Justice minister Jo Vandeurzen said on Friday that the national intelligence service had traced attacks on governmental computer systems back to China.

So-called spyware - software used to obtain information from computers without authorisation - was found attached to emails sent to Belgium state departments.

"China is especially interested in Belgium, not just because we host the headquarters of both NATO and the European Union, but because of our ties with Africa," the minister said.

China obtains vast quantities of natural resources from Africa to fuel its booming industries.

The Dutch national intelligence service reported last week that similar attacks on high-security IT systems had taken place in The Netherlands.

These attacks were also traced back to China and focused on information related to the energy sector.

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Related links

• Belgium - Federal portal