Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian

China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the US once again smearing it under the pretext of cybersecurity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press conference on Thursday.

Lin made the remarks when asked about the US Department of Justice's announcement on Wednesday that it had carried out court-authorized seizures of domains used by two hacking platforms which Washington claimed were operated and used by "China state-sponsored hackers to target US critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks."

"We have noted relevant reports. China firmly opposes and combats hacking activities in accordance with the law. At the same time, China firmly opposes the dissemination of disinformation for political purposes," Lin said. "The so-called US statement lacks factual evidence and turns facts on their head. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the US once again smearing China under the pretext of cybersecurity."

"The US is widely recognized as the world's biggest hacking and surveillance empire, with an appalling record backed by irrefutable evidence," Lin said, noting that China has serious concerns about US cyber activities.

Previously disclosed cases, including the US National Security Agency's cyberattacks and infiltration targeting China's National Time Service Center, exposed the dangerous activities of the US government in attacking China's critical infrastructure and conducting cyber pre-positioning for large-scale sabotage in the future. However, the US has not responded to any of these cases, Lin said.

As major cyber powers, China and the US should take the lead in upholding and observing international rules in cyberspace and jointly build a peaceful, stable and mutually respectful China-US relationship in cyberspace, Lin said. 

"We urge the US to abandon double standards and political manipulation, and work with China in a responsible and constructive manner to properly address cybersecurity risks through dialogue and consultation on an equal footing," he said.

Global Times