UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden issued a statement in the House of Commons last Monday (25/03), saying hackers linked to China were responsible for two malicious cyber campaigns targeting the Electoral Commission and British members of parliament.
Oliver Dowden reported that “agents linked to the Chinese state” have been identified as responsible for the attacks on the UK's democratic institutions. He highlighted that UK's allies, including the US, are planning to issue similar statements to expose such activities and hold China accountable.
The attacks, described by Dowden, targeted the Election Commission in August 2021, when Chinese hackers gained access to the commission's email and filing systems. Dowden assured that the attacks did not compromise the integrity of the elections, but could affect future ones.
In addition, Dowden noted that the UK's National Cyber Security Center concluded that Chinese state-linked actors known as APT31 attempted to conduct espionage against British parliamentary accounts during a separate campaign in 2021.
The British Deputy Prime Minister announced that the country would summon the Chinese ambassador to clarify the actions. He insisted that reporting such behavior was part of the UK's national security.
Dowden also cited other issues of concern regarding China, including human rights issues in Xinjiang, suppression of dissenting voices in Hong Kong and reports of aggressive behavior in the South China Sea.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron expressed his outrage that it was “totally unacceptable” that Chinese state-linked organizations and individuals were targeting British democratic institutions. He said he raised the issue directly with the Chinese foreign minister and highlighted the sanctions imposed on individuals and companies linked to China in response to these actions.
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