China demands US explanations over `Beehive’ cyber platform

China has demanded explanations from Washington over Chinese media reports saying the CIA is using a powerful platform, “Beehive”, as cyber warfare, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said at a regular briefing on Wednesday.

“China has expressed its deep concern over the irresponsible and harmful activity on the part of the US government in cyberspace,” Wang Wenbin said when asked to comment on the media reports. “We are calling on the US to provide relevant explanations and to immediately stop this activity,” the diplomat says.

In recent years, the US government has repeatedly proposed that China’s neighboring countries expand cooperation in cyberspace, potentially setting a new stage for geopolitical confrontation.

Chinese experts have uncovered a global espionage system being used by US special forces, the Chinese newspaper Global Times wrote on Tuesday, citing the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center. The “Beehive” platform the system is based on was developed jointly by the US’ Central Intelligence Agency and defense giant Northrop Grumman.

The platform enabled its operators to remotely scan, exploit vulnerabilities, extract files and even destroy computer systems, the Global Times reported. According to the newspaper, the CIA widely distributed equipment for operations using the “Beehive” platform in Canada, Malaysia, Turkey, France, Germany and other countries. TASS