DOJ charges Chinese nationals for ‘extensive’ global hacking campaign

Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein listens as US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh attends the first day of his confirmation hearing in front of the US Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, on September 4, 2018. 

The Justice Department on Thursday announced charges against Chinese nationals accused of conducting a global hacking campaign.

• Prosecutors accused the hackers of operating in connection with the Chinese government.
• They are accused of stealing information from at least 45 U.S. tech companies and government agencies.

This story will be updated with further details.

The action comes as China and the U.S. are embroiled in volatile trade negotiations. The talks have already been complicated by Canadian authorities’ Dec. 1 arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, one of China’s largest companies, at the behest of the Justice Department.

The DOJ has indicted several alleged Chinese hackers in recent years. The actions are part of a “naming and shaming” campaign meant to hold Beijing accountable for alleged state-sponsored intellectual property theft from and espionage on corporations. However, the accused hackers are rarely extradited to the United States to face trial.

Later Thursday, the U.S. and more than a dozen allies are expected to condemn China for its alleged economic and technological malfeasance, The Washington Post reported.

U.S. allies including Britain, Germany, Australia, Canada and Japan will reportedly join that condemnation. Companies or institutions in each of those countries have claimed to be the victims of attempted cybersecurity breaches by Chinese hackers.

New sanctions addressing China’s alleged cyber-chicanery are also expected to come Thursday, according to the Post.