China's new premier rejects US hacking claims

Referring to allegations that China's military was behind massive hacking attacks on U.S. entities, Li reiterated Beijing's statements that China is a major target of global hackers and opposes all such criminal activity.

"I think we should not make groundless accusations against each other but spend more time doing practical things that will contribute to cybersecurity," Li said in his first news conference in his new role.

Li is the highest-ranking official to comment on the hacking claims made by U.S. cybersecurity firm Mandiant that provided a detailed picture of alleged cyberspying carried out by a People's Liberation Army unit based in Shanghai.

Li said that despite their differences, conflict between the world's largest and second-largest economies is not inevitable as long as the countries respect each other's major concerns and manage their differences.