China Unveils New Advanced Cyber Weapon, Claims Parity with US
Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 Security Technology has announced the development of technology it claims is an ‘advanced weapon’ to rival Mythos, the artificial intelligence (AI) system from US-based Anthropic. The company views such an AI model as a strategic cyber capability that China cannot afford to be without. Mythos, introduced in April, is a system designed to detect software vulnerabilities. However, several cybersecurity experts have warned that the technology also has the potential to strengthen cyberattacks. The US government recently ordered Anthropic to halt exports of a lighter version of the programme, citing national security concerns.
At the ISC.AI 2026 cybersecurity conference in Beijing, 360 Security Technology founder Zhou Hongyi introduced two AI-based security tools under the name ‘Yitian Tulong’, a name taken from a classic Chinese martial arts novel meaning ‘Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre’. Zhou explained that one of the tools, Tulongfeng, is designed to automatically find software vulnerabilities and described it as China’s version of Mythos. The second system, Yitianzhen, was developed to automate cyber defence and responses to security incidents. ‘Such a powerful weapon that can change the landscape of cyberattack and defence should not be owned only by the other side,’ Zhou said in his speech, according to a transcript published by 360.
According to Zhou, China faces a risk of one-way transparency if US entities can use models like Mythos to scan critical software and systems while Chinese companies lack equivalent capabilities. 360 claims Tulongfeng has already found 3,432 software vulnerabilities, including 105 that have been confirmed by Chinese authorities. However, Reuters could not independently verify these claims. Since 2022, the US has increasingly tightened export controls on China’s access to advanced American-made chips, a move that has made it difficult for domestic Chinese AI models to catch up with US rivals, including Anthropic, although the gap is said to have narrowed since last year. The US government argues the restrictions are necessary because advanced chips could help the Chinese military enhance its capabilities with AI support.
‘Objectively, domestic models still have a basic capability gap of about 20%-30%,’ Zhou said. ‘China cannot wait until model capabilities fully catch up before starting vulnerability discovery, because we cannot afford to wait.’ Instead, Zhou said his company took an agent-based path, combining AI models with cybersecurity expertise, vulnerability databases, and automation tools. He claimed only 360 has successfully implemented this approach, giving Tulongfeng capabilities equivalent to Mythos. ‘If Mythos is a high-end chip, then what we have built is a complete machine that can operate stably, work 24 hours a day, and is less prone to errors,’ he said. ‘If the US approach is to cultivate a genius hacker, then 360’s approach is to organise a professional attack and defence team.’