China slams US congressman's espionage remarks

BRUSSELS - A Chinese diplomat slammed here on Sunday a congressman's remarks on so-called Chinese cyber espionage, saying they were "ridiculous" and a diversion of attention from the controversial spy program.

"Remarks of this kind are ridiculous," said the spokesperson for the Chinese Mission to the European Union. "The PRISM issue has drawn worldwide attention. Its impact is worthy of rethinking."

"We hope that relevant parties could take it seriously and address their own problems properly rather than attempt to divert the concerns of the international community by making unprofessional and irresponsible accusations," the spokesperson said.

Last week, Congressman Mike Rogers told members of the European Parliament in Brussels that if the EU continued the muddling of debate on the snooping on European citizens and institutions, it may help China spy on European and American companies.

Rogers also claimed that Chinese cyber espionage has already cost the economy 400 billion dollars.

The spokesperson noted that China's position on the cyber security issue is clear-cut.

"We oppose hacking and cyber attack of whatever form. We call upon the international community to actively conduct dialogue and cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual trust, and formulate international cyberspace code of conduct under the UN framework," the spokesperson said.

"The communication channels related to cyber security between China and the US, as well as China and the EU remain unimpeded. We look forward to seeing relevant parties join us and make constructive efforts in tackling cyber security challenges," the spokesperson added.