China says it "cannot agree" with Five Eyes' criticism of 'technology theft'

The US-led intelligence-sharing alliance 'Five Eyes' criticized China for stealing advanced technology, prompting a strong backlash from China, which claimed the accusations were unfounded.

Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 23rd, when asked about the claims made by the heads of Five Eyes intelligence agencies, "The accusations against China are groundless and full of slander and smearing against China," adding, "We cannot agree and firmly oppose this."

He also asserted, "China places great importance on protecting intellectual property rights and strives to maintain international security."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He criticized, "Five Eyes is the world's largest intelligence organization and is accustomed to fabricating and spreading false information about China," adding, "The United States, based on its technological superiority, shamelessly conducts large-scale indiscriminate eavesdropping and steals secrets. It does not spare its allied countries either."

Spokesperson Mao added, "We urge abandoning Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, viewing China objectively and fairly, and stopping the unwarranted smearing and criticism of China."

Earlier, the heads of intelligence agencies from the five Five Eyes countries criticized China on the 17th (local time) at the 'Emerging Technology and Security Innovation Conference' held in California, USA, accusing China of stealing secrets in various fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, and robotics.