The UK accused China on Monday of targeting “democratic institutions and parliamentarians” in two cyber campaigns. The UK government also summoned the Chinese envoy and unveiled new sanctions against Beijing.
The Rishi Sunak government said that China-backed groups targeted the UK Electoral Commission, UK parliamentary accounts and lawmakers critical of China through cyber attacks in 2021 and 2022.
“Chinese state-affiliated actors were responsible for two malicious cyber campaigns targeting both our democratic institutions and parliamentarians,” Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told members of parliament.
He said that both campaigns, while a “real and serious threat”, were ultimately thwarted. Dowden said an unnamed “Chinese state-affiliated entity” likely “compromised” UK Electoral Commission systems, but he insisted election security was not affected.
“It will not impact how people register, vote or otherwise participate in democratic processes,” he said.
Dowden said that the UK parliament’s cybersecurity measures blocked a second campaign against lawmakers. The…
