China criticizes US report warning of rampant spying by Beijing

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China slams US report warning of spying by Beijing

BEIJING — Beijing on Monday criticized a U.S. government report that said Chinese spies are aggressively stealing American secrets, saying the report was “full of prejudice” and warning that it could damage US-China relations.

The annual report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission to lawmakers said last week that American officials believe Chinese spying is “growing in scale, intensity and sophistication” and urges Congress to review the U.S. ability to meet the “rising challenge” of Beijing’s espionage.

The report “ignores the facts and is full of prejudice and ulterior motives,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement.

“We advise this so-called commission not to always view China through tinted glasses,” Qin said. “Do not do things that interfere in China’s internal affairs and damage China-US relations.”

The report also said Beijing is building a navy that could block the U.S. military from getting to the region if fighting should break out between China and Taiwan, the self-governing island off China’s southeastern coast that China claims as its own.

The report follows President Barack Obama’s visit last week to China, where he had extensive talks with President Hu Jintao. The commission tends to take a tougher stance on China than either Obama or his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Obama wants to nurture good ties with a country the United States needs to deal with some of the world’s toughest crises, including nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea, climate change and global economic recovery.