U.S.-led coalition accuses three Chinese companies of aiding hacks by domestic intelligence agencies

Thirteen nations, including the U.S., Britain, and Japan, have come together to accuse three Chinese companies of aiding in hacking operations linked to state-backed agencies. 

An unusually broad coalition of nations, led by the United States and joined by allies across Europe and Asia, has publicly accused three Chinese companies of supporting state-linked cyber-espionage campaigns.

U.S. coalition accused Chinese firms of supporting hacking

In a 37-page advisory released on Wednesday, officials named Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology, Beijing Huanyu Tianqiong Information Technology, and Sichuan Zhixin Ruijie Network Technology as providers of “cyber-related products and services” to Chinese intelligence services.

The advisory was signed by the U.S. and its English-speaking allies in the “Five Eyes” intelligence partnership, which includes Australia, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand. Germany, Italy, Japan, the Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain also pitched in to the group missive.

This is one of the most coordinated international responses to alleged Chinese hacking activity to date. While the U.S. and its allies have often issued joint warnings about cyber threats, the inclusion of several European and Asian governments shows the growing concern over the global impact of such operations.

Sichuan Juxinhe has already faced sanctions from the U.S. Treasury for its reported ties to “Salt Typhoon,” a hacking group accused of siphoning off vast amounts of American telecommunications data.

According to U.S. officials, the unprecedented scale of the intrusion, which included sensitive call records involving senior Washington leadership, is “mind-boggling.” One senator also warned that it could represent “the largest telecommunications hack in our nation’s history.”

The other firms implicated in the group statement, Beijing Huanyu Tianqiong and Sichuan Zhixin Ruijie, were also allegedly connected to recent unexplained data leaks. However, details surrounding those incidents have not been made public.

Increasing global concern over Salt Typhoon

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Wednesday, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Brett Leatherman described Salt Typhoon as “one of the more consequential cyber espionage breaches we have seen here in the United States.” He added that Salt Typhoon had targeted more than 80 countries and shown varying degrees of interest in over 600 companies.

By infiltrating telecommunications networks and collecting call data, Salt Typhoon gained access to information about government and corporate targets and the communication patterns of ordinary citizens worldwide.

Beijing has consistently rejected allegations that it directs or sponsors cyber-espionage activity. In past instances, Chinese officials have accused the U.S. and its allies of using such politically motivated and hacking allegations to justify sanctions and trade restrictions.

The coalition’s statement did not mention any other course of action beyond the current U.S. sanctions against Sichuan Juxinhe.

U.S. officials emphasized that the international action is meant to alert governments and private-sector organizations to the risks that such breaches mean for national security, economic competitiveness, and privacy.

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