US charges 12 Chinese nationals with hacking

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - US prosecutors on Wednesday announced criminal charges against 12 Chinese nationals for hacking US companies, institutions, and municipalities, resulting in millions of dollars in damage, CNN reported.

Separate indictments released by the US District Court for the District of Columbia and the Southern District of New York accused China of operating a hacker-for-hire network to assist in transnational repression and carry out surveillance.

One indictment detailed how two of the accused nationals violated multiple federal laws by engaging in years-long, sophisticated computer hacking schemes targeting US-based victims.

None of the accused 12 Chinese nationals are in custody in the US.

A US Justice Department official stated that China’s hacker-for-hire system “has gotten out of control.”

In response to the charges, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, denied any involvement by Beijing in the hacking activities.

“China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and citizens,” he said.

The charges come amid ongoing tariffs US President Donald Trump imposed on Chinese imports to the US, with Beijing retaliating by imposing its own tariffs on US exports.