ANKARA

China on Wednesday criticized the "once renowned" US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for "violating the most basic tenets of spycraft" while hiring foreign citizens to engage in espionage activities, according to state-run media.

In a statement, the Chinese Ministry of State Security accused the CIA of attempting to contain China by repeatedly engaging in intelligence theft, infiltration, and sabotage against Beijing.

"Recently, the US Central Intelligence Agency posted recruitment videos in Chinese on social media, brazenly recruiting Chinese nationals to engage in espionage activities. These painstakingly crafted 'job ads' lay bare the absurd logic and paranoid delusions of American intelligence agencies," said the ministry.

Last month, the CIA launched a video campaign on social media against China, showing Chinese officials changing loyalties and leaking secrets to the US.

Later, the Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the CIA for "openly inciting" Chinese personnel to defect and said Beijing will take all necessary steps to firmly strike the "infiltration and sabotage" by external anti-China forces.

However, the Chinese Ministry of State Security said that the act severely violated the fundamental norms of international relations, undermined international order and trust, and has long been a "notorious enemy of the international community."

The ministry said that in recent years, China’s national security authorities, with strong public support, have dealt a fatal blow to the CIA’s intelligence network in the country.

"Any 'traitors' or 'moles' recruited through such public means will inevitably be exposed by China’s national security authorities and face the righteous judgment of the law. The CIA will naturally sink deeper into the quagmire of failure," the ministry said.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid