phrase:
    • “A friend from Nanjing sent me to you.” (Chen, 01:37)
  • The code works; Ji’s guard drops:
    • “Oh, I get it now.” (Ji Chao Chun, 01:50)
• The agents maneuver Ji into a hotel, all under heavy FBI surveillance (02:20–03:45).

2. The Big Reveal: Xu Yanjun’s Arrest

• In the hotel, Chen delivers alarming news: Ji’s MSS handler, Xu Yanjun, has been arrested in Belgium (04:24–04:56).
• Ji must now trust Chen and follow new communication protocols. He is warned to cut all prior contacts and only use a new cell phone (05:25–05:40).
  • “So they sent me here to talk to you. But at this time, please stay low key.” (Chen, 05:53)
• The interaction is revealed to be an elaborate FBI sting. Ji doesn’t realize Chen is undercover, nor that he’s now tangled in a vast investigation (07:00–07:14).

3. The MSS Unveiled and Its Global Reach

• Xu Yanjun’s arrest is historic:
  • “Xu Yanjun was the first intelligence officer ever to be lured out of China, arrested, and tried in the US.” (Ji Chao Chun, 08:05)
• The FBI gains unprecedented access—thousands of emails, classified documents, even Xu’s personal diary, offering a rare look inside MSS Russian-doll-like secrecy (08:16–08:48).
  • “It was just strange the way he kept records of everything—not only what happened, but his own feelings about them.” (Expert/Analyst, 08:30–08:34)
  • “I now have several terabytes of an MSS officer ... that’s a unicorn.” (Expert/Analyst, 08:34–08:48)

4. China’s Quest for Technology: The Jet Engine

• The episode spotlights the MSS’s mission: to steal technology (specifically, jet engine secrets) the Chinese government had long pursued (09:17–09:29).
  • “China has said this is a national priority that we get this information. The MSS was tasked to do it.” (Expert/Analyst, 09:17)
• Xu Yanjun ran a sprawling network, coordinating theft of corporate secrets worldwide:
  • “Xu is basically out there trying to steal corporate secrets, is doing that with the full support and cooperation of his government.” (Expert/Analyst, 09:31)

5. The Stakes in the New Espionage War

• The scale and consequences of Chinese espionage are underscored with urgency:
  • “If the American people truly understood the scope of Chinese espionage inside the United States right now, they'd be shocked. They'd be outraged.” (FBI Official/Commentator, 10:00)
  • “It represents one of the largest transfers of wealth in human history.” (Expert/Analyst, 10:15)
  • “They want to replace the United States as the world's only superpower. And they're on track...” (Expert/Analyst, 10:36)

6. The Global Implications

• The episode closes with reflections on how spycraft, technological theft, and U.S.–China rivalry are reshaping the global order:
  • “We're witnessing the formation of a new world order. And one thing's clear: China is the new economic and military superpower alongside the US.” (Ji Chao Chun, 10:43)
  • “Not that long ago, the US was still ahead ... That time has passed. China’s caught up, thanks to a ton of investment, talent, innovation, and one more thing. Spying.” (Ji Chao Chun, 11:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On secrecy and tradecraft:
  • “The MSS is believed to be the world's largest intelligence agency. But the people who work there are basically ghosts.” (Ji Chao Chun, 07:46)
• On the scale of espionage:
  • “If the American people truly understood the scope of Chinese espionage inside the United States right now, they'd be shocked. They'd be outraged.” (FBI Official/Commentator, 10:00)
• On what was unlocked by Xu Yanjun’s arrest:
  • “I now have several terabytes of an MSS officer, no doubt ... that’s a unicorn.” (Expert/Analyst, 08:34)
• On the stakes:
  • “They want to replace the United States as the world's only superpower. And they're on track to do what they're claiming they're going to do.” (Expert/Analyst, 10:36)
• On emerging world order:
  • “There’s a lot of change and straight up chaos happening right now ... we are witnessing the formation of a new world order.” (Ji Chao Chun, 10:43)

Highlighted Timestamps

• 01:37 — “A friend from Nanjing sent me to you.” (Undercover agent's key code phrase)
• 04:24 — Introduction of Xu Yanjun arrest and the handover of a Belgian newspaper article
• 05:53 — “Please stay low key ... like nothing had happened at normal.” (Instructions to Ji)
• 07:14 — Reveal that much of what Chen told Ji was false; Xu Yanjun truly was arrested
• 08:16–08:48 — FBI and experts discuss the treasure trove of MSS documentation obtained
• 09:17–09:45 — Focus on China’s hunt for jet engine technology
• 10:00–10:43 — The impact of Chinese espionage and the shift in global power

Episode Tone & Style

The episode is cinematic and tense, frequently cutting between real audio, cold analysis, and first-person reflections. The tone is urgent and revelatory, drawing listeners into the jittery, high-stakes atmosphere of counterintelligence operations and global rivalry.

Next Episode Teaser

The episode ends with a preview of next week’s focus: how the FBI exploits agents’ vulnerabilities and the wider impact of this intelligence breach on U.S. military secrets.

Summary by The Big Take Podcast Summarizer