LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- China's foreign minister is urging international rules to govern the Internet and prevent transnational interference, while also pushing back against criticism of China as a sponsor of hacking activities. "The international community is closely interconnected on the Internet, therefore cyberspace needs rules and cooperation, not war," Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Saturday, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. "We oppose to turn cyberspace into another battlefield, or capitalize on virtual reality to interfere in other countries' internal affairs," he said. Yang also called criticism of Chinese Internet activities "irresponsible" and said he hoped such rebukes would end. Some media reports and studies have said China's People Liberation Army is running hacking operations against Western targets, including companies and government agencies. Foreign Minister Yang is expected to be promoted to the State Council to become China's top foreign-policy official, according a Wall Street Journal report citing scholars and diplomats in Beijing.