Foreign and Military Affairs
Official fires back US cyber spy report
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-24 07:16
China accused a United States congressional advisory panel of ulterior motives on Monday for its report that claimed the Chinese government appears to be piercing the US computer network with increasing frequency to gather data for its military.
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission said in its 2009 report to Congress released last week that there was growing evidence of Chinese State involvement in the alleged espionage activity.
But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang countered by saying the report was a twisted attack on China.
"This report disregards the facts, is full of bias and has ulterior motives," Qin said in a brief statement on the ministry's website. "We advise this so-called commission not to always look at China through tinted glasses and stop interfering with China's internal politics and damaging Sino-US ties."
The 12-member, bipartisan US commission was set up in 2000 to analyze the implications of growing trade with China.
Beijing had begun to broaden its national security concerns beyond a potential clash across the Taiwan Straits and issues around its periphery, the 367-page report said.
China was the most aggressive country conducting "increasingly sophisticated espionage methods" against the US, focused on obtaining data and know-how to help military modernization and economic development, it added.
"In addition to harming US interests, Chinese human- and cyber-espionage activities provide China with a method for leaping forward in economic, technological and military development," said Larry Wortzel, vice-chairman of the commission.
But Chinese commentators say the report is an attempt by anti-China members of the US Congress to add more pressure to Obama.
The president is in hot water in the states for not appearing to be tough on Beijing during his Asia tour. His approval fell below 50 percent over the weekend, the first sub-50 rating since he took office in January.
"Obama didn't satisfy the request of those conservatives (when visiting China)," said Pang Zhongying, an international affairs expert at the Renmin University of China.
"But differences are natural in bilateral ties, and Obama shouldn't pay too much attention to it (the report)," Pang added.
However Shi Yinhong, a professor also from Beijing-based Renmin University of China, said these pressures would certainly affect Obama.
"Quite a few people in the US are disappointed and jealous about China's rise," Shi said.
