474 { China’s Quest
might vary, but the essence remained the same: “to cultivate so-called demo-
cratic forces within socialist countries and to stimulate and organize political
opposition using catchwords like ‘democracy,’ ‘liberty,’ or ‘human rights.’ ”
“These people also try to win over and split off wavering elements within
the Party in hopes of fomenting peaceful evolution inside the Party, thereby
causing ... changes in the nature of political power in our socialist state.”^20 All
US presidents had pursued “ideological and cultural infiltration of socialist
countries,” the MSS report stated. Following the failure of military encircle-
ment and economic blockade in the 1950s and 1960s, the United States moved
“to avail itself of China’s reform and opening to carry out spiritual infiltra-
tion of China through economic and cultural exchange.” In other words, the
appeal of liberal ideas to many Chinese was a manifestation of US hostility
toward the CCP and its state, the PRC.
The United States used many means to carry out “spiritual infiltration,”
according to the MSS report. The United States sent professors to Chinese
universities; 162 US professors had taught at twenty-four major Chinese uni-
versities between 1979 and 1989, the report said. Even larger numbers of visiting
scholars were sent to give lectures. “The purpose of [this] is clear,” according
to the report: “spiritual and ideological infiltration.” Religious missionaries
were sent in the guise of teachers, doctors, or businessmen. Their goal was to
“turn Chinese students into ‘new modern people with a different belief sys-
tem.’ ” Voice of American (VOA) radio broadcasts were a “major channel” for
political and ideological infiltration into socialist countries. VOA used music,
English-language lessons, and programs introducing American life to “be-
witch the Chinese audience” and get them to accept the American viewpoint.
The US government gave money to various Chinese universities to support
“American studies institutes” for the same purpose.
The International Visitor Program through which the US government
brought to the US “young [Chinese] people who are in power or who are
soon likely to move into power” was a way of influencing China’s evolution.
US leaders saw this as a “strategic” and “long-term investment.” The United
States was also extending “feelers to the top Chinese leadership by every pos-
sible means,” homing in on leaders affiliated with reform institutions. The
US embassy had “frequent contact with more than twenty people” at these
Chinese institutions. “The United States believes that the education, expe-
rience, and ways of thinking of these people will come to have a subtle but
strong influence on the highest Chinese leadership and decisionmaking bod-
ies,” the MSS report said. George Soros, who was active in funding proreform
activities in Hungary, was giving extensive funding to research on reform in
China. By May 1989, Soros had wired $2.5 million to China to promote insti-
tutions associated with Zhao Ziyang, the MSS report asserted.^21
Western scholars, students and journalists were all part of “ideological and
political infiltration by U.S.-led international forces,” according to the MSS