We spy like hell too: Trump reveals blunt exchange with Xi on hacking

US President Donald Trump on Friday openly acknowledged that the United States carries out extensive spying and cyber operations against China, revealing unusually candid details of his private conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a two-day summit in Beijing.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after departing China, Trump said he directly discussed allegations of Chinese cyberattacks targeting US infrastructure and admitted Washington engages in similar activities against Beijing.

“Did you talk to him about the cyberattacks that he's done in the United States?” a reporter asked Trump.

“I did, and he talked about the attacks that we did in China,” Trump replied. “You know, what they do, we do too.”

In one of his bluntest public remarks on cyber espionage between the world’s two largest powers, Trump added: “We spy like hell on them, too.”

The US president said he had also warned Xi that Washington possesses cyber capabilities China may not even be aware of.

“I told him, ‘We do a lot of stuff to you that you don't know about,’” Trump said.

Trump’s remarks came shortly after wrapping up his first China visit since returning to the White House. The trip, marked by elaborate ceremonies and high-level meetings, produced no major breakthrough on trade disputes or the ongoing Iran conflict, despite repeated praise exchanged between the two leaders.

While Trump sought immediate economic wins and investment announcements, Xi appeared focused on stabilising long-term ties between Beijing and Washington. During the summit, the Chinese leader reportedly warned Trump that mishandling Taiwan could trigger conflict.

Trump later told reporters that Xi reiterated Beijing’s opposition to Taiwanese independence.

“I heard him out. I didn't make a comment... I made no commitment either way,” Trump said, adding that a decision on a pending US arms sale to Taiwan would come later.

The visit also highlighted shifting diplomatic language between the two powers. Xi promoted what he called “constructive strategic stability” in US-China relations, a phrase Chinese officials appear to prefer over the “strategic competition” framework used during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Despite the diplomatic optics, Trump’s comments on spying and cyber warfare underscored the deep mistrust that continues to define the US-China relationship, even as both leaders publicly described each other in friendly terms.

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