The CIA released a new Mandarin language recruitment video focused on Chinese military officers, featuring a fictional mid-level People’s Liberation Army officer who struggles with corrupt leadership and ultimately decides to contact the US intelligence agency.

The video is the latest part of a targeted recruitment campaign aimed at the public Chinawhat CIA Director John Ratcliffe described as the agency’s top intelligence priority amid what he called a “generational contest” with Beijing.

In the short film, the central character watches as qualified officers are removed and replaced by political loyalists without military credentials. Disturbed by what he sees as corruption and worried about the effect on his young family, the officer decides to turn to the CIA.

“The main character’s struggle represents the widely shared experience and values ​​of those who serve in the PLA,” a CIA official told CBS News, referring to the People’s Liberation Army. The video is meant to highlight what the agency describes as a growing gap “between Chinese elites who want what’s best for their bank accounts and Chinese citizens who want what’s best for their country.”

The campaign is not aimed at the Chinese President Xi Jinping personally, the official said, but with individuals in China “who may feel deeply concerned about the direction their country is going but feel powerless to do anything about it.”

In a statement, Ratcliffe said the agency intends to build on the reach of its earlier efforts.

“Last year, the CIA’s Mandarin video campaign reached many Chinese citizens, and we know that many more are looking for a way to improve their lives and change their country for the better,” Ratcliffe said. “We will continue to offer Chinese government officials and citizens the opportunity to work together towards a brighter future.”

The agency declined to provide specific metrics, but said its previous Mandarin-language videos “reached millions of people and inspired new sources.” The CIA has seen “more and more people with insight into China volunteering their services and information through our website on the dark web,” the official said, adding, “If the videos weren’t working, we wouldn’t be putting out more videos.”

The new video, like its predecessors, includes operational safety instructions. His final screen displays instructions in Mandarin on how to safely contact the CIA.

Although major US social media platforms are blocked in China, the agency believes their content can still circulate. “Their wall is imperfect,” the official said, referring to Beijing’s so-called Great Firewall.

The campaign comes amid significant leadership changes within the PLA, including the removal of several senior military officers in recent months. A CIA official declined to draw a direct connection, but suggested the parallels are striking. “The question to ask is, does art imitate life or life imitates art?” the official said.

US intelligence leaders have long viewed China as the main strategic challenge facing the United States. Ratcliffe has said publicly that China is the CIA’s “top intelligence priority” and that the agency must secure a “decisive intelligence advantage” in competition with Beijing.

The public recruitment campaigns represent an evolution in craft for the agency, which in recent years has increasingly used cinematic online videos to reach audiences inside rival states, including Russia and Iran.