Security forces’ crackdown on foreign spies ‘normal’: China

The state-run Global Times, however, came out with a scathing editorial against NYT’s spy story, saying it is “full of narcissism”.

“If this article is telling the truth, we would like to applaud China’s anti-espionage activities,” it said.

“Not only was the CIA’s spy network dismantled, but Washington had no idea what happened and which part of the spy network had gone wrong. It can be taken as a sweeping victory. Perhaps it means even if the CIA makes efforts to rebuild its spy network in China, it could face the same result.

“As for one source being shot in a government courtyard, that is a purely fabricated story, most likely a piece of American-style imagination based on ideology,” the editorial said.

Stating that the CIA has apparently increased its espionage activities in China, which will inevitably lead to China simultaneously strengthening its counter-intelligence efforts, the report said “no matter how Americans see it, international law will affirm that China’s anti-espionage activities are just and legal, while the CIA’s spying is illegitimate”.

“When the US media is keen on hyping up “catching Chinese spies, they should forego their moral narcissism when reporting CIA espionage in China. It’s absurd that under their description, the US is always the noble side whether it is catching spies or sending spies,” the editorial added.