WASHINGTON -- The United States on Monday released a statement accusing China of conducting cyber-attacks around the world, an assertion in which it was joined by Japan, the European Union and other allies.
The statement cited specific cases allegedly involving Chinese authorities, taking a stronger stance on China's cyber-activities, which the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has seen as a problem.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance that includes Britain, Australia and the United States also endorsed the statement. This can be considered an unusual move, even for the Biden administration, which has been working with allies to build a coalition to encircle China.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday accused China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) of fostering "an ecosystem of criminal contract hackers who carry out both state-sponsored activities and cybercrime."
The White House also released a statement on the day, implying further measures would be implemented. "Our allies and partners are a tremendous source of strength and a unique American advantage, and our collective approach to cyber threat information sharing, defense, and mitigation helps hold countries like China to account," it said.
Specifically, the White House statement attributed the March cyber-attack against Microsoft Exchange Server to "cyber actors affiliated with" China's MSS, saying it did so "with a high degree of confidence."
The statement also accused Chinese "government-affiliated cyber operators" of having "conducted ransomware operations against private companies that have included ransom demands of millions of dollars."
On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department announced it had indicted four Chinese nationals on charges that included conspiracy to commit economic espionage by conducting cyberattacks around the world, targeting information related to military and advanced technologies, including submersibles and autonomous vehicles.
The four are said to have targeted companies, government agencies and universities in more than 10 countries, including the United States, Britain, Indonesia and South Africa, from 2011 to 2018.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry also released a statement on Monday expressing "strong support" for the statements made by the United States and other countries, "which express the determination to uphold the rules-based international order in cyberspace."
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
