The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress on the Chinese military triggered responses similar to those issued in the past: The report was dismissed as "groundless," a term used frequently by communist government spokesmen that seek to avoid addressing any question about the substance of the Chinese military buildup.
"The U.S. Department of Defense has issued such reports year after year, pointing an accusing finger at China's legitimate and normal defense buildup and spreading the so-called ‘theory of China's military threat,’" said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
"This is not conducive to mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides. We resolutely oppose this, and we have made representations to the American side."
Hua took particular issue with the Pentagon report’s first formal disclosure of what has been known widely in classified circles for over a decade: The Chinese government and military were directly linked to aggressive cyber espionage and cyber reconnaissance attacks on U.S. computer networks.
"Regarding the issue of cyberattacks," she said. "the Chinese side has made its position clear many times: Cybersecurity involves government and commercial secrets and personal privacy. It is not just the government, enterprises, and citizens in the United States who take this seriously, but the government, enterprises, and citizens in China also take this seriously. The Chinese side resolutely opposes all forms of hacker attacks and is ready to have calm and constructive dialogue with the American side on the issue of cybersecurity. But unwarranted accusations and hyping will only ruin the efforts and atmosphere for dialogue between the two sides."
That reference to the "ruin" of dialogue is being viewed by some defense officials as an indication that China may cut or curtail military exchanges, a key Pentagon priority in seeking to "build trust" with the Chinese military.
"Groundless accusations and speculation will only damage both sides' efforts to talk," she said.
That propaganda theme was bolstered by a Xinhua news agency report quoting a military "researcher" at the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Wang Xinjun.
Wang said the sections on Chinese military cyber capabilities were irresponsible and harmful to "mutual trust."
He then asserted that it is "common sense that you cannot determine sources of cyber attacks only through IP addresses" and then charged that "some people in the Pentagon still prefer believing they are from China as they always bear a sense of rivalry."
"The groundless accusations reflect the U.S. distrust of China," he said.