China urges US to ‘stop all spying’ or face retaliation, slams ‘gangster logic’

Commerce ministry retort follows CIA official’s defence of spying on China’s AI and chip sectors just weeks ahead of US visit by Xi

The ministry’s remarks late on Friday were in direct response to statements made earlier in the week by Michael Ellis, the deputy director of the US Central Intelligence Agency.

In a rare public speech on Tuesday, Ellis revealed that the CIA was expanding its intelligence work on China, suggesting that Chinese companies were “legitimate targets” for espionage in areas such as AI, semiconductors and biotechnology.

Friday’s brief Chinese ministry statement said the US had “exposed its gangster logic of hegemony in broad daylight”, which China firmly opposed.

Economic competition was a regular commercial activity, and those in advantage relied on technology, talent and innovation, said the statement, which was attributed to a ministry representative.