WASHINGTON – Two Chinese nationals have been charged with hacking hundreds of entities around the world, including U.S. biotech companies developing COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, while working with China’s security services. Li Xiaoyu, 34, and Dong Jiazhi, 33, were charged in an 11-count indictment unsealed in the eastern district of Washington state Tuesday, marking the first time U.S. prosecutors have indicted Chinese hackers for what they termed the “blended threat” of working for the Chinese state while also targeting victims for personal gain.
John Demers, head of the Justice Department’s national security division, accused China of aiding cybercriminals.
WASHINGTON – Two Chinese nationals have been charged with hacking hundreds of entities around the world, including U.S. biotech companies developing COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, while working with China’s security services.
Li Xiaoyu, 34, and Dong Jiazhi, 33, were charged in an 11-count indictment unsealed in the eastern district of Washington state Tuesday, marking the first time U.S. prosecutors have indicted Chinese hackers for what they termed the “blended threat” of working for the Chinese state while also targeting victims for personal gain.
John Demers, head of the Justice Department’s national security division, accused China of aiding cybercriminals.
FBI Director Christopher Wray, on July 7, called China’s economic espionage the “greatest long-term threat to our nation’s information and intellectual property, and to our economic vitality.”
Almost half of the nearly 5,000 active FBI counterintelligence cases are related to China, Wray said, adding that the bureau is adding a new counterintelligence case related to China every 10 hours.
Attorney General William Barr said on Thursday that China is engaged in an “economic blitzkrieg” against the United States, accusing U.S. businesses of bowing to Chinese pressure in pursuit of profit.
China rejected U.S. allegations of IP theft and economic espionage.
“Some U.S. politicians seem to be alleging time and again that China is waging cyberattacks to steal U.S. research on COVID-19 vaccines,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said last week. “Our top researchers don’t need to secure an edge by theft. As we speak, Chinese research teams are moving ahead with multiple vaccine tasks through five technical routes.” – VOA News.
