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China denies US spy accusation

By Hou Lei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-05-15 14:36

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday refuted US spy accusations against China, noting they are totally "made up" and based on the US lingering "cold war mentality".

"Those accusations are rooted in ulterior motives," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said at a press conference in response to a question concerning a US court case that a US Defense Department official was accused of selling defense secrets to China.

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Retired air force Lieutenant Colonel James Wilbur Fondren, a deputy director of the US Pacific Command's Washington Liaison Office, was charged Wednesday with giving classified documents to New Orleans furniture salesman Tai Shen Kuo, who was labeled as a "Chinese agent" by the United States.

"We urge the United States to abandon Cold War mentality, stop its groundless accusations against China and do more to help build mutual trust between the United States and China and the friendship between the two peoples," said Ma.

Fondren, 62, is the second Pentagon official charged with giving classified documents to Tai Shen Kuo, who was sentenced last year to nearly 16 years in prison.

The accusation is one of many such claims in recent years made against China involving traditional spying or economic espionage. China has refuted all accusations, including one in April of hacking into America's electrical grid.

"The intrusion doesn't exist at all," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said earlier.