Beijing Calls "Five Eyes" Has No Basis Consider China A Threat

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning when delivering a statement to the media in Beijing, China (ANTARA/Desca Lidya Natalia)

JAKARTA - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning called the intelligence alliance's claim of five countries, "Five Eyes", China "the biggest threat of intelligence ever faced democracy" unfounded.

"I want to inform you that the allegations by the head of intelligence 'Five Eyes' regarding China are not based on facts and are just slander. We strongly oppose the statement," Mao Ning told media in Beijing, China, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, October 23.

Mao responded to FBI Director Christopher Wray's remarks in an interview with CBS News the day before that the Chinese government, directly or indirectly, attempted to steal the intellectual property, trade secrets, and personal data of the entire country.

Wray said China was trying to steal the secrets of the Fortune 100 company, to small startups in agriculture, biotechnology, health care, robots, aviation, and academic research.

Wray said "Five Eyes" has about 2,000 active investigations related to the Chinese government's attempts to steal information.

"China remains committed to maintaining international security. 'Five Eyes' is the world's largest intelligence organization and is accustomed to fabricating and disseminating disinformation about China," Mao said.

The United States, according to Mao, has abused its technological sophistication to spy on countries globally, including its allies indiscriminately.

"So if anyone is worried about the security threat, it's not China that should be worried about, but the 'Five Eyes' countries," Mao said.

"We advise related countries to abandon the mentality of the Cold War and ideological bias, view China objectively and fairly, and stop slander and blame China for no reason."

"Five Eyes" is an intelligence sharing network between the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The alliance began in 1946 between the United States and Britain as a way of sharing intelligence signals that were expanded in 1949 to Canada and Australia and New Zealand in 1955.

Five Eyes amassed resources and shared intelligence between the five countries.