BEIJING  — China says it opposes computer hacking and wants to work with Washington to counter such activities, following new claims that the country used cyberattacks to access data from nearly 40 U.S. weapons programs and almost 30 other defense technologies.

Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang did not directly address the allegations today, which were included in a U.S. Defense Science Board report released earlier this year but are only now being discussed publicly.

He said, however, that China opposes all hacking and referred to an agreement with the U.S. to form a cybercrime working group.

Chinese hacking has long been seen as a threat to U.S. national security, and the latest claims allege a wide range of systems were compromised, from air defense missiles to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

First Published May 29, 2013, 11:38 a.m.