Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

China's Foreign Ministry (FM) blasted the unfounded accusations by US officials regarding Chinese repair ships' alleged espionage on Monday. The ministry called the US accusation groundless, constituting a deliberate smearing against Chinese companies.

The ministry responded to media inquiries about "an unusual warning" by US officials, alleging that US undersea cables that ferry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean could be "vulnerable to tampering" by Chinese repair ships.

During a regular press briefing on Monday, a spokesperson from FM said that the Chinese government consistently encourages Chinese enterprises to conduct business activities according to market rules and international principles. The spokesperson said the US allegation of espionage is part of a malicious attempt to discredit China and Chinese companies. 

According to an exclusive report from the Wall Street Journal on May 19, US officials accused a state-owned Chinese cable repair company, S.B. Submarine Systems, of "hiding its vessels' locations from radio and satellite tracking services."

The US government's deliberate defamation and suppression targeting Chinese and other international information and communication companies is aimed at forging an exclusive, unchallenged global surveillance network under its hegemony. And, the network would enable unrestricted monitoring and covert intelligence gathering, serving as a gateway for American surveillance activities, the FM spokesperson said.

The spokesperson urged the US government, which is desperate to uphold its internet information hegemony, to engage in self-reflection, cease malicious smearing, and put an end to the political farce of baseless accusations against China and Chinese companies.

Lately, the US has been intensifying its malicious crackdown on China's competitive industries, such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic cells.

In response to US allegations, S.B. Submarine Systems (SBSS) said in a statement issued on the company's website on Thursday that the company strictly complies with laws and regulations, international practices, and industry standards. Its daily operations are in line with the regulations set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other authorities.

SBSS said in the statement that with 30 years of experience in international operations, the company has always adhered to the principles of honesty and transparency and has gained the respect and recognition of global customers and partners. The company  also expressed strong opposition to the US generalization of the national security concept to suppress and discredit the company.

Global Times