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US defense secretary accuses China of ‘cyber attacks’

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The United States has once again accused China of staging cyber attacks on the US government and corporate networks.

Speaking at a security forum in Singapore attended by top Chinese military officials on Saturday, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said, “The United States has expressed our concerns about the growing threat of cyber intrusions, some of which appear to be tied to the Chinese government and military.”

Hagel also said that Washington is determined to work closely with China and other countries “to establish international norms of responsible behaviour in cyberspace.”

The remarks came after China’s Defense Ministry denounced a recent US report that alleged Chinese hackers had gained access to designs of over two dozen major US weapons systems.

On May 28, the Washington Post cited a US Defense Science Board report that the compromised US designs contained those for combat aircraft and ships, as well as vital missile defenses.

On May 30, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng told a monthly news briefing, “It [the report] both underestimates the Pentagon’s defensive security abilities and the Chinese people’s intelligence.”

The spokesman added Beijing did not require assistance from outside in developing its military weapons.

Another report by the Pentagon in May accused China of trying to break into Washington’s defense computer network.

China issued a statement in reaction to the report and called Washington the real “hacking empire” that has “an extensive espionage network.”

On February 28, the Chinese Defense Ministry said US hackers had been the main culprits behind the massive wave of cyber attacks against two military websites in China.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama is set to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in California on June 7 and 8 to discuss cyber security.

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