China responds to accusations from Netherlands regarding cyber attacks
Photo: China denies Beijing's connection to the cyber attack on the Netherlands (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The Chinese embassy in the Netherlands denied involvement after the country officially accused China of cyberattacks on its defense network, reports Reuters.
In the Chinese diplomatic office, assurances were given that Beijing would never allow any Chinese legal or physical entities to engage in illegal activities, such as cyberattacks, or to use the country's assets for such actions.
"China opposes any malicious speculation and groundless accusations, and advocates joint efforts to safeguard cybersecurity through dialogue and cooperation," said a statement from the embassy spokesperson.
According to the diplomat, the Chinese government "has always resolutely opposed and cracked down on all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law."
This statement from the embassy comes in response to a report released by the Netherlands the day before, stating that Chinese state-sponsored cyber spies gained access to the Dutch military network last year.
What preceded
Earlier, on February 6, the corresponding report was presented by the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren. It is noteworthy that this marked the first instance when the Netherlands publicly attributed cyber espionage to China.
Intelligence services referred to this as part of the trend of Chinese political espionage against the Netherlands and their allies.
Chinese cyber attacks
Recently, the FBI claimed that the United States successfully halted the hacking activities of a Chinese state-sponsored group targeting critical components of state infrastructure, such as power grids and pipelines.
In December 2023, hackers linked to Russia and China breached the United Kingdom's most hazardous nuclear facility. And in July of the previous year, Chinese hackers infiltrated the email of the U.S. Ambassador in Beijing.
According to Western media reports, the U.S. government has initiated an operation in recent months to counter a widespread Chinese hacking campaign compromising thousands of internet-connected devices. The hacking group Volt Typhoon has particularly alarmed U.S. intelligence officials.
