UK accuses China of cyberattacks on Electoral Commission, parliamentarians

(MENAFN) On Monday, the United Kingdom leveled accusations against China, alleging that it had orchestrated cyberattacks targeting the Electoral Commission and parliamentarians during the period spanning from 2021 to 2022.

"It is completely unacceptable that China state-affiliated organizations and individuals have targeted our democratic institutions and political processes," Foreign Minister David Cameron wrote in a post on X.

"I raised this directly with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and we have today sanctioned two individuals and one entity involved with the China state-affiliated group responsible for targeting our parliamentarians," he further mentioned.

The British government has announced its assessment that the systems of the UK Electoral Commission were highly likely compromised by a Chinese state-affiliated entity between 2021 and 2022.

"It is almost certain that the China state-affiliated Advanced Persistent Threat Group 31 (APT31) conducted reconnaissance activity against UK parliamentarians during a separate campaign in 2021. The majority of those targeted were prominent in calling out the malign activity of China. No parliamentary accounts were successfully compromised," it stated in a declaration.

This incident represents the most recent occurrence in a noticeable pattern of malicious cyber-activity carried out by Chinese state-affiliated entities and individuals, with a focus on targeting democratic institutions and parliamentarians not only within the UK but also extending beyond its borders.

Following this development, the British Foreign Ministry took action by summoning the Chinese ambassador to the UK and imposing sanctions on a front company and two individuals associated with APT31, a cyber-espionage group allegedly linked to the Chinese government.

In response to these measures, the Chinese Embassy in the UK issued a statement addressing the situation.

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