中国、英選挙システム・議員にサイバー攻撃か

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英国は２５日、中国政府が支援するハッカー集団が２度にわたり英国の選挙管理システムと議員を標的にサイバー攻撃を行ったとし、攻撃に関与した個人などに制裁を科すとともに、駐英中国大使を呼び出し抗議したと発表した。中国は英国側の主張を否定している。（写真は英下院で中国によるサイバー攻撃について説明するオリバー・ダウデン副首相。中継画像より）
　サイバー攻撃は２０２１年と２０２２年、選挙管理委員会のシステムと議員を標的に行われた。
　オリバー・ダウデン副首相は議会で「民主主義のシステムと議員を狙った悪意ある２件のサイバー攻撃については、中国政府系の行為者に責任がある」と述べた。
　ダウデン氏は名指しなかったが、「中国政府系の団体」が英選挙システムを「危険にさらした」可能性が高いと主張。ただ、セキュリティーは影響を受けていないとした。
　同氏によると、議員を狙った２度目の攻撃は、議会のサイバーセキュリティー対策が功を奏し、不発に終わった。標的となったのは主に中国に批判的な議員だったという。
　英政府は２度目の攻撃をめぐり、中国が支援しているとされるハッカー集団「ＡＰＴ３１」と関係がある個人２人と企業１社に制裁を科した。
　在ロンドン中国大使館は、英国側の主張は「完全に事実無根で、悪意ある中傷」だとする声明をウェブサイトに掲載。また、英政府に抗議したことを明らかにした。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/03/27-17:48）

The UK on Monday accused Beijing-backed groups of targeting democratic institutions and parliamentarians in two cyber campaigns, unveiling sanctions and summoning China's ambassador.
The Chinese embassy in Britain hit back, calling the claim completely unfounded and accusing London of malicious slander.
With Britain expected to hold a general election within months, London detailed attacks in 2021 and 2022 that targeted the Electoral Commission and UK parliamentary accounts, including those of lawmakers critical of China.
Chinese state-affiliated actors were responsible for two malicious cyber campaigns targeting both our democratic institutions and parliamentarians, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told members of parliament.
He said that both campaigns, while a real and serious threat, were ultimately thwarted.
Dowden said an unnamed Chinese state-affiliated entity likely compromised UK Electoral Commission systems, but he insisted election security was not affected.
It will not impact how people register, vote or otherwise participate in democratic processes, he said.
Parliament's cybersecurity measures blocked a second campaign against lawmakers, many of whom are critical of Beijing, he added.
Two individuals and one company linked to the Chinese-backed group suspected of orchestrating the campaign -- APT31 -- have been hit with sanctions over the latter case.
The Chinese ambassador to London has been summoned to account for China's conduct, Dowden said.
Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith, one of the targeted lawmakers, said Beijing should be labelled a threat to the UK.
He was one of several UK MPs sanctioned by China in 2021 because of criticisms of human rights abuses against China's Uyghur minority and in Hong Kong.
- 'Political manipulation' -
China's embassy in London slammed the accusations as sinister action by Britain.
Blaming China for the attacks is completely unfounded and constitutes malicious slander, it said in a statement released on its website, adding it had made a complaint to the UK side.
The UK's hype-up of the so-called 'Chinese cyber attacks' without basis and the announcement of sanctions is outright political manipulation and malicious slander.
In recent years, Western nations have become increasingly willing to expose foreign cyber operations, and to point fingers at foreign governments -- most notably China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.
China has never encouraged, supported or condoned cyberattacks, the embassy statement said.
But Dowden said the cyberattacks were the latest in a clear pattern of hostile activity originating in China.
The British announcement came as Washington said it had charged seven Chinese nationals in connection with a 14-year campaign against critics of Beijing.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said more than 10,000 emails were sent as part of a prolific global hacking operation targeting US and foreign-based businesses, politicians and journalists.
Late Monday, New Zealand also revealed its parliamentary system was hacked into by a Chinese state-backed group in 2021.
The country's counter-espionage agency in Wellington said a state-backed group known as APT40 compromised computers linked to the Parliamentary Counsel Office, which drafts and publishes laws.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told reporters that it was a big step to blame the cyber attack on China, his country's biggest trade partner.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he had instructed diplomats to speak today to the Chinese Ambassador, to lay out our position and express our concerns.
That conversation has now taken place, he said.
- 'Political interference' -
The UK has for several years been at loggerheads with Beijing over crackdowns on civil and human rights in China and the former British colony Hong Kong.
Ties have been strained further by the UK blocking access to Chinese companies in key British infrastructure projects, including in the nuclear and IT fields.
Last year a UK parliamentary researcher was arrested under the Official Secrets Act on accusations of spying for China.
In 2022, the UK domestic intelligence service, MI5, said that a female Chinese government agent had been engaged in political interference activities on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, engaging with members here at parliament.
In July, parliament's intelligence and security committee accused China of targeting the UK prolifically and aggressively and complained that the government did not have the resources, expertise or knowledge to deal with it.
China has consistently denied accusations of espionage and other wrongdoing.
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