Across the globe, spies gather in inconspicuous places to meet contacts and hold discreet conversations. This week, Intelligence Online looks at the Chinese Communist Party archives, document repositories where preservation, political control and the production of official narratives intertwine.
Even without going inside the central archives of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) in Beijing, one can imagine its imposing façade, its sober institutional signage and its clearly visible security measures. After an identity check and a review of a consultation request, visitors step into a highly organised universe, whose reading rooms are watched very carefully.
Such an administrative structure, marked by the hierarchy of materials, custodians of collections and strict rules governing access, reflects
