Lin Jian, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, called the US accusations of hacking attacks a display of hypocrisy and double standards at a briefing on Thursday.
Earlier, the US Department of Justice notified the detention of 12 Chinese citizens allegedly involved in a large-scale hacking campaign targeting US government agencies. According to the agency, the detainees operated as freelancers or employees of a Chinese “private company,” receiving remuneration for actions allegedly taken at the behest of China’s Ministry of Public Security.
China strongly opposes the baseless accusations by the US and demands an immediate end to the practice of arbitrarily imposing sanctions, Lin Jian stated.
The diplomat also recalled that in December 2024, Chinese cybersecurity authorities released information on two new cases of cyberattacks carried out by US intelligence agencies on China’s high-tech companies.
The practice of the US being the largest hacking country in the world is a manifestation of hypocrisy and double standards, and it is a typical desire to deflect suspicion away from itself, Lin Jian noted.
Mutual accusations of cyberattacks have been a regular occurrence between China and the US in recent years. Washington has repeatedly claimed that PRC-linked hackers have been attacking computer systems and critical infrastructure. Beijing has consistently denied any accusations of cyber attacks and, in turn, accuses the US of organising its own attacks on Chinese entities.
