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He will do it. Good man. The sergeant consults his dossier again. Larry, can I check? What does this word here mean? The sergeant shows the notes to Chin, who takes his time so he can read the Rest of the details on the page. He quickly memorizes the prisoner's age, height, birthplace, and the location of his family in China. It is a Manchurian slang word. It means outcast. Ah, that makes sense. Thank you. Jin makes no further move to look at the dossier. His spymaster's taught him never to do anything that might look suspicious. Instead, he tries to commit Tai's broad nose and thick hair to memory so he can describe it later in detail. He doesn't need instructions to know his spirit. Master will want to know everything possible about this man. Ten years later, 1961 Hong Kong O Qi Ming checks his watch. He is a short man in his 40s, wearing a suit. He looks like any other Hong Kong businessman in the thriving city state. In fact, O works for Chinese intelligence, and he's waiting for his agent, Larry Wutai. Chin. Chin is late, but oh is not concerned. Chin has proved himself a valuable spy. His work to unmask dozens of traitors and American agents during the Korean War earned him respect and plaudits. Oh knows their subsequent executions helped keep China safe. Chin's also won the trust of his American bosses. So much so that they've posted him to a US airbase in Japan, where he now helps the CIA monitor Chinese media. This all reflects well on oh too. Unfortunately, Chin has divorced his wife and is now having an affair with a married Chinese woman who works at the air base in Japan with him. And oh is anxious to see how this is affecting his super spy. Jin enters the restaurant. Restaurant? He's no longer a thin and nervous student, but a man who carries his tall frame with quiet assurance. He slides into the booth opposite O. It is good to see you, Larry. And you, Mr. O. I have exciting news. I have been offered a new job in the United States. O is elated. A spy based in the US who is trusted by its intelligence services is a major coup. The this is amazing. They must be very pleased with you. Well done. Chin looks pleased at oh's compliments. OH knows Chin's ego thrives on being a secret hero for China. But he must also address the problem of Chin's affair later. As he spoons noodle broth into his bowl, oh casually begins to probe. Have you told Kathy the news? Kathy is the married woman he is having an affair with in Japan. Chin looks unfazed. Yes, she is delighted. I have told her she should get a divorce too, and then she can join me in the United States. Oh is both shocked and troubled. But he is careful not to show any Condemnation or judgment? And what about your children? While they are small, they are better off with their mother. When I am more established, I will bring them to America. It will be good for their future prospects. They will not mind leaving their mother there then. Oh is worried by Chin's casual attitude to family life and his eagerness about moving to America. He wonders if living and working among Westerners for so long is corrupting Chin. That would indeed be useful. But remember, you are going to America for China. Of course. My duty to China is always at the forefront of everything I do. I assure you, Mr. Oh. Oh nods and respect returns to his noodles. But despite Qin's assurances, he's worried. If his star spy succumbs to the decadence of Western capitalism, then oh, as his spymaster, will be held responsible. In Communist China, the line between hero and executed traitor can be thin. Late 1961 Communist Party headquarters, Beijing oh admires the ornate carvings on the dark wooden pillars around him. He is in a meeting room that was part of the former Imperial Garden complex. It now houses the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. Oh bows as Zhou Enlai enters. Zhou is one of the most powerful men within the party and oversees China's foreign affairs. And after learning that China was about to get a spy inside the US he summoned O to learn more. So your agent's role has not changed, but he has moved to an office in the United States, Is that right? Yes. He will still be translating mostly public information, but he will have more to do with CIA headquarters. And his transfer to America proves he is trusted and valued. Oh does not mention his concerns about Qin taking his married lover to the US it might reflect badly on oh. This is very good news, but we need to use him carefully. The risk of discovery will be much higher in America. O has the highest respect for Zhou. A former spymaster himself, Zhou is known to be the calm hand on the reins of the Communist government. To reduce the risk, perhaps he should be a sleeper agent, only activated if we go to war with the United States or at moments of extreme crisis. No. We need as much information as possible on American thinking and intentions. Now they are sending troops to Vietnam. Chiang Kai Shek is still asking them to invade China and restore his Nationalist government. Until we have nuclear capability, we are at risk. This agent must be operational immediately. OH bows in deference to Joe's decision. I will set up a network of couriers to transmit his intelligence. Good. Keep me informed of his progress and send all intelligence directly to me. Ensure he takes no risks. He becomes more valuable the longer he is there. Oh stands and bows again before leaving. He just hopes Chin will stay true to his communities masters. Two years later June 1963 Santa Rosa, Northern California. In a small weatherboard cottage with a large garden and picket fence, Chin shows his girlfriend Kathy around. Her suitcases are still in the hallway from when she arrived 10 minutes ago. Look, a fridge and freezer. Oh my goodness. And we don't have to share it. No, it's just for us. Kathy is round eyed as he shows her the television and pantry full of food. Chin has been living in California for the past two years. While his lover secured a divorce from her husband in Japan. He immediately paid for Kathy to join him in Santa Rosa. He watches her fondly as she stares out of the kitchen window at their neighbors. The garden is so big and everyone has a car. Chin is proud he can give Kathy such luxury. He grabs her by the shoulders and whirls her to face him. Let's get married tomorrow. Tomorrow? It's impossible. No, it's not. There's a place in the next state called Reno. They do quick and cheap weddings. You'll love it. It's filled with casinos and movie stars. Marilyn Monroe was there only last year making a film. Really? Kathy loves the movies and American culture. Chin's eager to share his new life with someone who appreciates it. Communist China, with its famines and oppressive sense of danger, feels very far away. Four years later Mid 1967 Beijing, China the Ministry of Public Security at the sound of young voices shouting Qin spymaster oh Chi Ming rushes to the window near his desk. In the streets below, hundreds of young people with red armbands are running towards their offices. They are the feared Red Guards. He and his colleagues rush to escape, but it is too late. The door is slammed open by a teenager and Red Guards swarm around them threateningly. Everyone here is guilty of fraternizing with foreigners and conspiring against Chairman Mao. The Red Guard are young people who have been encouraged by Mao to rid China of its old ideas and traditions in what's being called the Cultural Revolution. They have become an uncontrollable mob, denouncing, beating, torturing and humiliating anyone they decide is against the Revolution. And today this includes the Ministry of Public Security's intelligence Service. Oh's boss tries to remonstrate with them. On what grounds do you claim this? We don't need evidence, old man. Evidence is a tool of counter revolutionaries. Seize them. Oh's boss is viciously beaten. Oh decides not to resist as they Tie his hands behind his back. Resistance is futile. He knows a powerful group of people led by the wife of Chairman Mao Zedong encourage and protect the Red Guards from any consequences. And those people are using the mayhem to grab power over moderates such as Zhou Enlai. Any department he has influence over is being targeted. Oh frets over what will happen to his agents now. Will anyone replace us? They must read the files. Shut up. Oh is smacked across the face with a baton. That is not your concern. You will be re educated. A dunce's cap is put on oh's head and he is dragged out of the building as Red Guards kick and spit at him. Oh wonders if he will survive re education forced labor deep in rural China with little food and even less protection against the elements. He also wonders if China is about to lose its most valuable asset inside the US if nobody keeps in contact with Qin, will he take the opportunity to defect to the Americans? January 1968 Santa Rosa, California in the offices of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Chin and his colleagues gather in a large meeting room. The FBIS is a division of the CIA, which locates and translates publicly available information as requested by intelligence analysts and officers, and Chin's been working here ever since he moved to America. It's not a high security department, but but Qin has learned a surprising amount simply by noting all requests for information. He's also worked hard to become the FBIs's top Chinese translator, someone who is consulted by other translators for his proficiency. And the trust in him is further underpinned by his decision to become a U.S. citizen. But today he is worried. The head of the Santa Rosa office, Stan, clears his throat and confirms the rumors that have been swirling around the office for months. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid the Santa Rosa office is to be wound down over the next two years, and you are all at risk of redundancy. Some of you may be allocated roles in other offices or departments, but Chin feels shell shocked. In just a few years, his charmed life has come crashing down around him. Later that night at his suburban home, Chin seals up the envelope on his letter to Mr. Oh. The letter uses seemingly innocent language to ask for instructions. He carefully writes the Hong Kong address on the front and leaves it on his desk. Chin will post the letter in the morning, but he doesn't hold much hope of a reply. He hasn't heard from Mr. Oh or anyone else from Chinese Intelligence for months. He heads to bed, but sleep is unlikely. He's lost contact with his spymaster and is about to lose the job that made him so valuable to China. That's two incomes disappearing at the worst time. All his children are now living with him, hoping to train as doctors in the U.S. chin wonders how he will afford it. January 1970 FBIs headquarters Rosslyn, Virginia In a meeting room, senior managers from the FBIs and the CIA's China desk are going through the personnel files of employees from the soon to close Santa Rosa office. Chin's file is open in front of them, and his current boss is arguing the case for holding onto him. Larry's without doubt our top Chinese translator and a linguist. I think he would be a real asset at headquarters. But anyone working in fbis headquarters requires top secret security clearance. The translators there work closely with CIA officers on active operations. The most senior CIA officer in the room grimaces. We know nothing about his background in China. There's no mention of whether he supported the Communists or the Nationalists during the Civil War. Really? He's been working with us since 1948. If he was a spy, I think we would have discovered it by now. He has never given us any reason to doubt his integrity. The CIA officer raises an eyebrow. Oh, what about his womanizing? Our inquiries suggest he's cheated on his new wife several times. Chin's boss looks uncomfortable. I meant professional integrity. The CIA officer sighs. Chin is exactly the kind of personnel decision that worries him. There are a few red flags, but not enough to make it an easy decision. One of his junior CIA colleagues on the China desk leafs through Chin's file. I know Larry's work. He's good, easy to read reports, and very good on the cultural nuances. We could do with that. At the moment. The senior CIA officer knows he's right. The war in Vietnam is not going well because the Chinese are secretly helping the North Vietnamese. Anticipating China's next move has become a high priority within the CIA. Fine. Let's do as many background checks as we can in Hong Kong and Japan, as well as here. Oh, and he'll need to do a polygraph test. Doesn't look like he's taken one yet. A few weeks later, the White House Washington, D.C. president Richard Nixon and his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, are alone in the presidential office. They've asked not to be disturbed as they study a top secret memorandum sent to Kissinger by a former U.S. diplomat. Nixon reads it with excitement. So this guy is the Dutch envoy to Communist China? Yes, and he appears to be trusted by Zhou Enlai to send such a message. I think this is highly significant, Mr. President. Nixon is thrilled. Last year, Soviet troops attacked China over a disputed border, making it clear the two Communist allies are now enemies. So Nixon's taking advantage of the falling out between the two Communist powers to extend the hand of friendship to China. His aim is to recruit China as an ally against the Soviets. Kissinger has spent months trying various ways to secretly reach out to the Chinese, but all his attempts went ignored until yesterday. Now Joe seems to have agreed to a secret meeting with Kissinger. But Kissinger knows it's only the first step. We still need to be careful, sir. This could be Joe and Lai testing the water, but he might also be setting a trap to humiliate us. Nixon knows it would be a publicity nightmare if his secret attempts to establish diplomatic relations with Communist China were leaked to the press. He is, after all, a famous hardliner on communism. But Nixon is willing to take that risk. Sometimes, Henry, you gotta go with your gut. I think they want us as an ally against the Soviets just as much as we want them. But getting a win against Soviet Russia is not all Nixon hopes to gain from China. He's realized his only hope of an honorable exit from the messy and unpopular war in Vietnam is a negotiation with the Chinese. Nixon picks up a photo of Zhou Enlai and tries to imagine himself in the Chinese Premier's shoes and this Dutch diplomat. He says Joe has got rid of his enemies and is back in control. Do we have that from any other sources? Kissinger purses his lips. Our intelligence is patchy and nowhere good enough. We know Joe has withdrawn his opposition to the Cultural Revolution, so is no longer being targeted. But I'm not sure we can depend on him having Mal's support in this. Nixon likes the look of Joe. Thick black eyebrows above intelligent eyes and the patient face of someone who knows how to bide his time. Do we know why Joe might be interested in talking? Kissinger hesitates, pushing his thick rimmed glasses back up his nose before replying. Taiwan. Nixon grimaces. Officially, the US still recognizes the Nationalist government that fled to Taiwan as the rightful leaders of China. It promised the island protection against any Communist invasion. It's also why Taiwan still occupies China's seat on the United Nations Security Council. Nixon gets up from his chair and stands looking out of the huge bay window behind. There are plenty within his own party who would never forgive him for sacrificing Taiwan for an easy exit from Vietnam. He turns to Kissinger. Well, let's cross that bridge when we come to it. For the time being, let's set up some meetings and see how it goes. Kissinger nods and leaves. Nixon return returns to the window. Doubts chase around his mind, but also possibilities. This could be the defining moment of his administration. Perhaps he could find a practical solution to the war of ideologies that have defined the last 50 years of global history. If he can tempt the Chinese with trade, they might be willing to forget about Taiwan. But one misstep and it could all unravel. He just needs to hold his nerve and negotiate skillfully. And for that to happen, he must keep China guessing about what he's willing to give up to get a deal. You have been listening to the Spy who An Audible original A quick note about our dialogue. We can't know everything that was said or done behind closed doors, particularly far back in history, but our scenes are written using the best available sources. So even if a scene or conversation has been recreated for dramatic effect, it's still based on biographical research. We used many sources in our research for this season, including the Spy within by Tod Hoffman, the Hijacked War by David Cheng Chang, and My husband Jin Wudai's Death by Cathy Chin. The Spy who is hosted by me, Indra Varma. Additional voice acting by Winson Leong. The producer was Vespucci with writing and story editing by Yellowant. For Yellowant, the writer was Judy Cooper. Research by Louise Byrne with thanks to Monte Cooper Cooper and Gigi Corr. The managing producer was Jay Priest. For Vespucci, the senior producer was Holly Aquilina. The sound designer was Alex Port Felix Natalia Rodriguez is the supervising Producer. Music supervision by Scott Velasquez for Frisson Sync For Vespucci, the executive producers were Johnny Galvin and Daniel Turkan. For Yellowant, the executive producer was True Tristan Donovan. For Audible, the executive producers were Estelle Doyle and Theodora Leludis. Follow the Spy who on the Audible app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes of the Spy who ad free by joining Audible.