White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby stated on Monday that the competition between Washington and Beijing must be handled "responsibly."
Speaking at a press briefing and responding to questions related to the latest hacker attacks that were allegedly carried out by a group from China, Kirby underlined that even if it is proven the individuals were from China, "it doesn't mean that you torpedo an entire bilateral relationship, the most consequential in the world ... because of one act."
The US official said that "if there needs to be accountability then we will execute accountability."