The Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece, Global Times, is praising a Chinese citizen accused by the US government of hacking defense establishments.
US government said that Su Bin, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of several major US defense contractors.
Global Times said Su deserves to be respected for his services to the country even if he is guilty of hacking.
Chinese foreign ministry has denied any involvement in the Su case but insisted that the US should ensure the privacy and legal rights of Chinese citizens on US soil.
"We have no reliable source to identify whether Su has stolen these secrets and transferred them to the Chinese government. If he has, we are willing to show our gratitude and respect for his service to our country," the paper said.
It said China needs special agents to gather secrets from the US on "the secret battlefield without gunpowder".
Su deserves credit whether he was recruited by the Chinese government or merely driven by profit motive.
It referred to the case of Edward Snowden, who revealed the global US surveillance program PRISM. US refuses to reflect on its own behavior in encouraging spying but "keeps criticizing China for espionage without solid proof," it said.
"China should uncover Washington's brazen hypocrisy with concrete evidence," the paper said. Though China lags behind in certain technologies, it has the capability to fight back in the spy war, the paper said.
Su was arrested in Richmond in the summer of 2014, and extradited to the U.S. in February. He is a Chinese citizen and permanent resident of Canada.
The men targeted fighter jets such as the F-22 and the F-35, as well as Boeing's C-17 military cargo aircraft program, according to court papers.
Su's attorney, Robert Anello, declined to discuss the case in detail with CBC except to say that Su is "hopeful to move on with his life."
The US government has struck a deal with Canadian authorities that he would receive no more than five years in jail even if he pleaded guilty.