African Union chairman Moussa Faki said that reports alleging that China had spied on the bloc's headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, are "all lies".
"I don't see it is in the interest of China to spy," Moussa Faki Mahamat said during a visit to Beijing.
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He added, standing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, that the accusations were "all lies," adding that no story "can distract us or divert us from our relations."
The President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, also called these reports "not justified" and "a way for Western countries to sow enmity between China and Africa."
Nkurunziza pointed out that some Western media use news reports to "disunite other countries and provoke hatred and war." He added that "China and Africa are developing their relations based on the principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit, China is an important cooperation partner for many African countries."
The headquarters of the African Union, worth $200 million was fully funded and built by China in 2012. Some saw this as a symbol of Beijing's desire for influence in Africa and access to the continent's natural resources.