To most of the posters on here this would not be a shocking revelation. In Canada there was a recent and inappropriate "flirting" exchange between a high ranked Canadian member of parliament and a Chinese news reporter for Xinhua News. There have been calls for his head by some. I definitely think he should have known better (and the potential risks) considering his position...
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1053288--chinese-security-spies-often-placed-in-newsrooms-around-the-world?bn=1Beijing- China routinely places state security agents in Xinhua news bureaus around the world, according to a senior Chinese journalist.
Foreign correspondent jobs are appointed by the Ministry of State Security for set periods, and while they may write the occasional story, their job is intelligence gathering, he said on condition of anonymity.
The rare acknowledgement of the practice comes as debate continues in Ottawa about the relationship between Mississauga MP Bob Dechert and Xinhua News Agency’s Toronto bureau chief, Shi Rong....