Washington's reasoning behind the indictment of five People's Liberation Army officers for spying is absurd, said the Chinese ambassador to the United States.

The US justified the move by claiming that the officers stole confidential business information and sensitive trade secrets of US companies. Washington defended its own attacks on other countries' cyberspace as a means to safeguard national security.

"I don't know how they can make a distinction between such activities," Ambassador Cui Tiankai said in an interview with CNN aired on Tuesday.