The head of an international group of parliamentarians focusing on cyber-security has criticized the UK government for its sluggish response to cyber-attacks originating from China.
This comes ahead of anticipated British sanctions against Beijing. Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, is set to announce these sanctions in Parliament on Monday.
The UK alleges cyber-attacks targeting MPs, peers, and the Electoral Commission, with Beijing allegedly accessing personal details of approximately 40 million voters in one instance.
Following briefings by the UK Parliament’s security director, three MPs and a peer, including members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), plan to hold a press conference.
Ipac, which includes legislators from various countries, has expressed surprise at the delayed response from British ministers, particularly since the Electoral Commission hack was detected as far back as 2022.
Luke de Pulford, Ipac’s executive director, noted the government’s reluctance to attribute the cyber-attacks to China promptly.
He highlighted a broader hesitancy to hold China accountable for its actions, citing the UK’s sanctions against Chinese officials for human rights violations in Xinjiang but a lack of similar action concerning Hong Kong.
“The United States sanctioned over 40 members of the government in Hong Kong, and the UK, even though we are the ones with a legal responsibility, have sanctioned zero, not one,” he said.
There was a need for more help for MPs targeted by Beijing. “We need targeted sanctions on those responsible, but we also need support for members of parliament and those who are targeted by Beijing. This is pretty serious stuff.”
Last Feburay, Beijing vehemently refuted the Dutch government’s accusations of Chinese hackers engaging in espionage against the Netherlands, dismissing the claims as “baseless allegations”.
The Dutch military intelligence and security agency revealed the discovery of malicious software infiltrating a computer network utilized by its military, pointing the finger at a Chinese government entity for the cyber intrusion.
