"Efforts by the People's Republic of China and other countries to gain foreign policy influence by illegally contributing foreign money to U.S. political campaigns and to the Democratic National Committee through domestic conduits." That was the subject of a 1997 Warning Memo from FBI Director Louis Freeh to Attorney General Janet Reno.
Old news to some, perhaps, but arguably relevant as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee begins to consider the nomination of Sen. Hillary Clinton, New York Democrat, to be secretary of state. For example, even now long-range Chinese rockets fired by Hamas target Israeli civilians and may threaten the nuclear facilities in southern Israel. Since the State Department is the chief enforcer of American anti-proliferation laws, the Chinese Communist Party and its security services will want a State Department inclined to be accommodating and not confrontational on issues such as arms smuggling.
Foreign intelligence services are in the influence business. They seek to create conditions that will shape events to their favor. An asset may serve as a source, passing secrets, or as an agent of influence. The latter may be witting, or not. The asset may be willing (money, ideology) or coerced. The realm of coercion ranges from direct blackmail to more subtle personal leverage, of which the Chinese appear to be the masters. A U.S. secretary of state personally motivated to accept their suggestions would be a stunning accomplishment.
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