China has rejected allegations by the U.S. Department of Justice that hackers allegedly linked to the Chinese government breached the networks of several U.S. government agencies and institutions.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said Wednesday that he was not aware of the cyberattacks described by the U.S. administration, while stressing that China consistently works to protect cybersecurity.
The spokesperson said the Chinese government “firmly opposes cyberattacks in all forms and combats them in accordance with the law,” while urging the United States to stop what Beijing described as using cybersecurity issues to damage China’s reputation.
Beijing Warns Against Restrictions on Chinese Companies
The Chinese Embassy also criticized what it described as Washington’s use of national security concerns as a pretext for imposing discriminatory restrictions on Chinese companies.
Beijing said it would firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses.
The statements came in response to U.S. allegations concerning cyber activity targeting several American government institutions.
The U.S. Department of Justice had previously announced that hackers linked to China had breached networks associated with NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Energy and the Department of Health, among other U.S. government entities.
Beijing has repeatedly denied U.S. and Western accusations that it is behind cyberattacks, as cybersecurity remains one of the key areas of tension between China and the United States.
