CrowdStrike claims China-backed hackers poses biggest cyber threat to American tech companies; Beijing responds

Chinese hackers pose the single greatest espionage threat to global technology companies, a major report released by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has claimed. The security company revealed in the report on Tuesday (Jane 9) that foreign hackers are targeting the tech industry to steal intellectual property and economic secrets, with a particular focus on the booming artificial intelligence (AI) sector.

According to the report (via news agency Reuters), it tracked global cyber threats from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, and found that the technology sector remains the top target for both state-sponsored spies and cybercriminals. It added that the hackers specifically targeted companies researching or manufacturing computer hardware, semiconductors, software and IT consulting services.

‘Cyber espionage surges as AI race accelerates’

The report suggests that the surge in cyber espionage comes at a time of sky-high valuations and increased corporate investment in AI. Experts warn that the race to dominate AI has turned American tech firms into high-value targets for foreign intelligence agencies, the report added.

“There is an AI arms race occurring between the US and China, and China intends to achieve global dominance by 2030,” said Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike’s senior vice president and head of counter adversary operations.

Meyers noted that the threat is directed at major, well-funded AI labs as well as smaller developers working on specialised, domain-specific AI models. They are also being heavily targeted by Beijing-linked hackers looking to jumpstart their own domestic technology programs.

The White House has similarly sounded the alarm on the issue. On April 23, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy publicly accused China-based entities of running “deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns” to secretly copy and distill US-developed AI models for their own use.

China rejects the accusations

The Chinese government has fiercely denied the findings of the cybersecurity report, labeling the accusations as political slander.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington dismissed the report entirely, stating: “China opposes hacking activities and fights such activities in accordance with the law”, adding that Beijing rejects any “vilification and smears under the pretext of cybersecurity.”

The embassy also emphasised that despite the public friction, the US and China are actively communicating about the future of the technology. The spokesperson noted that during President Trump's recent diplomatic visit to China, the two heads of state had constructive exchanges regarding AI.