Chinese Embassy rejects US claims of China-linked hackers access

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Jul 2023 07:56

China and the United States have been experiencing heightened tensions in their relations, particularly in the realm of cyber attacks.

Cables linked to a hub (AFP)

US Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu rebuffed the accusations made by the US that Chinese-backed hackers had breached the email account of US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns.

Liu stated that China firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber attacks and theft. The top Chinese diplomat also emphasized that identifying the source of cyber attacks in the virtual world is complex, given the difficulty of tracing online actors.

"China firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms. This position is consistent and clear," he said.

In his remarks, he stressed the importance of having sufficient evidence before making allegations rather than relying on groundless speculations.

"Identifying the source of cyber attacks is a complex technical issue. We hope that relevant sides will adopt a professional and responsible attitude ... rather than make groundless speculations and allegations," he stressed.

The spokesperson's remarks came in response to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) which alleged that Beijing-tied hackers gained unauthorized access to the email account of US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns.

According to the report, Microsoft disclosed a wider spying operation earlier this month, and it has been revealed that Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, was also targeted and hacked in this incident. The report cited sources familiar with the matter for this information.

In response to inquiries about the reported breach of the email accounts belonging to the two diplomats, the US State Department refused to provide any specific information. It stated that the investigation into the spying operation is still ongoing.

It is worth noting that China and the United States have been experiencing heightened tensions in their relations, most notably in the realm of cyber attacks. Both countries have accused each other of engaging in cyber espionage and hacking activities. The US has accused China of being involved in numerous cyber attacks targeting sensitive government information and intellectual property theft, while China has vehemently denied these allegations and has accused the US of its own cyber breach attempts.