China on Monday asked the United States to abandon its "Cold War mentality" and cease making groundless accusations against China, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Spokesman Liu Weimin made the remark at a daily press briefing when commenting on an annual national security threat assessment report delivered by the U.S. government.

The report stated that China has invaded American computer networks on a large scale, stolen intellectual property and conducted economic espionage. The report also named Chinese intelligence agencies as the biggest threat to the U.S. in relevant fields for the next few years.

Liu said the accusations are "totally fictitious" and were made with an ulterior motive in mind.

Cyberattacks are transnational and anonymous, Liu said, adding that it is "unprofessional and irresponsible" to deduce the source of an attack without a thorough investigation.

The spokesman said China has repeatedly declared its stance on issues regarding Internet security. China is willing to continue cooperation with the international community on safeguarding Internet security, he added.

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2012)