VILNIUS – The Chinese Embassy in Vilnius on Thursday expressed its strong disagreement with the recent report by Lithuania's intelligence on China's threats in the areas of investment, spying, cyber security and military.

In a statement sent to BNS, the Chinese Embassy states that China respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries and does not interfere with the internal affairs of other countries, posing no security threat to Lithuania.

"The Chinese Embassy in Lithuania express strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to the National Threat Assessment 2020 jointly issued on February 4th by Second Investigation Department under the Ministry of National Defense and State Security Department of the Republic of Lithuania," the statement reads.

The embassy also added that China resolutely defends its own sovereignty and territorial integrity, upholding core interests on issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and South China Sea and strongly resists "interfering in China’s internal affairs".

China's "investments and cooperation are not serving as a geopolitical tool to China, instead, they provide a great numbers of jobs and development opportunities to various countries," the embassy said in the statement, adding that "China is the staunch defender of cyber security".

"The accusations about security risk posed by 5G communication technology of China and Chinese cyber-espionage on international website of social media are totally groundless and unfounded without solid evidence," the statement said.

China never seeks military expansion and global dominance, it also said.

"We urge the Lithuanian intelligence authorities to abandon its Cold-War mentality and zero-sum game mindset and achieve mutual security by means of cooperation rather than advocating hostility," the statement reads.

In its traditional assessment of threats to national security, published on Tuesday, Lithuania's intelligence said China's continues malicious activity in Lithuanian cyberspace is observed.

According to Lithuania's intelligence, China is expanding its influence worldwide, using economic leverage to ensure other countries' support to Beijing on key political matters.

"Through technological development and economic leverage, China increases its geopolitical influence and creates preconditions for vulnerability of the states involved in its economic projects. China’s Belt and Road Initiative and other strategic development projects are aimed at achieving global economic dominance and technological advantage," the intelligence report states.

The document also says Chinese intelligence services are particularly aggressive in this area and they mainly use the opportunities provided by the social network LinkedIn.

Lithuania's intelligence also points out to the fact that China is rapidly developing its military-industrial complex that "will pave the way for the projection of military power around the world".

Due to partially overlapping strategic interests, China develops political and military cooperation with Russia and coordinates positions on certain international issues, the reports also says.

Presenting the intelligence report on Tuesday, Colonel Remigijus Baltrenas, head of the Second Investigation Department under the Ministry of National Defense, said Chinese telecommunications company Huawei's involvement in the development of the 5G wireless network infrastructure poises a security risk.

Darius Jauniskis, head of Lithuania's State Security Department, told journalists after the press conference that there's "plenty" of information on the risk posed by the Chinese technology company, and "every sensible state should take those risk signs into account".