The U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday a Chinese state-sponsored contract hacker was arrested last week in Italy at the request of Washington, but the arrested man claimed he is a victim of mistaken identity.

Italian authorities have arrested a Chinese citizen, accused by the United States of being part of a state-sponsored hacking group that stole Covid-19 vaccine secrets from the US on behalf of Chinese intelligence at the height of the pandemic.

China accused the US of using long-arm jurisdiction to detain an alleged Chinese hacker in Italy, in a dispute that threatens to turn into another point of friction in bilateral ties.