CHUNG: It all starts here in Beijing. A Chinese student or scientist or businessperson applies for a visa to go to the US. Then the Ministry of State Security starts asking questions: What can you learn in the States? Will you be working with computers? Will you be loyal to China? And most importantly, can you be patient? Eftimiades says the prospective spies are trained, paid and warned to stay in touch. 'Remember,' they are told, 'we'll be watching your family members in China.' 'Lay low until you're contacted,' they are told. It could be years.
CHUNG: Every day, planeloads of Chinese citizens arrive legally in the United States, ordinary people. But to the Chinese government, some of them may be future spies, who a few years down the road, will be activated to steal American's military and technological secrets, whether they want to or not.
Eye on America, hosted by Ms. Connie Chung, on May 19th, 1994