China calls US ‘world’s top hacking empire’ after Denmark spying claim

Name: Two Chinese hackers charged as US accuses China of ‘massive hacking campaign’
Uploaded: 2021-06-01T09:10:28.000Z
Duration: 2 min 4 s
Description: Two Chinese hackers charged as US accuses China of ‘massive hacking campaign’

‘This fully exposes that the US is not truly upholding cybersecurity but suppressing competitors,’ Chinese foreign ministry spokesman says

US National Security Agency used Danish cables to spy on officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany, Danish broadcaster reported

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French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who held a video conference on Monday, called for an explanation for the alleged spying. Photo: AFP

Amber Wangin Beijing

Published: 5:10pm, 1 Jun 2021Updated: 11:28pm, 1 Jun 2021

China has labelled the United States the “world’s top hacking empire” after a Danish broadcaster alleged that American intelligence agents used Denmark’s underwater cables to spy on top European officials.

According to Denmark’s public broadcaster the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, also known as DR, the US National Security Agency (NSA) used a partnership with the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) to eavesdrop on Danish information cables from 2012 to 2014.

DR said the US had spied on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany, including the former German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former German opposition leader Peer Steinbruck.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was also among those allegedly targeted, and French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that they expected an explanation from the US and Danish governments.

02:04

Two Chinese hackers charged as US accuses China of ‘massive hacking campaign’

“As facts have proven time and again, the US is the world’s top empire of hacking and theft of secrets,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular briefing on Monday. He said that, with the targets having included not only competitors but allies, the US was the master of large-scale, indiscriminate tapping.

Wang said that the US was using the Clean Network – a US-led global digital alliance that excludes technology that in Washington’s assessment can be manipulated by China’s Communist Party – as a cover, and was claiming to safeguard cybersecurity while doing nothing of the sort.

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