MOSCOW – Beijing is surprised about WikiLeakslinkinformation on US embassies purchasing spying tools and wants Washingtonto explain the matter, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswomanHua Chunying.

“I am sure that many of those who got acquainted with the information hadthe same question as I had to ask: why do American embassies buy so muchsecret surveillance equipment? For what purposes did they prepare it?” shetold a news briefing on Monday.

Hua said that the disclosed data indicated that the US is “globally engagedin covert surveillance which specifically pertains to its allies”.

“I think Washington should give a clear-cut explanation to theinternational community on this issue”, she pointed out.

Her statement comes a few days after WikiLeaks published the “US EmbassyShopping List” databaselink,where it revealed more than 16,000 procurement requests by US embassiesaround the world.

For example, in an August 2018 procurement request for “Tactical SpyEquipment”, the US embassy in El Salvador asked vendors to provide 94 spycameras, most disguised as everyday objects such as ties, caps, shirtbuttons, watches, USB drives, lighters, and pens”, the release said.