China hopes Australian media to be more prudent

BEIJING - China hopes the Australian media will take a responsible attitude in coverage of cyber hacking, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

Spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press briefing that accusations of hacking against China are groundless when commenting on the reports that China's intelligence department hacked the Australian parliamentary email system.

China opposes and prohibits cyber hacking, Qin said, noting that China itself is a victim of the activity.

He said cyber attacks are transnational and anonymous, and it requires joint efforts by the international community to crack down on them.

China hopes the Australian media will handle hacking news in a constructive manner, Qin said.