▲ U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Beijing on May 15.
The U.S. government announced on the 26th local time that it has uncovered and taken disruptive measures against a massive cyberattack conducted by hackers linked to Chinese authorities while masking the origins of their attacks.
Investigations showed that targets widely included federal government departments and the U.S. Congress.
Reports have also emerged that South Korean companies were among the list of victims.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in a press release that day that they seized hacking platforms used by hackers linked to Chinese authorities to attack critical U.S. infrastructure.
Domains used in two hacking platforms called "Qscan" and "QTLeech" were seized. These platforms were operated by a Chinese company named "Nanjing Xinjuwei Network Technology," and its clients included the Chinese military and China's counterintelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security.
According to U.S. media, targets included not only U.S. federal agencies such as the Department of Justice, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Health and Human Services, but also NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Senate, and U.S. military networks, while hospitals, electric companies, and defense contractors also suffered damages.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing an FBI official, reported that institutions and devices in more than 130 countries were targeted.
Reuters reported that the targets also included four unidentified companies in the United States and South Korea.
The hacking is understood to have taken place against critical infrastructure and sensitive networks in the U.S. and around the world since at least 2018.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the group "QTFY," linked to Nanjing Xinjuwei Network Technology, used Qscan to infect thousands of Internet of Things (IoT) devices worldwide and incorporated them into the QTLeech network to conceal the origins of the attacks.
The explanation is that doing so allows attacks to be disguised as originating from infected devices overseas rather than China, thereby evading tracking.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, "Malicious hackers state-sponsored to attack U.S. critical infrastructure will be stopped and punished," adding, "We will ensure the safety of the American people and mobilize all means to do so."
China pushed back, claiming that the United States is making false allegations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said at a briefing on the 27th, "The statement issued by the United States lacks evidence and distorts facts," adding, "We express our strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the erroneous act of the U.S. once again throwing dirty water on China over cybersecurity issues."
Spokesperson Lin stated, "The United States is notorious as the world's recognized largest hacking and wiretapping empire with ironclad evidence, and China has serious concerns regarding the U.S. on cybersecurity issues," urging, "We urge the U.S. to stop double standards and political maneuvers, and properly address cybersecurity risks through equal dialogue and negotiation with China in a responsible and constructive attitude."
The latest U.S. announcement is drawing attention as it comes about a month ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States.
Given that the U.S. could have taken steps such as delaying the announcement if it deemed the issue a burden on the U.S.-China summit, observations are being raised that U.S. President Donald Trump may take issue with China's cyberattacks during his meeting with President Xi, considering that no such delay was made.
Asked in a Fox News interview that day whether President Trump would raise the hacking issue with President Xi during his visit to the U.S., Deputy Attorney General Blanche said, "I'm not going to tell President Trump what he should discuss," adding, "This is an issue we have discussed with China for a long time, and it is an issue that now needs to stop."
Cyberattacks have served as a source of tension in U.S.-China relations.
It has been a repeating pattern where the U.S. strongly criticizes China by raising suspicions of ties to authorities, and China denies the allegations.
In other words, it is an agenda item that is more "uncomfortable" for China than for the United States.
Meanwhile, China, which has not yet officially announced President Xi Jinping's visit schedule, stated that the U.S. must remove obstacles to the summit.
Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central and Foreign Minister, met with U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue the previous day and said, "China-U.S. relations still face various risks and challenges," urging that both sides focus on a "positive agenda" and remove obstacles to high-level exchanges.
In response to a reporter's question at the briefing asking, "Is President Xi Jinping visiting the U.S.? What conditions must be met for the U.S. visit to materialize?", Spokesperson Lin gave no direct answer, noting that "China and the U.S. are maintaining communication regarding the schedule for exchanges between the two heads of state within the year."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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