AU spying reports rejected

AU and Chinese officials have denounced claims that Chinese construction workers bugged the union's Addis Ababa headquarters, suggesting it was a ploy to destabilise relations. French newspaper Le Monde last month reported that China bugged the $20m facility it funded and built in Ethiopia's capital in 2012. However, an ABC News report notes that AU chair Moussa Faki told reporters in Beijing that 'the allegations are all lies'. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the facility is 'a symbol of Chinese-African friendship' and that his government had 'selflessly' built the building. The report notes that some Western institutions and analysts have questioned whether China-funded projects have been tainted by corruption or handed Beijing undue influence over the continent's affairs.