China furious over US spying allegations

A new row has blown up over allegations that China spied on American nuclear secrets in the 1990s.

A book by an American journalist, Bill Gertz says China had up to thirty-seven spies passing on sensitive American defence secrets, some of them in key positions.

A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said the allegations were sheer fabrications intended to damage relations, and accused some people of clinging to what he called a Cold War mentality.

Last year a Taiwanese-born scientist, Wen Ho Lee, was arrested on suspicion of passing American nuclear secrets to China.

He was released after admitting downloading nuclear plans onto a non-secure computer.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service