CIA admits: espionage activities against China enter a new phase

CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis revealed at a cybersecurity conference in Washington that the U.S. intelligence agency is expanding its espionage operations against China, focusing on the private sector and advanced technologies. Ellis explained that the Chinese threat differs from previous rivalries due to its economic nature, and that the CIA must broaden its mandate to gather intelligence on areas such as artificial intelligence. The statement comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's expected state visit to the U.S.

CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis, in a rare public speech at a cybersecurity conference in Washington, revealed that the U.S. intelligence agency is significantly expanding its espionage activities against China. Ellis explained that the Chinese threat differs from previous geopolitical rivalries, as the competition is fundamentally economic, and the needed information resides in China's private sector, not traditional political or military intelligence sources. According to him, the CIA must broaden its mandate to obtain valuable intelligence on advanced technologies, especially in the field of artificial intelligence. The statement comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's expected state visit to the U.S. this month, and alongside a warning issued by U.S. security agencies (NSA, FBI, and CISA) about the theft of trade secrets on an industrial scale by Chinese companies since 2024. Ellis praised the upgrade of the CIA's Cyber Mission Center and presented the capture operation of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in January 2026 as an example of successful cyber-based intelligence. He also warned that the cyberattack "Salt Typhoon," attributed to China, remains a critical threat to U.S. communication infrastructure.