A 16-panel comic strip displayed in posters across Beijing follows a young female civil servant, Xiao Li, who is tricked into handing secret files to a red-haired foreigner, David. The visiting scholar woos Miss Li with red roses, dinners – and compliments.

It has been launched as part of China’s new national security awareness week, which started on 15 April.

However, it may have failed to have the desired impact among its target audience.

One Chinese student told CNN: “A lot of our friends have foreign boyfriends, and we would never believe that they are spies.”

Another added: “Isn’t this supposed to be a joke?”