Chinese paper applauds anti-spy efforts after report CIA sources killed

China's national flag is seen behind hostesses waiting for delegates outside the Great Hall of the People during the second plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China March 8, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

BEIJING (Reuters) - An influential state-run newspaper applauded China's anti-espionage efforts on Monday after the New York Times said China had killed or imprisoned up to 20 CIA sources, hobbling U.S. spying operations in a massive intelligence breach.

The Chinese killed at least a dozen people providing information to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency between 2010 and 2012, dismantling a network that was years in the making, the New York Times reported on Saturday.