Beijing: China on Monday rejected accusations that it had used LinkedIn and other social media sites to infiltrate the German government, responding to claims from German intelligence services that more than 10,000 citizens had been targeted by Chinese spies.

In a scathing investigation released Sunday, Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, accused Beijing of using social media to connect with lawmakers and other government employees.

To win their trust, the agency said, Chinese agents posed as leaders of think tanks and headhunters, and offered all-expenses-paid trips to China and meetings with influential clients.

In Beijing on Monday, Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the investigation "complete hearsay and groundless." He urged German officials to "speak and act more responsibly."