It is "unacceptable" for the United States to spy on its allies and "even more intolerable" to spy on the world, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular media briefing on Thursday.

The U.S. has been recognized as the "world's No. 1 eavesdropping power," and uses varied methods for the purpose, said Wang. The U.S. had set up monitoring devices in nearly 100 U.S. embassies and consulates abroad to steal secrets from those countries, he said.

The U.S. wiretapping its European allies, as disclosed by the media a few days ago, is just the tip of the iceberg of the huge global network of secrets theft, and the U.S. owes the international community an explanation, said Wang. 

A joint investigation by foreign media agencies revealed that the U.S. National Security Agency used a partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, Germany and France between 2012 and 2014. 

Wang urged the U.S. to immediately halt large-scale wiretapping and stealing of secrets and stop suppressing enterprises of other countries under the guise of national security.

(Cover: The building of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, China. /Xinhua)