BEIJING: China denied it organized state-sponsored hacking groups to attack U.S. networks, saying the hacking allegations were a “collective disinformation campaign” from the Five Eyes countries, consisted of the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the UK.
Western intelligence agencies and Microsoft released a report on Wednesday alleging that China has been spying on a wide range of U.S. critical infrastructure organizations.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday that the report scraps all kinds of things up, misses a lot of evidence and is “extremely unprofessional”.
The fact that the National Security Agency (NSA) of the U.S. and other agencies from the Five Eyes countries issued the report simultaneously demonstrated that the disinformation campaign, launched by the U.S. and followed by the Five Eyes countries, is for geopolitical reasons, Mao said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.
Mao added that the Five Eyes Alliance is the world’s largest intelligence organization, and the NSA is the largest hacking group in the world.
“It’s ironic that the two organizations jointly publish false information reports,” she said.
As for the involvement of Microsoft, Mao said it showed that the U.S. government was expanding its channels of disinformation beyond government agencies.
“But no matter what varied methods are used, none of this can change the fact that the U.S. is the empire of hacking,” she told reporters.
She also mentioned a report by the Chinese side in September last year that disclosed details of a cyberattack by the NSA on Northwestern Polytechnical University of China. She urged the U.S. to give an account of its actions instead of spreading false information to divert attention.
Meanwhile, Chinese Special Representative on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui on Wednesday held talks with German Federal Foreign Office State Secretary Andreas Michaelis in Berlin, with both sides exchanging views on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and relations between China and Germany.
According to a press release published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday, Li said during the talks that China’s position on the Ukraine issue has been consistent and clear-cut, with the core being the promoting of peace talks and a political solution.
He reiterated that there would be no panacea, and all parties need to do their own part to create favorable conditions for restarting peace talks through accumulating mutual trust.
China supports European countries’ efforts of addressing the root causes of the crisis and finding a solution to both the symptoms and the root causes for the lasting peace and security of the European continent, said Li.
China is willing to continue to maintain close communication with the German side and implement the consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders to inject more stability and positive energy to the world, he added.
For his part, Michaelis said the German side highly values China’s positive efforts to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis.
It is very “useful and necessary” for Germany and China to strengthen dialogue on a series of major international and regional issues, including the Ukraine issue, he said.
Germany is willing to work together with China to enhance communication at all levels and promote a peaceful solution to the crisis, he added.
In a bid to engage with various parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, the Chinese special envoy is now on a trip to Europe that has taken him to Ukraine, Poland and France over the past 10 days. He is also expected to visit Moscow and Brussels.
