UK Deputy Prime Minister: China Linked to Cyber Attacks

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Facts

• UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden in a speech in the House of Commons on Monday accused 'Chinese state-affiliated actors' of being responsible for two 'malicious' cybersecurity breaches since 2021.¹
• In August 2023, the UK's Electoral Commission revealed that from Aug. 2021 to Oct. 2022 'hostile actors' had accessed the records of nearly 43M voters who registered between 2014 and 2022.²
• Dowden, who revealed China's UK ambassador had been summoned concerning the allegations, accused Beijing of attacking the electoral commission, as well as 'conduct[ing] reconnaissance activity' against members of parliament in 2021 through Chinese state-affiliated group APT 31.³
• Dowden also said the attacks were unsuccessful because they were blocked by Parliament's cybersecurity system. He announced sanctions against two individuals and one entity associated with APT 31. Meanwhile, the US unsealed an indictment against seven Chinese nationals.³
• In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said it opposed 'illegal and unilateral sanctions,' and asked other countries to stop spreading 'disinformation' and work with China to create peace and security in cyberspace.⁴

Sources: ¹Evening Standard, ²Verity, ³bbc.co.uk and ⁴Fmprc.

Narratives

• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Conservative Home. The UK government must push back against China immediately. Beijing's consistent attempts to influence the direction of the UK from the shadows while committing a series of human rights violations domestically can't be tolerated. London's relationship with Beijing must be drastically reimagined with immediate effect.
• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. The UK's baseless allegations against China are without evidence and merely an attempt to politicize the issue of cybersecurity at the behest of Washington. The UK's smear campaign is both illegal and ineffective, and all sanctions will merely provoke a legitimate, tough response from Beijing.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Guardian. Despite the threat, the UK has been slow with its meek reaction to Beijing's attacks. The government seems both scared and tentative to do any more than apply weak sanctions to minor individuals connected to Beijing. The government's current response to attempts to undermine British democracy has so far been desperately lacking in teeth.

Predictions