Only a thief hates the alarm of a house: Editorial flash

Who is so shameless as misinterpreting China's new counter-espionage push as "encouraging citizens to spy on each other"?

It's the US Department of State that has a notorious record of distorting policies of other nations, to which the newly released WeChat article of China's National Security Ministry has fallen victim. The ministry asked every citizen to stay cautious against foreign spies, but in the words of Department of State the warning becomes "encouraging citizens to spy on each other", a phrase that one cannot find even after digging into all the lines of the article.

As early as July 1, when China's Anti-Espionage Law came into effect, US politicians expressed worries based on distortion, and now it's just an old trick.

China's practice is something that every nation facing high risk of espionage adopts. Posters of the US asking every citizen to stay alert of Japanese spies during the World War II are silent testimonies of what this superpower would do when faced with threat.

The State Department does not have a shortage of staff members with Chinese linguistic skills. Don't forget how CIA director William Burns said they are working to rebuild spy network in China in late July. It's a thief that worries about a house owner installing an alarm system, but the thief cries cannot stop the process.