China News Service: The National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team / Coordination Center of China (CNCERT or CNCERT/CC) has found lately that since the latter half of February, China’s internet has been under persistent cyberattacks from overseas groups, which gained control over computers in China through attacks and then launched cyberattacks on Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. It has found through analysis that the attacks mainly originate from the US with a small part from countries like Germany and the Netherlands. Russia is the target of 87 percent of the attacks. Do you have any comment? 

Zhao Lijian: The numbers show that the US is truly the ‘hacking empire’ of the world. China is gravely concerned about cyberattacks against other countries that originate from the US and use China as a springboard. This is further evidence that China is the target of attacks launched by hackers from many countries.

Against the background of the Ukraine situation, such move may produce the negative effect of misleading the international community and spreading disinformation. We noticed that a former US senior official called publicly for launching cyberattacks on Russia not long ago. We don’t know what role the US government has played in this, or whether there is some kind of link between such activities and the US’ long practice of smearing China in cyberspace. China urges the US to adopt a more responsible attitude in cyberspace and immediately stop such malicious cyber activities.