Intelligence

The U.S. last month announced indictments against two alleged Chinese intelligence officers — men who are unlikely to ever appear in an American courtroom. Why would prosecutors pursue these charges, given the case almost certainly won’t result in a conviction? Sometimes, an indictment is just an indictment, and the purported legal violation is what matters. In cases like this one, national security officials use indictments as a wider tool of statecraft — to go on offense. Occasionally, for example, as part of espionage-related indictments, the U.S. will release candid photos of alleged spies, say, sitting at their desks. Including such a photo isn’t happenstance; it’s a signal. The U.S. intelligence community is saying, We’ve been watching you, we’ve had access to your device. That c...