China denounces U.S. cyber-espionage charges

China denounces U.S. cyber-espionage charges

PanARMENIAN.Net - China has denounced charges brought by the U.S. against five army officers accused of economic cyber-espionage, according to BBC News.

Beijing said it had "never engaged or participated" in cyber theft and that the charges would damage co-operation between the two countries.

China summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beijing over the incident, the state news agency Xinhua reported.

U.S. prosecutors say the officers stole trade secrets and internal documents from five companies and a labor union. But the Chinese foreign ministry urged Washington to "immediately correct its mistakes" and withdraw the charges.

Spokesman Qin Gang, quoted by Xinhua, said the charges were "purely ungrounded and with ulterior purpose". He said China had decided to suspend activities of the China-U.S. Cyber Working Group. The group was set up in April.

"Given the lack of sincerity on the part of the U.S. to solve issues related to cyber security through dialogue and co-operation, China has decided to suspend activities of the China-US Cyber Working Group," Qin said.

China has always insisted that it is itself a victim of cyber theft, wiretapping and surveillance activities by the U.S.

Qin added: "We once again strongly urge the U.S. side to make a clear explanation of what it has done and immediately stop such kind of activities."

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang lodged a "solemn representation" with U.S. ambassador Max Baucus on Monday night.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said a grand jury had laid hacking charges against the Chinese nationals, the first against "known state actors for infiltrating U.S. commercial targets by cyber means". He identified the alleged victims as Westinghouse Electric, U.S. Steel, Alcoa Inc, Allegheny Technologies, SolarWorld and the U.S. Steelworkers Union.

"The alleged hacking appears to have been conducted for no reason other than to advantage state-owned companies and other interests in China, at the expense of businesses here in the United States," Holder said.

In the indictment brought in the western district of Pennsylvania - the heart of the U.S. steel industry - the U.S. named Wang Dong, Sun Kailiang, Wen Xinyu, Huang Zhenyu, and Gu Chunhui, all officers in Unit 61398 of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), as the alleged conspirators.

FBI officials said the hacking in the years 2006-14 caused "significant losses" at the companies and that there were likely many more victims.

Last year, cyber-defense company Mandiant published a report on a Chinese military unit the firm said was behind the vast majority of significant attacks on American federal agencies and companies.

In March, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Pentagon planned to more than triple its cyber-security capabilities in the next few years to defend against such internet attacks.

U.S. President Barack Obama has called cyber attacks a "real threat" to US security and its economy.

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