China today rejected a report that computer hackers believed to be linked to the Chinese army had infected German government ministries with spying programmes.
Der Spiegelmagazine, in a report ahead of a visit by German chancellor Angela Merkel to China this week, said top German government ministries, including Ms Merkel's office, had been infected by the attack.
"The Chinese government consistently opposes and strictly prohibits all criminal activities that damage computer network performance, including "hackers" behaviour," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.
"China's relevant regulations and laws make clear stipulations on this," the statement said.
Jiang said China itself was frequently victim to hacker attacks.
"China hopes to strengthen cooperation with the German side on this problem."
Ms Merkel is to meet China's president Hu Jintao and premier Wen Jiabao on Monday, where she is expected to press China for help in ending human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region.
She has also said she would address human rights issues as well as protection of intellectual property rights during her three-day trip.
"China has very close ties with Africa and we will obviously talk about what we can do now to combat the appalling human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region," Ms Merkel said in a statement from her weekly podcast
She heads to Japan on Wednesday where she will also address climate change and economic issues.
Sudan expelled the European Union and Canadian envoys to the northern African country this week after accusing them of interfering in the nation's internal affairs. The EU envoy earned a reprieve on Saturday.
China has sizeable economic interests in Sudan and has been under pressure to take a more critical approach to Khartoum after accusations aid from Beijing feeds violence in Darfur.
Experts estimate 200,000 have died and 2.5 million have been driven from their homes since violence erupted there in 2003.