Chinese spies have blamed “anti-China forces abroad” for the rising number of disaffected young people turning their backs on the long hours required to build their careers and spur economic growth.
The Ministry of State Security, the country’s spy agency, this week said foreign forces were seeking to “erode the minds of Chinese youths” by disseminating anti-work propaganda online, encouraging them to drop out or, in Chinese internet parlance, “lie flat”.
“They want only for our youth to ‘lie flat’, handing over our development dividends, strategic opportunities, and the future of our nation,” the MSS said in a statement and an accompanying promotional video on WeChat.
“May every young person uphold their original aspirations, stand firm on their principles, remain undisturbed by noise and unclouded by confusion, and thrive in the prime of their lives.”
The warning underscores the anxiety felt in Beijing over high youth unemployment and the growing ranks of alienated workers. China this year set its lowest growth target outside of the coronavirus pandemic in decades, aiming for a rate of 4.5 to 5 per cent.