MCLC: China blasts hacking claims

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: China blasts hacking claims
***********************************************************

Source: NYT (5/7/13):
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/08/world/asia/china-criticizes-pentagon-repo
rt-on-cyberattacks.html

China Blasts Hacking Claim by Pentagon
By KEITH BRADSHER 

HONG KONG — China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday criticized a
Pentagon report that explicitly accused China’s military of staging
attacks on the computer systems of the American government and military
contractors.

“China has repeatedly said that we resolutely oppose all forms of hacker
attacks,” said a ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying. “We’re willing to
carry out an even-tempered and constructive dialogue with the U.S. on the
issue of Internet security. But we are firmly opposed to any groundless
accusations and speculations, since they will only damage the cooperation
efforts and atmosphere between the two sides to strengthen dialogue and
cooperation.”

In its annual report to Congress on Chinese military capabilities, which
was released on Monday, the Pentagon said that last year, “numerous
computer systems around the world, including those owned by the U.S.
government, continued to be targeted for intrusions, some of which appear
to be attributable directly to the Chinese government and military.”

In a telephone interview, a retired People’s Liberation Army major
general, Xu Guangyu, who is now a senior consultant at the China Arms
Control and Disarmament Association in Beijing, voiced sentiments similar
to that of Ms. Hua. He said that China was the victim, not perpetrator, of
Internet hacking.

“From the president down, people in the United States have leveled
accusations, and China has already many times answered those accusations,”
General Xu said. “Everyone knows that on the Internet, the United States
wields absolute advantage and control.”

He called for the United States to take the lead on international talks to
set rules on cyberespionage. “It should be the United States that sets an
example of sitting down for discussions on an equal footing, and setting
better rules to reduce the damage, because it’s the United States that has
absolute dominance,” he said.

Chris Buckley contributed reporting from Hong Kong, and Patrick Zuo
contributed research from Beijing.