More than 1 million Chinese IP addresses were controlled by foreign sources and hackers attacked 42,000 websites last year. A Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) spokesperson told Xinhua News Agency on January 24 that China is the biggest victim of Internet-based hacking attacks. The country, the spokesperson said, has enacted laws that make all cyber attacks illegal and is willing to work with international partners to promote Internet security and fight against hacking.
Xinhua: What is your comment on accusations that the Chinese Government participated in cyber attacks?

MIIT: Internet security is a global issue that requires cooperation and the work of all countries. The Chinese Government's opposition to Internet hacking is consistent and firm. Accusations that the Chinese Government participated in a cyber attack, either in an explicit or inexplicit way, is groundless and aims to denigrate China.

Please give an overview of Internet hacking attacks against China.

The Chinese Government has attached great importance to the development and administration of the Internet. Since it entered China in 1994, the Internet has become an important part of the country's infrastructure through rapid growth over the last decade and it has played a vital role in promoting economic and social development. Meanwhile, just as in other countries, the Internet in China is under severe threat from hackers and online virus attacks. A sample survey showed that more than 1 million Chinese IP (Internet Protocol) addresses were controlled by foreign sources and hackers attacked 42,000 websites last year. In 2009, the widespread Conficker worm virus alone infected 18 million computers per month in China, the most in the world, or 30 percent of the global total. Work computers in the sectors of finance, transportation and energy were affected along with home computers, which severely affected China's economic development and people's daily lives.

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