The UK government has publicly charged China with conducting “malicious” cyber operations targeting Members of Parliament and the Electoral Commission, imposing sanctions on two Chinese individuals and one company identified as participants in these cyber-attacks.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden disclosed that these attacks sought to infiltrate the details of MPs critical of Beijing and potentially compromise the data of up to 40 million voters. China, through its UK embassy, denied the accusations, dismissing them as unfounded and malicious.
The individuals sanctioned are identified as Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin, along with the Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company Ltd, linked to the state-affiliated cyber espionage group APT31. The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans to the UK.
The cyber-attacks spanned from August 2021 to October 2022, targeting not just government officials but also attempting to breach the databases of the Electoral Commission. Despite these intrusions, Deputy PM Dowden assured that the security of elections remained uncompromised.
This move by the UK is part of a broader international response, with the US also charging the same Chinese nationals among seven individuals for their role in a 14-year cyber espionage campaign. Meanwhile, New Zealand reported similar cyber activities from a Chinese state-sponsored group, although it opted not to implement sanctions.
MPs affected by these cyber-attacks, particularly members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, have urged for a stronger stance against Chinese government actors, reflecting a growing concern within the UK government over Chinese espionage and interference. This incident signifies a notable shift from previous periods of UK-China engagement to a more guarded approach regarding Chinese involvement in national infrastructure and security matters.
