BEIJING -- A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry on Thursday said that China urges the United States to stop its worldwide cyber espionage and cyberattacks, and stop smearing other countries under the excuse of cybersecurity.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to a related query.

Wang noted that China firmly opposes all forms of cyberattacks and cracks down on such practices in accordance with the law.

He said that the United States jumped to an unwarranted conclusion in the absence of valid evidence, and it has slandered and made groundless accusations against China. "It is extremely irresponsible and is a complete distortion of facts."

"China firmly opposes this," Wang said.

The United States itself is the origin and the biggest perpetrator of cyberattacks, Wang said, noting that the US Cyber Force Command openly declared that the critical infrastructure of other countries is a legitimate target for US cyberattacks.

Wang said that since last year, China's cybersecurity agencies have released reports revealing the US government's long-running cyberattacks against China's critical infrastructure. Such irresponsible policies and practices have exposed global critical infrastructure to huge risks, said the spokesperson.

"We urge the United States to stop its worldwide cyber espionage and cyberattacks, and stop smearing other countries under the excuse of cybersecurity," Wang said.