China on Thursday cautioned the United States against jumping to conclusion in accusing China of hacking U.S. federal computer networks to steal personnel information, saying such accusation is "not responsible and counterproductive."[Special coverage]
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement earlier Thursday that massive data from the Office of Personnel Management and the Interior Department had been compromised in the hacking.
Some U.S. media reports, quoting unnamed U.S. officials, alleged that the hacking was done by hackers based in China, without providing further proof.
"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.
He pointed out that Chinese laws prohibit cyber crimes of all forms and China has made great efforts to combat cyber attacks in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations.
"Cyber attack is a global threat which could only be addressed by international cooperation based on mutual trust and mutual respect," Zhu said.
"We hope all countries in the world can work constructively together to address cyber security issues, push forward the formulation of international rules and norms in the cyberspace, in order to build a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyberspace," Zhu added.
