Hillary Clinton Accuses China of Stealing US Secrets: US-Australia Annual Military Exercise Begins

Democratic presidential hopeful in the U.S, Hillary Clinton, has accused China of stealing commercial secrets and government information. Flaying China, Clinton said, it is "trying to hack into everything that doesn't move in America" and called for greater vigil.

The U.S. officials had named China as the chief suspect in the massive hack of a U.S government agency recently. But China denied its involvement and called the U.S. claims as "irresponsible.” Clinton, while speaking at a campaign event in New Hampshire alleged that China has been stealing secrets from defense contractors and had taken "huge amounts of government information, all looking for an advantage." Clinton said she wanted to see China's peaceful rise but the U.S must be "fully vigilant.”

"China's military is growing very quickly, they're establishing military installations that again threaten countries we have treaties with, like the Philippines because they are building on contested property," Clinton noted. The hacking of federal government computers have led to the loss of data pertaining to four million people.

Joint Exercise

Meanwhile, the United States and Australia kicked off a massive joint military exercise. For the first time, Japan is also taking part in it. The military drill comes in the backdrop of rising tensions with China over territorial rows and South China sea issue. The two-week "Talisman Sabre" exercise will go on in the Northern Territory and Queensland state and involves 30,000 personnel from the U.S and Australia practising operations at sea, air and land. Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force joined the American contingent, while more than 500 troops from New Zealand also participated in the exercise. It will conclude on July 21.

Important Alliance

"It is a very, very important alliance," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on board the USS Blue Ridge referring to Australia-US ties. “We are facing quite significant challenges in many parts of the world particularly in the Middle East," the PM added. The war games are in its sixth edition and come in the midst of China flexing its strategic muscle in the region.

China, with its artificial islands-making spree in the disputed waters of the South China Sea is also at logger heads with Japan over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islands in East China Sea.

Beijing rejects U.S criticism of its reclamation works in South China Sea and in the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that it is only exercising its sovereignty there. China is obviously not pleased with Japan's involvement in the military drills with U.S and Australia, but it is also not surprised, according to experts.

(For feedback/comments, contact the writer at k.kumar@ibtimes.com.au)