BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- China strongly deplores and firmly rejects the UK's political manipulation under the pretext of cybersecurity, and has lodged serious protests with the UK side both in Beijing and London, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Wednesday.

Guo made the remarks at a daily news briefing when commenting on the report that the UK government on Tuesday announced sanctions on two China-based companies, alleging that they have carried out cyberattacks against the UK and its allies and that their activities are linked to the Chinese government.

China stands against hacking and fights such activities in accordance with the law, Guo said, adding that China firmly oppose spreading disinformation out of political agenda.

Noting that China is the biggest victim of cyberattacks, Guo said that a few months ago, China exposed a case about the U.S. National Security Agency carrying out cyberattacks and infiltration against China's National Time Service Center.

He said it needs to be noted that the UK was exactly one of the springboards the U.S. used to launch the above-mentioned cyberattacks on China, adding that China has provided relevant information to the UK side.

The UK and the U.S. are both members of the "Five Eyes" and NATO, Guo said, expressing the hope that the UK will explain its role in the U.S.'s cyberattacks against China's key information infrastructure.

The world faces common challenges in cybersecurity, the spokesperson said, urging the UK to correct its wrongdoing at once, abandon double standards and attempts to politicize the issue, and work with China in a truly responsible and constructive manner to jointly uphold peace, stability and prosperity in the cyberspace. Enditem