Beijing slams Five Eyes Alliance's allegation of Chinese move for confidential intel access

The "Five Eyes Alliance" formed by the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand warned that Chinese spies are using online job platforms to recruit people with access to sensitive or classified information.

Beijing slams the claim as malicious slander.

On Wednesday, the group issued a joint statement , saying that Chinese spies target people in defense, diplomacy and intelligence sectors, including personnel stationed in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as journalists and think tank members, who can indirectly access government data personnel.

It says spies would post fake job ads, then conduct interviews to determine whether candidates have access to key fields before asking them to write trial reports on topics such as China's international relations or national defense.

Each report can earn rewards ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Last November, the UK's MI5 also warned Chinese spies were attempting to contact members of the UK Parliament through LinkedIn.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning says the "Five Eyes Alliance," as the world's largest intelligence cooperation alliance, has long been conducting systematic espionage activities around the world.

Mao says for such a body to accuse China of being a "spy threat" is ironic.