China’s position on cyber attacks

China said on Monday it opposed all forms of cyber attacks but there was no proof that North Korea was responsible for the hacking of Sony Pictures, as the United States has said. North Korea has denied it was to blame and has vowed to hit back against any U.S. retaliation, threatening the White House and the Pentagon. The hackers said they were incensed by a Sony comedy about a fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which the studio has pulled.

China made no reference to calls by the United States for joint action with it and other countries to counter any similar cyberattacks.

“Before making any conclusions there has to be a full (accounting of) the facts and foundation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. “China will handle it in accordance with relevant international and Chinese laws according to the facts.”

She said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi “reaffirmed China’s relevant position, emphasising China opposes all forms of cyberattacks and cyber terrorism” in a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday. China is North Korea’s only major ally, and would be central to any U.S. efforts to crack down on the isolated state. But the United States has also accused China of cyber spying in the past and a U.S. official has said the attack on Sony could have used Chinese servers to mask its origin.