An internal Russian government document leaked from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) revealed growing distrust of China. The agency referred to Beijing as "the enemy" in an eight-page planning document obtained by The New York Times.

The document, which a previously undisclosed FSB unit reportedly authored, stated that China posed a serious and expanding threat to Russian national security.

It reported that China increasingly tried to recruit Russian scientists and intelligence officers. The document added that Beijing aggressively targeted "dissatisfied individuals" with access to sensitive military and technological information.

FSB officers claimed that Chinese agents actively monitored Russian military operations in Ukraine. The document stated that their aim was to analyse Western-supplied weapons and learn modern warfare techniques.

It also alleged that "Chinese intelligence conducts espionage in the Arctic using mining companies and university research centres as cover." The report raised alarms about Beijing’s dual-use civilian infrastructure and scientific engagement.

The document warned that China could be laying the groundwork to eventually challenge Russian territorial claims. It referred to sparsely populated and strategically significant regions near the two countries’ shared border.

Three days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the FSB launched a new counterintelligence programme called 'Entente-4.' The document noted the irony of this name, given Moscow’s public embrace of Beijing.

It indicated that since Russia’s espionage resources are focused on Ukraine, the FSB feared that China might take advantage of this shift. The report suggested that the timing was likely not accidental.

Since 2022, the FSB documented a sharp rise in Chinese efforts to infiltrate Russian institutions. In response, Russian officers held face-to-face meetings with Russian citizens who cooperated closely with China.

The document stated that the officers were instructed to eliminate the threat and prevent the transfer of critical information. It asserted that Beijing sought to exploit Russia and gain access to advanced scientific research.

The report described a climate of deep mutual suspicion between the two countries. It stated that Chinese intelligence monitored returning operatives with polygraph tests. It also said that Chinese authorities controlled more than 20,000 Russian students currently in China.

The FSB warned that Chinese agents often targeted Russians married to Chinese citizens. Their goal was to penetrate Russian state institutions through trusted and vulnerable personal relationships.

While Russia and China publicly declared a "no limits" partnership, the FSB document revealed a hidden intelligence struggle. It described a "tense and dynamically developing intelligence battle in the shadows between the two outwardly friendly nations."

Although the document was undated, clues suggested it was likely written in late 2023 or early 2024. This highlighted the ongoing strain in bilateral ties despite surface-level cooperation.