BEIJING (AP) — Chinese Foreign Ministry has summoned the U.S. ambassador to complain over Washington’s charging five Chinese military officials with hacking into U.S. companies to steal vital trade secrets.
China’s response marks an escalation in a dispute that has deeply angered Beijing over U.S. claims that the Chinese military is illegally helping the country’s massive state industries.
China has already strongly denounced the charges and says it is suspending cooperation with the U.S. in a joint cybersecurity working group. It was formed last year in the wake of allegations of Chinese military involvement in online commercial espionage. China has stridently denied the allegations.
State-run Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday that Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang summoned U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus on Monday night.
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