China rejects US Treasury ‘breach’ claims as false

ISTANBUL

Beijing on Tuesday dismissed as "false" the claims that the US Treasury was breached in a "major cybersecurity incident," state media reported.

“These unfounded accusations (are) lacking evidence,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

Mao’s comments came in response to a report by US-based New York Times, which alleged that a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group infiltrated the US Treasury Department, gaining unauthorized access to government workstations and unclassified documents.

“China has always opposed all forms of hacking attacks, and we are even more opposed to the dissemination of false information targeting China for political purposes,” Mao said, rejecting the New York Times claims.

“Based on available indicators, the incident has been attributed to a China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor,” the Treasury Department had said in a letter to US lawmakers.

The hackers reportedly used a security key to gain remote access to certain systems.

Treasury officials noted that the compromised service had been taken offline, adding: "There is no evidence that the Chinese state actor still has access to Treasury information."

While China denies involvement in such attacks, this latest breach follows other cyber incidents linked to China, including a breach targeting US telecom networks.

China also emphasized its efforts to collaborate with the US on cybersecurity issues.