Two Chinese Hackers Indicted for Targeting COVID-19 Vaccine Information in the US (Comprehensive)

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

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[Asia Economy New York=Correspondents Baek Jong-min and Park Sun-mi] The United States has indicted two Chinese nationals accused of targeting confidential information, including COVID-19 vaccine data and various trade secrets of American companies. Amid worsening U.S.-China relations, the U.S. has brought the issue of Chinese hacking?considered a top priority "homework"?back to the forefront of bilateral tensions.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 21st (local time), the U.S. Department of Justice has indicted two Chinese nationals, Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi, on 11 charges including hacking, and released the indictment. They are accused of stealing various corporate information, including data related to COVID-19 vaccine development, over more than a decade in connection with China's Ministry of State Security.

The hacking targets included hundreds of companies operating in the U.S. and nine other countries, such as firms researching COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, advanced technology developers, and defense contractors. Among them, 13 American companies in sectors like defense and healthcare, as well as four U.S. companies involved in COVID-19 vaccine work, suffered damages. It is claimed that the value of the stolen corporate information amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Separately, the two are also reported to have hacked information on dissidents and human rights activists operating in the U.S., China, and Hong Kong, and passed it on to Chinese government agencies. The indictment specifies that while the arrested individuals sometimes acted for personal gain, their actions were primarily to provide information to the Ministry of State Security, a leading Chinese intelligence agency.

Although the U.S. has previously indicted Chinese nationals on hacking charges, this is the first time they have been charged specifically for hacking COVID-19 vaccine information.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security announced in May that hackers linked to the Chinese government were targeting COVID-19 vaccine research, but did not specify particular targets or apply charges. As U.S.-China relations continue to deteriorate, this move is interpreted as an attempt to link the global focus on COVID-19 vaccine development with Chinese cyber theft, thereby maximizing international attention and criticism toward China. In fact, major foreign media outlets including WSJ, The Washington Post (WP), and The New York Times (NYT) all headlined their articles with "Two Chinese nationals indicted for attempting to steal COVID-19 vaccine information."

The claim that two Chinese nationals attempted to steal U.S. COVID-19 vaccine development information follows a rare joint statement by the U.S., the U.K., and Canada, which accused the hacker group 'APT29,' backed by the Russian government, of hacking companies and research institutions developing COVID-19 vaccines. John Demers, U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General for National Security, criticized China, saying, "China has become a shameful country that provides safe haven to cybercriminals, alongside Russia, Iran, and North Korea."

In addition to indicting the two Chinese hackers, the U.S. is strengthening its China policy coordination with the U.K. On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the British Prime Minister's residence and met with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to focus on China policy discussions. He welcomed the U.K.'s decision to completely remove Huawei equipment, a Chinese telecommunications company, from its 5G network by 2027 and discussed plans to develop a 5G network independent of China. They also discussed joint responses to issues China classifies as "internal affairs," such as those concerning Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uyghur population.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper expressed hope to visit China by the end of this year to improve crisis communication channels and discuss mutual areas of interest, considering the escalating tensions between the U.S. and China that are spreading across multiple fronts and potentially leading to military conflict.

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