The Chinese government has never asked and will never ask any company to collect or store data against laws, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
She made the remarks in response to a media inquiry about a report claiming that Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group provided the Chinese military with technology support against targets in the United States.
"The relevant company made a response. The Chinese government takes data privacy and security very seriously and protects data in accordance with the law. We have never asked and will never ask any company to collect or store data against laws," said Mao.
China never asked companies to collect, store data against laws: spokeswoman
U.S. President Donald Trump said he is strongly considering pulling the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after the alliance failed to join the attacks on Iran, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.
When asked if he would reconsider America's membership in the alliance after the conflict, he said the question is "beyond reconsideration," adding, "I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger."
Trump also expressed dissatisfaction with NATO for "not being there," saying it was "actually hard to believe."
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump would make a decision on the future of NATO given the fact that some U.S. allies refuse to provide support, after the end of U.S. military operations against Iran.
Following Trump's criticism, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is not changing his position on the war.
Multiple European countries have kept their distance from the conflict with Iran. Starmer on Monday said his country will not get dragged into the conflict "whatever the pressure and whoever it's coming from," while Spain on Monday closed its airspace to all flights related to the U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran.
Trump calls NATO 'paper tiger,' considers withdrawal
