CHINA warned the United States today that it was jeopardising military co-operation by charging five Chinese officers with cyber-spying.

China announced it was suspending co-operation with the US in a joint cyber-security task force over Monday’s charges that officers stole trade secrets from major US companies. 

The Foreign Ministry demanded Washington withdraw the charges.

“The Chinese government and Chinese military as well as relevant personnel have never engaged and never participated in so-called cyber-theft of trade secrets,” said foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei. 

“What the US should do now is withdraw its indictment.”

The testy exchange marked an escalation in tensions over US complaints that China’s military uses its cyber-warfare skills to steal foreign trade secrets to help the country’s vast state-owned industrial sector. 

Beijing has denied conducting commercial spying and said that it is a victim of computer hacking, including by the US government.