At a time when politicians in Washington seem to have developed a penchant for pointing their fingers at China over cybersecurity, it is interesting to observe that their counterparts in Canberra have taken quite a different approach.

Earlier last month, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television program Four Corners reported that Chinese hackers had gained access to Australian top secrets. However addressing the Australian parliament on May 27, Prime Minister Julia Gillard refuted allegations that Chinese hackers were committing cyberattacks, calling such accusations "inaccurate".

In the same vein, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said that the allegations had "absolutely no implications" for the strategic partnership with China that was announced in April.