Beijing: China condemned the ‘banditry mentality’ of CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis after he suggested the agency was spying on China, ahead of a planned summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump this month. Ellis had suggested at a cybersecurity conference on Tuesday that Washington was conducting extensive economic espionage in response to the ‘threat’ posed by Beijing. He argued that the ‘economic interdependence’ between the two countries could give Beijing leverage over Washington, which should prompt the agency to ‘act differently.’

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated on Friday that by openly declaring Chinese companies as legitimate targets for espionage, the United States has publicly revealed its intelligence agencies’ covert theft of secrets, thus demonstrating its banditry mentality and hegemonic ambitions. The statement emphasized that China’s technological advancements in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and other fields should in no way be a target for espionage, denouncing the ‘Cold War mentality.’

Ellis emphasized the importance of continuing to address traditional political and military issues, but highlighted the necessity of gathering intelligence related to the economic and security aspects of the competition between the two nations. He underscored the need to know how to acquire and analyze this information, pointing to semiconductors and biotechnology as key intelligence targets.

In a related development, President Trump announced that he would host his Chinese counterpart at the White House on September 24, with artificial intelligence expected to be a prominent topic on their agenda.