Beijing opposes ‘US slander’ after it says ‘China-linked hackers breaking into Covid-19 research’

China’s Foreign Ministry, asked about alleged China-linked hackers breaking into US Covid-19 research, said Beijing opposed what it called slander from the US.

Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian added on Thursday that any action online to sabotage efforts against the disease should be condemned.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security said China-linked hackers are breaking into US organizations carrying out such research.

The FBI is investigating digital break-ins at US organizations by China-linked ‘cyber actors’ that it had monitored “attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property and public health data related to vaccines, treatments, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with Covid-19-related research,” Reuters said.