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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 8 July 2022

China lashes out at US, British intelligence services

BEIJING (AP) — The United Under Xi Jinping, president
States is “the biggest threat and head of the ruling
to world peace, stability Communist Party, China
and development,” China has assumed an increas-
said Thursday, continuing its ingly aggressive foreign
sharp rhetoric in response policy, joining with Russia in
to U.S. accusations of Chi- seeking to undermine the
nese spying and threats to influence of the U.S. and its
the international order. allies.
Foreign Ministry spokesper- Beijing has refused to con-
son Zhao Lijian’s comments demn Russia’s invasion of
came a day after the head Ukraine which is expect-
of the FBI and the leader ed to dominate the G-20
of Britain’s domestic intelli- foreign ministers meeting
gence agency raised fresh while condemning Western
alarms about the Chinese sanctions against Moscow
government, warning busi- and accusing Washington
ness leaders that Beijing is and NATO of provoking the
determined to steal their conflict.
technology for competitive At the same time, the party
gain. exercises sweeping powers
The heightened tone over all Chinese companies
comes ahead of a meet- and institutions, both public
ing Saturday between U.S. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian gestures during a press conference at the and private, as it seeks to
Secretary of State Antony Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on July 6, 2022. dominate global markets
Blinken and Chinese For- Associated Press and emerging technolo-
eign Minister Wang Yi at the concerns in denouncing objective and reasonable ment that poses the big- gies.
Group of 20 leading rich economic espionage and manner and stop spread- gest long-term threat to our The Chinese government
and developing nations’ hacking operations by Chi- ing lies and stop making ir- economic and national se- and its “covert pressure
ministers summit in Bali, In- na as well as the Chinese responsible remarks.” curity, and by ‘our,’ I mean across the globe” amounts
donesia. government’s efforts to sti- Wray’s speech was par- both of our nations, along to “the most game-chang-
“The relevant U.S. politician fle dissent abroad. ticularly notable because it with our allies in Europe ing challenge we face,”
has been playing up the “Facts have fully proven took place at MI5’s London and elsewhere,” Wray told McCallum said in his
so-called China threat to that the U.S. is the biggest headquarters and along- attendees. Wednesday remarks.
smear and attack China,” threat to world peace, sta- side the agency’s director McCallum said the Chinese In his response, Zhao said
Zhao told reporters at a bility and development,” general, Ken McCallum, in government and its “covert British intelligence was “sim-
daily briefing when asked Zhao said. “We urge this an intended show of West- pressure across the globe” ply projecting their own dis-
about FBI Director Chris- U.S. official to have the ern solidarity. amounts to “the most honorable behavior onto
topher Wray’s comments right perspective, see Chi- “We consistently see that game-changing challenge China.”q
reaffirming longstanding na’s developments in an it’s the Chinese govern- we face.”

Extremists claim responsibility for Nigerian prison attack

By CHINEDU ASADU and claimed responsibility for Nigerian security forces group’s campaign to free ing ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is
MAAMOUN YOUSSEF an attack on a prison in Ni- on Thursday continued to its members from prisons. greatest),” said the bakery
Associated Press geria’s capital which freed search for at least 400 es- Authorities said the extrem- worker who insisted on ano-
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The nearly 900 inmates includ- caped prisoners who are ist rebels were “very de- nymity for his safety.
Islamic State group has ing 60 of its members. still at large. termined” and launched “More than one hour after,
While Nigeria has suffered the daring attack on the I saw many people leav-
multiple jailbreaks in recent Kuje prison with “very high- ing (the prison) and I even
years, the attack on Tues- grade explosives.” They thought it was people that
day night was the first in the killed one prison guard and went to enjoy themselves
nation’s capital within that freed 879 inmates including at the bar here,” he said of
period a development 64 of their members whom the casual way the escap-
that analysts say points to a authorities believe they ees walked through the
“failure of intelligence.” had “specifically” come to streets.
The Islamic State West Af- rescue. Emmanuel Johny, who lives
rica Province said in a People living near the near the prison, said at
statement that the attack prison told The Associated the first explosion, “I knew
on the Kuje prison was Press how the neighbor- this was a bomb and not
carried out in 50 minutes hood was rocked by gun- a gun.” The Islamic State
by three groups: One at- fire and explosions late West Africa Province is an
tacked the prison’s gate, Tuesday night. offshoot of Nigeria’s Boko
another stormed the prison A worker at a nearby bak- Haram group which has
and the third blocked the ery said the explosion waged an extremist insur-
A burnt out bus is seen outside the Kuje maximum prison following road leading to the facility. “shook the bakery.” The gency against the Nigerian
a rebel attack in Kuje, Nigeria, Wednesday, July 6, 2022. The group said the attack attackers “were shooting government for more than
Associated Press is part of the Islamic State and shooting and shout- a decade.q