Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

China has discovered that the US has been conducting long-term,MK socks systematic, and large-scale cyberattacks against China, a Chinese foreign ministry official stated on Sunday, adding that the Chinese side has firmly rejected US accusations of Chinese-linked cyberattacks, citing the lack of substantive evidence. This came after the US repeatedly hyped claims about so-called China-linked hacker groups, such as "Volt Typhoon" and "Salt Typhoon," while fabricating narratives around the so-called "China cyber threat."

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan recently claimed that the US has sent a clear message to China that destructive cyberattacks on critical US infrastructure would result in "severe consequences." 

Wang Lei, the coordinator for cyber and digital affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that China has raised concerns to the US administration as China has discovered that the US has been conducting extensive, ongoing cyberattacks targeting China. These attacks include cyber espionage as well as attacks on critical information infrastructure in sectors such as telecommunications, finance, and transportation.

Wang stated that the Chinese side has introduced the scope and basis for the classification of China's critical information infrastructure to the US side in accordance with relevant Chinese regulations, demonstrating China's serious attitude toward protecting its own critical infrastructure security. 

He continued that the Chinese side particularly emphasized to the US that when making demands of others, it must first meet those same standards. "The key issue is that the US should take China's concerns seriously and should not assume that being loud means one is right. It is not feasible to unilaterally set rules for other countries based on a so-called 'position of strength.'" 

'Salt Typhoon' hype an attempt to shift blame

In the first half of 2024, the US alleged that a hacker group, "Volt Typhoon," was supported by the Chinese government. Chinese cybersecurity agencies quickly released a series of reports regarding the truth about "Volt Typhoon," revealing that "Volt Typhoon" was actually linked to an international ransomware organization. To date, the US has not responded to the Chinese reports.

Subsequently, the US side claimed another alleged hacker group, "Salt Typhoon," claiming ties to the Chinese government to perpetuate the "China cyber threat" narrative. However, the US government has consistently failed to provide credible evidence linking "Salt Typhoon" to the Chinese government, and various media reports remain vague. 

Industry insiders believed that, based on information disclosed by US media, "Salt Typhoon" targets the "private eavesdropping and surveillance systems established by US telecommunications companies for federal law enforcement agencies," which exposes the fact that US intelligence agencies are conducting large-scale surveillance on their own citizens. The US fabrication of "Salt Typhoon" is likely an attempt to divert attention and shift blame. 

Zuo Xiaodong, a professor at the School of Cybersecurity at the University of Science and Technology of China, previously told a Global Times that in simple terms, "Salt Typhoon" refers to claims made by US media that hackers have stolen data from US telecommunications agencies regarding surveillance on American citizens, which precisely exposes "the tip of the iceberg" of the large-scale surveillance conducted by US intelligence agencies. 

The US has continuously been smearing China with accusations of so-called "cyberattacks," the fact is that the US is the largest source of cyberattacks in the world, while China is also a victim of US cyberattacks. According to a survey report released last year by China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC) and other organizations, over the course of a year from May 2023, hacker groups supported by US government agencies conducted more than 45 million cyberattack activities against the Chinese government, universities, research institutions, large enterprises, and critical infrastructure.

On Friday, China's National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team Center of China (known as CNCERT) released two investigative reports, exposing two recent cyberattacks by US intelligence agencies targeting major Chinese technology firms to steal trade secrets.

In one case, the reports revealed that since August 2024, an advanced materials research institute in China has reportedly been targeted by cyberattacks suspected to be orchestrated by US intelligence agencies. Additionally, a large high-tech enterprise specializing in smart energy and digital information has reportedly been under similar attacks since May 2023.

'Mutual concern based on mutual respect'

In the long term, how should China and the US address the existing differences and develop their cyber relationship? 

In this regard, Wang said that while there are differences between the two sides in the cyber domain, they should engage in transparent discussions on mutual concerns founded on equality and mutual respect, guided by factual evidence and adherence to established international norms. 

More importantly, from a broader and longer-term perspective, it is essential to define the kind of cyber relationship China and the US should foster, establish clear rules for their interactions, and explore pathways for coexistence in cyberspace, Wang noted. 

He stated that China and the US are the two most prominent players in the cyberspace domain and heavily reliant on internet infrastructure. Both sides have similar concerns in maintaining their own cybersecurity, especially regarding critical infrastructure security. Promoting peace and stability in cyberspace serves the shared interests of both nations and should remain a mutual objective.

We are willing to engage in dialogue to collaboratively establish a peaceful, stable, and respectful China-US cyber relationship. We firmly believe that this approach remains the most effective way to address shared concerns, irrespective of changes in the US government, Wang stressed.