Chinese Foreign Minister spokesperson Zhao Lijian called the US a "hacking empire" after reports revealed that US hackers subverted a network in China to launch attacks against Russia and Belarus.

“China is gravely concerned about cyberattacks against other countries that originate from the US and use China as a springboard,” Zhao Lijian told reporters at a press briefing on Monday.

Zhao made this statement while commenting on media reports that hackers from the US and NATO-allied countries and the Netherlands hijacked a Chinese computer network for cyberattacks, 87% of which targeted Russia.

According to Xinhua, the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China has reported several cyberattacks since late February.

The breaches all came from abroad the Republic and coincide with the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

Xinhua reported that most of the attacks came from the US in order to control Chinese computers and utilize them against Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.