Across the globe, spies gather in inconspicuous dens to meet contacts and hold discreet conversations. This week, Intelligence Online explores Yin Xi in Shanghai, a favourite tea room amongst Guoanbu officials in China.
In the dim light of a glass-walled room on the 53rd floor of Shanghai Tower, the bustle of the city fades and gives way to a moving tableau: clouds skim skyscrapers, floors of glass cascade downward, and far beneath, the Huangpu River meanders like a silver snake. Around the dark wooden coffee table, silence reigns for a moment. Then, the soft murmur of water being slowly poured, like a gentle stream.
At Yin Xi, which translates literally as "The Hidden Stream", the Chinese Tea Ceremony takes place
