WINDHOEK, Feb. 6 -- The Namibian government on Thursday denied local reports about a planned Chinese naval base at Namibia's Walvis Bay.

The rumor about the naval base was the work of foreign spies, said Namibian Minister of Defense Nahas Angula.

"When foreign spy agencies want to confirm something, they plant information in the media to draw attention. In this case, they wanted reaction from us," Angula said.

The report of a Chinese naval base that was said to have been underway started swirling last year.

More rumors have emerged recently, with the report of an alleged letter written by the Namibian ambassador to China, Ringo Abed, about his meeting with a Chinese military official.

Both the reports and the letter have since been denied, with the Namibian government saying that the letter was a forgery.