China has dismissed American claims that it launched a cyber campaign targeting critical infrastructure in the militarily key territory of Guam and elsewhere in the US.
‘The allegation by the US side that the Chinese government is ‘supporting hacking’ is completely distorting the truth,’ said Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington DC, in a statement to DailyMail.com on Thursday.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) confirmed this week a Chinese group dubbed Volt Typhoon was responsible for a breach targeting multiple government and private sector organizations.
The espionage has also targeted the US island territory of Guam, home to strategically important American military bases, Microsoft said in a report, adding that ‘mitigating this attack could be challenging.’
At a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning slammed the US advisory on Volt Typhoon as a ‘disinformation campaign’ and called Microsoft’s report ‘a patchwork with a broken chain of evidence.’
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is seen above. China has dismissed American claims that it launched a cyber campaign targeting critical infrastructure in the militarily key territory of Guam
The espionage has targeted the US island territory of Guam, home to strategically important American military bases, Microsoft said in a report
Liu, the Chinese embassy spokesman, said he was ‘not aware of the specifics’ of the US allegations, but insisted that the Chinese government ‘firmly opposed’ hacking.
‘We have always firmly opposed and cracked down on all forms of cyber hacking in accordance with the law,’ Liu told DailyMail.com.
Liu cited a recent Chinese government report accusing the American CIA of carrying out hacking campaigns around the world.
‘For a long time, the US government and relevant departments have violated international law and the basic norms of international relations, and carried out large-scale, organized, and indiscriminate cyber theft and monitoring of foreign governments, enterprises, and individuals. This has long been known to the world,’ said the Chinese embassy spokesman.
‘The US must take seriously and respond to the concerns from the international community, and stop using cyber weapons to carry out espionage and cyber attacks around the world,’ he added.
The hacking allegations emerged at a time of rising tensions between the US and China, with Beijing issuing increasingly belligerent rhetoric on trade and security issues.
Microsoft revealed on Wednesday it had uncovered a Chinese state-backed hacker gang, dubbed Volt Typhoon, that it said ‘has been active since mid-2021 and has targeted critical infrastructure organizations in Guam and elsewhere in the United States.’
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is seen at Naval Base Guam in 2020. Guam is home to major US military facilities, including Andersen Air Force Base, which would be key to responding to any conflict in the Asia-Pacific region
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning slammed the US advisory on Volt Typhoon as a ‘disinformation campaign’
Volt Typhoon’s apparent focus on Guam is of particular concern, as the US territory is a key military base in the Pacific, and would be a major staging ground for any American response in the event of a conflict in Taiwan or the South China Sea.
Microsoft analysts said they had ‘moderate confidence’ this Chinese group was developing capabilities that could disrupt critical communications infrastructure between the United States and Asia region during a future crisis.
‘It means they are preparing for that possibility,’ John Hultquist, who heads threat analysis at Google’s Mandiant Intelligence, told Reuters.
The Chinese activity is unique and worrying also because analysts don’t yet have enough visibility on what this group might be capable of, he added.
‘There is greater interest in this actor because of the geopolitical situation.’
Microsoft said it had notified targeted or compromised customers and provided them with information to identify and remedy any breaches.
The organizations targeted by Volt Typhoon spanned sectors including communications, manufacturing, utility, transportation, construction, maritime, government, information technology, and education, Microsoft said.
The NSA and other Western cyber agencies urged companies that operate critical infrastructure to identify malicious activity using the technical guidance they issued.
‘It is vital that operators of critical national infrastructure take action to prevent attackers hiding on their systems,’ Paul Chichester, director at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre said in a joint statement with the NSA.
Security analysts expect Chinese hackers could target US military networks and other critical infrastructure if China invades Taiwan.
Chinese soldiers browse online news on desktop computers at a garrison of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) in Chongqing, China in a file photo
Guam is home to major US military facilities, including Andersen Air Force Base, which would be key to responding to any conflict in the Asia-Pacific region.
Recently, China has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure to force self-governed Taiwan to accept Beijing’s claim of sovereignty. Taiwan rejects China’s claims.
While the United States has long followed a policy of ‘strategic ambiguity’ on whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack, President Joe Biden has said he would be willing to use force to defend the island.
In recent years, China’s navy has also grown increasingly aggressive in the South China Sea, one of the world’s most important trade routes.
China has claimed nearly the entire South China Sea as its territory. Parts of the vast waterway are also claimed by Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.
