China slammed the latest leak of classified Pentagon documents, saying that Washington “owes the international community an explanation” over the leak.
China’s Criticism
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the document “clearly show that the US has long used its tech edge to conduct indiscriminate secret theft, surveillance and eavesdropping on countries in the world, including its allies.”
During a press conference on Wednesday, Wang said that what the US calls “technology that reflects democratic values and interests,” was “just a pretext for it to unscrupulously conduct cyber thefts and attacks and ensure its supremacy.”
He accused Washington of holding other governments to “high standards,” which “mean little to the US itself,” concluding that it was another example of its “double standards.”
Pentagon leaks show China's efforts to strengthen confidential works are effective
— Zhang Heqing (@zhang_heqing) April 14, 2023
https://t.co/ARQCpR0H6X pic.twitter.com/QxQYgrrbUQ
Wang stressed that cyberspace is “not a battlefield or wrestling ground,” lesser yet “a tool to split the international community or contain and bring down other countries.” He called on the international community “to end the US’s lawlessness on cyber theft and reveal its hypocrisy on cyber security.”
Pentagon Leak
China’s comments come days after highly classified US documents were recently leaked online, revealing insight into the Russian military’s struggles in the Ukraine war and an evaluation of Ukraine’s fighting strength.
The documents also contained information on intelligence-gathering activities by the US in key ally contries such as South Korea, Israel, and Ukraine.
Additionally, the leaked documents contained sensitive information that might cause diplomatic problems internationally. One report recently revealed that Serbia may have supplied Ukraine with lethal aid, potentially harming its ties with Russia.