National Security Bureau

The Agencies' Gazette
Foreign spies celebrate Bastille Day, French DNRT head honoured, Chinese advisers

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

BelgiumForeign spies enjoy 14 July party in Brussels

FranceAn honour and a new appointment at head of the National Directorate of Territorial Intelligence

ChinaIdeological training courses to prep future strategic advisers abroad

China, Taiwan
Guoanbu doubles down on long-term clandestine operations in Taiwan

Beijing's spies have shifted from recruiting agents among Taiwan's elite to targeting soldiers, police, and local officials in the self-ruled island through criminal gangs, underground banks and money lenders.

France, Poland
Start-up Orasio brings in European master spies

French start-up Orasio, which specialises in video flow analysis using artificial intelligence, has just recruited several European senior advisers with links to the world of intelligence and security.

Thailand
Thai intelligence seeks to strengthen cyber capacities to counter China

Courted by both sides in China-US regional influence battles, Thailand's national intelligence agency is trying to beef up its capacities, with little success so far despite growing threats.

China, South Korea, United States
Seoul's nuclear goals spark intense talks between China and US

By raising the idea of a new nuclear autonomy strategy, South Korea has forced Washington and Beijing to quietly seek common ground over the issue.

Syria, United States
USSOCOM keeps troops on ground despite Syria-Turkey talks

After letting its focus on Syria slip, the United States is now having to sit by and watch as the Assad regime continues to engage with Turkey. If the two neighbours do restore ties, this could pull the US back into the regional troubles and call into question the presence of US troops in northeast Syria.