# China summits the Mount Everest of hypocrisy with US spying complaints > Source: > Published: 2026-09-15 19:13:42+00:00 Reaching Mount Everest-rivaling heights of political hypocrisy, [China](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/China) has slammed the United States over Washington’s admission that it spies on Beijing’s [artificial intelligence](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/Artificial-Intelligence) programs. Beijing’s anger follows U.S. actions last week that drew attention to China’s AI-related threats. These included the AI company [Anthropic’s](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/anthropic/) announcement that Chinese spies had attempted to use its Claude AI system for varied malicious purposes. CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis also publicly admitted that his agency spies on Chinese research in AI, semiconductors, and biotechnology. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency [further warned](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa26-251a) that, “China-based artificial intelligence (AI) companies are conducting systematic extraction of proprietary functionalities and capabilities of U.S. AI companies’ models through industrial-scale knowledge distillation campaigns that form the core — not merely a supplement — of their AI development strategy.” ## Stay informed.Stay ahead. Join Washington Examiner for unlimited access to the news, analysis, and commentary that matter most. [See Options](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/subscribe/digital/) Already a member? [Log in](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sign-in/) [Click here to login/register your account](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/print-subscription-check)