China has denounced US criticism of its internet controls, saying it could harm ties between the two countries. <br/><br/>Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said the US should respect the facts and stop making baseless accusations against China. <br/><br/>In a statement posted on the foreign ministry website, he said, the US has criticised China's policies to administer the internet and insinuated that China restricts internet freedom. <br/><br/>Mr. Zhaoxu said this runs contrary to the facts and is harmful to China-US relations. The US Secretary of State Mrs. Hillary Clinton yesterday asked China to lift restrictions on the internet. <br/><br/>She also urged Beijing to investigate Google's complaints that cyber attacks had originated in China.