China criticise US diversion on spying

A Chinese diplomat slammed here on Sunday a US congressman's remarks on so-called Chinese cyber espionage, saying they were "ridiculous" and a diversion of attention from the controversial US spy program. "Remarks of this kind are ridiculous," said the spokesperson for the Chinese Mission to the European Union. "The PRISM issue has drawn worldwide attention. Its impact is worthy of rethinking." "We hope that relevant parties could take it seriously and address their own problems properly rather than attempt to divert the concerns of the international community by making unprofessional and irresponsible accusations," (Xinhua) quoted the spokesperson as saying. Last week, US Congressman Mike Rogers told members of the European Parliament in Brussels that if the EU continued the muddling of debate on the US snooping on European citizens and institutions, it may help China spy on European and American companies. Rogers also claimed that Chinese cyber espionage has already cost the US economy 400 billion US dollars. The spokesperson noted that China's position on the cyber security issue is clear-cut.