lǐ tōng wài guó: 里通外国 - To Collude with a Foreign Country, Treason

• Keywords: lǐ tōng wài guó, 里通外国, treason in Chinese, collude with foreign country, Chinese traitor, collaborating with the enemy, selling out the country, Chinese espionage, national security law, pànguó, màiguózéi.
• Summary: 里通外国 (lǐ tōng wài guó) is a formal and severe Chinese idiom meaning to collude with a foreign power against one's own country, essentially committing treason. This politically and legally charged term implies secretly communicating with and aiding an external entity to harm national interests. It is not used in casual conversation but is frequently found in legal documents, historical contexts, war films, and official government statements to describe acts of espionage or betrayal of the highest order.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): lǐ tōng wài guó
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (idiom); Verb phrase
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: To secretly communicate and collude with a foreign country, betraying one's own nation.
• In a Nutshell: This isn't just about having foreign friends or working for a multinational company. 里通外国 is a grave accusation that paints a picture of betrayal from within. Imagine someone on the “inside” (里) of a country secretly “connecting” (通) with an “outside country” (外国) to sell secrets or undermine their homeland. It carries the full weight of treason and is one of the most serious allegations a person can face in China.

• 里 (lǐ): Inside, inner. In this idiom, it signifies being on the inside of one's own country, organization, or group.
• 通 (tōng): To connect, communicate, or pass through. It implies establishing a secret channel or line of communication.
• 外 (wài): Outside, external, foreign.
• 国 (guó): Country, nation, state.

The characters literally combine to mean “from the inside, connect with an outside country.” This straightforward construction creates a powerful and unambiguous image of internal betrayal for external interests.

• Deep-Rooted Historical Fear: The concept of 里通外国 is deeply ingrained in the Chinese cultural and political psyche. China's long history, marked by periods of internal strife, civil war, and foreign invasion (most notably the “Century of Humiliation”), has cultivated a profound emphasis on national unity and sovereignty. The “enemy within” is often seen as a greater threat than the enemy at the gate. This term encapsulates that fear.
• Comparison to “Treason”: While “treason” is the closest English equivalent, 里通外国 carries a unique cultural weight. In Western history, treason was often tied to betraying a specific monarch or sovereign. In China, the term evokes a sense of betraying the entire nation, the culture, and the people (the collective). The accusation can be a powerful political tool, used to discredit opponents by painting them as puppets of foreign forces, thereby questioning their loyalty to the Chinese nation itself.
• Related Values: This term is the antithesis of 爱国主义 (àiguó zhǔyì) - patriotism, a core value heavily promoted in modern China. An accusation of 里通外国 is not just a legal charge; it's a profound moral condemnation, branding the person as someone who has violated the sacred trust of the nation.

This is a very formal and serious term with an exclusively negative connotation. You will almost never hear it in casual, everyday conversation.

• Legal and Official Contexts: This is the primary domain for the term. It is used in national security laws, court documents, and official government pronouncements when charging individuals with espionage or treason.
  • Example: The National Security Law explicitly forbids any act of 里通外国.
• State Media and Propaganda: The term is frequently used in state-controlled media to describe the actions of spies, dissidents, or organizations accused of receiving foreign funding to undermine the state. It also features heavily in historical dramas and war films to label villains and traitors.
• Political Accusations: It can be used as a potent rhetorical weapon in political discourse to accuse opponents or critics of being influenced or controlled by foreign governments, thereby delegitimizing their stance.
• Online (Rarely and Hyperbolically): In extremely heated nationalist online forums, users might hurl this accusation at someone perceived as unpatriotic. However, this is considered extreme and is not a normal part of online discourse.

• Example 1:
  • 他因里通外国罪被判处无期徒刑。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīn lǐ tōng wài guó zuì bèi pànchǔ wúqī túxíng.
  • English: He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime of colluding with a foreign country (treason).
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the term's formal, legal usage. The character 罪 (zuì) means “crime.”
• Example 2:
  • 战争时期，任何里通外国的汉奸都会受到严惩。
  • Pinyin: Zhànzhēng shíqī, rènhé lǐ tōng wài guó de hànjiān dūhuì shòudào yánchéng.
  • English: During wartime, any traitor who colludes with foreign powers will be severely punished.
  • Analysis: This sentence places the term in a historical context, linking it to the concept of 汉奸 (hànjiān), a traitor to the Chinese people.
• Example 3:
  • 该组织被指控里通外国，企图颠覆国家政权。
  • Pinyin: Gāi zǔzhī bèi zhǐkòng lǐ tōng wài guó, qìtú diānfù guójiā zhèngquán.
  • English: The organization was accused of colluding with foreign powers in an attempt to subvert state power.
  • Analysis: A common phrase seen in official news reports about national security matters.
• Example 4:
  • 作为一名政府官员，你必须时刻警惕，避免任何可能被视为里通外国的行为。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi yī míng zhèngfǔ guānyuán, nǐ bìxū shíkè jǐngtì, bìmiǎn rènhé kěnéng bèi shìwéi lǐ tōng wài guó de xíngwéi.
  • English: As a government official, you must always be vigilant to avoid any behavior that could be seen as colluding with foreign powers.
  • Analysis: This shows the term used as a warning, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding interactions with foreign entities for people in power.
• Example 5:
  • 这位将军里通外国，出卖了重要的军事情报。
  • Pinyin: Zhè wèi jiāngjūn lǐ tōng wài guó, chūmài le zhòngyào de jūnshì qíngbào.
  • English: This general colluded with a foreign country and sold important military intelligence.
  • Analysis: A classic scenario for this term, often found in movies or historical accounts.
• Example 6:
  • 调查人员发现了他与外国间谍秘密联系的证据，证实了他里通外国。
  • Pinyin: Diàochá rényuán fāxiàn le tā yǔ wàiguó jiàndié mìmì liánxì de zhèngjù, zhèngshí le tā lǐ tōng wài guó.
  • English: Investigators found evidence of his secret contact with foreign spies, confirming that he was colluding with a foreign power.
  • Analysis: This sentence breaks down what the act of 里通外国 entails: secret contact with spies.
• Example 7:
  • 在国家利益面前，任何里通外国的个人私利都是不可饶恕的。
  • Pinyin: Zài guójiā lìyì miànqián, rènhé lǐ tōng wài guó de gèrén sīlì dōu shì bùkě ráoshù de.
  • English: In the face of national interests, any personal gain from colluding with foreign countries is unforgivable.
  • Analysis: This sentence emphasizes the moral and ethical condemnation associated with the term.
• Example 8:
  • 你这样做太危险了，万一被误会成里通外国怎么办？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zhèyàng zuò tài wēixiǎn le, wànyī bèi wùhuì chéng lǐ tōng wài guó zěnme bàn?
  • English: What you're doing is too dangerous. What if you're misunderstood as committing treason?
  • Analysis: Shows how the mere accusation or misunderstanding can be a serious threat.
• Example 9:
  • 历史书上记载了很多里通外国的卖国贼的下场。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ shū shàng jìzǎi le hěn duō lǐ tōng wài guó de màiguózéi de xiàchǎng.
  • English: History books record the fate of many traitors who colluded with foreign countries.
  • Analysis: Connects the act (里通外国) with the person who commits it (卖国贼, màiguózéi).
• Example 10:
  • 在商界，将公司核心机密泄露给外国竞争对手，有时也被比作是经济上的“里通外国”。
  • Pinyin: Zài shāngjiè, jiāng gōngsī héxīn jīmì xièlù gěi wàiguó jìngzhēng duìshǒu, yǒushí yě bèi bǐzuò shì jīngjì shàng de “lǐ tōng wài guó”.
  • English: In the business world, leaking a company's core secrets to a foreign competitor is sometimes compared to an economic form of “treason.”
  • Analysis: This demonstrates a metaphorical, though still serious, extension of the term's meaning into a non-state context.

• Don't Use it for Normal International Interaction: The most common mistake is to misunderstand 里通外国 as simply “working with foreigners.” It is not. Collaborating with a foreign company is 合作 (hézuò). Having friends from other countries is normal. 里通外国 exclusively means betraying your own country.
  • Incorrect: `我的哥哥在一家美国公司工作，他里通外国。` (My brother works at an American company, he commits treason.)
  • Correct: `我的哥哥在一家外企工作。` (My brother works at a foreign-invested enterprise.)
• False Friend: “Collaborator”: In English, a “collaborator” can be a positive term (e.g., “a scientific collaborator”). The concept behind 里通外国 is closer to the negative WWII-era meaning of “collaborator” (one who works with an occupying enemy force), but it is even broader and more severe.
• Extreme Severity: Do not use this term lightly, even as a joke. It is a real and serious criminal charge. Accusing someone of this is equivalent to accusing them of the highest form of treason and can have severe consequences. It's a “point of no return” word in an argument.

• 卖国贼 (màiguózéi) - “Country-selling traitor.” A noun for the person who commits treason. This is who you call someone who engages in 里通外国.
• 汉奸 (hànjiān) - “Han traitor.” A historically-charged term for a traitor, especially one who collaborated with the Japanese during WWII. More specific than 卖国贼.
• 叛国 (pànguó) - To betray one's country; treason. A more modern and general legal verb. 里通外国 is a specific way one can 叛国.
• 间谍 (jiàndié) - A spy. A spy's work often involves 里通外国.
• 吃里扒外 (chī lǐ pá wài) - “To eat inside and claw outside.” A colloquial idiom for betraying one's own group (e.g., family, company) for personal gain. It's like a miniature, non-political version of 里通外国.
• 爱国 (àiguó) - To be patriotic; to love one's country. The ideological antonym.
• 国家安全 (guójiā ānquán) - National security. This is the concept that is violated by the act of 里通外国.
• 颠覆 (diānfù) - To subvert or overthrow. The goal of 里通外国 is often to颠覆国家政权 (subvert state power).