On Thursday, China announced that it has been under constant attacks by hackers sponsored by the United States.
According to China, two Chinese military websites have been attacked about 144,000 times a month during the last year, and the United States was responsible for nearly 63 percent of them.
The United States hasn't responded to China's allegations, but earlier this month a computer security company called Mandiant said that a Chinese military-sponsored hacking unit is responsible for a long, six-year effort by the country to steal information. The unit reportedly stole hundreds of terabytes of data from more than 140 companies around the world.
China has adamantly denied such accusations, and instead claims it is the victim. Now, it's offering its own take on the matter.
"The Defence Ministry and China Military Online websites have faced a serious threat from hacking attacks since they were established, and the number of hacks has risen steadily in recent years," said ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng, according to the Huffington Post.
"According to the IP addresses, the Defence Ministry and China Military Online websites were, in 2012, hacked on average from overseas 144,000 times a month, of which attacks from the U.S. accounted for 62.9 percent," he added. "We hope that the U.S. side can explain and clarify this."
This marks the first time that China has revealed any information about its cyber-security breaches.
According to BBC News, Yansheng also said that any attempt by the U.S. to increase its cyberattack capabilities will not promote international cooperation between the two countries.
It's unlikely that the U.S. will stop expanding its cyber-vigilance, especially since a new National Intelligence Estimate found that the country has been under attack by China for more than five years.
What's more, over the last month, a number of organizations in the United States have claimed they've had their security breached by Chinese hackers, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.
The U.S. has taken a number of steps to boost its security since the start of 2013. The Pentagon is expanding its Cyber Command force by 4,000 people, President Obama signed an executive order regarding cybersecurity and an internal legal review has granted the president wide latitude when it comes to ordering pre-emptive cyberattacks.
