China backs joint effort in cyberspace

Also opposes hegemony by any one country

China is ready to cooperate with other countries to achieve a safe, cooperative, open and peaceful cyberspace, a Chinese official said in Havana on June 6.

Meanwhile, China respects sovereignty and opposes hegemony in cyberspace, said Li Tao, an official from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), at the International Conference on New Scenarios of Political Communication in the Digital Realm being held in the Cuban capital.

It is necessary to work together at international level and outline political strategies to promote the development of cyberspace and strengthening the ability to safeguard cyberspace sovereignty, the official added.

The official stressed the importance of the Internet for development and highlighted how China has used the Internet for boosting sectors such as agriculture, industry and services, and in the pursuit of better standards for education and medicine.

Beijing on June 5 has called allegations published in US media that the Chinese government breached US government computer networks affecting 4 million current and former federal workers a "trumped-up charge".

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on June 5: "Hacking attacks on the Internet are anonymous, international and hard to trace. Making allegations starting with 'maybe', without solid investigation and research, is a trumped-up charge. It is groundless and irresponsible."

The US Office of Personnel Management said on its website that it found out in April about a cybersecurity incident in December. Anonymous US intelligence officials told The Washington Post and CNN that they link the hackers to the Chinese government, but they did not provide any investigation details or evidence.

The Post's headline read "Chinese breach data of 4 million federal workers", and CNN wrote "US government hacked; feds think China is the culprit".

Hong said China has consistently and resolutely fought against any hacking activities, as China is a victim of cyberattacks as well.

"In this regard, we are willing to engage in international cooperation to build a peaceful, safe, open and cooperative cyberspace," Hong said. "We hope the US would not be too suspicious or make accusations on hearsay."

On June 4, the Chinese Embassy in the United States cautioned Washington against jumping to conclusions in accusing China of hacking US federal computer networks.

"Cyber attacks conducted across countries are hard to track and therefore the source of attacks is difficult to identify. Jumping to conclusions and making hypothetical accusation is not responsible and counterproductive," Zhu Haiquan, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the United States, said in a statement.

Contact the writer at chenmengwei@chinadaily.com.cn