Smearing China cannot help remove U.S. label as empire of hacking: defense spokesperson

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese military spokesperson on Wednesday condemned a recent U.S. assessment report for its irresponsible remarks on China, saying that smearing China cannot help remove the U.S. label as the empire of hacking.

Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks while responding to a media query concerning the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment released by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The United States often accuses others of actions it itself has taken or is currently engaged in, Zhang said, adding that it is not only the main source of cyberattacks against China but also a well-known global cyber threat.

He said the United States has a poor record on cyber issues, citing WikiLeaks, Snowden, Stellar Wind, and Telescreen as examples.

The United States would stop at nothing to conduct surveillance, steal secrets and attack others, Zhang said.

"Smearing China cannot help remove the U.S. label as the empire of hacking," he said, urging the U.S. side to stop acting like a thief crying "stop thief," refrain from launching cyberattacks against other countries, including China, and restore a clean and secure cyberspace with responsible words and actions.