The move could throw U. S.-China relations further into jeopardy.<\/b>
\nThe U. S. Department of Justice has charged two Chinese hackers with trying to steal coronavirus research as part of a wider campaign targeting trade secrets, a move likely to escalate U. S. tensions with China.
\u201cChina has now taken its place, alongside Russia, Iran and North Korea, in that shameful club of nations that provide a safe haven for cyber criminals in exchange for those criminals being \u2018on call\u2019 to work for the benefit of the state, here to feed the Chinese Communist party\u2019s insatiable hunger for American and other non-Chinese companies\u2019 hard-earned intellectual property, including COVID-19 research,\u201d Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the Justice Department\u2019s top national security official, said in a statement.
The indictment against the Chinese hackers threatens to further escalate U. S.-China tensions. The Trump administration has repeatedly clashed in recent months with Chinese officials over issues such as Hong Kong\u2019s autonomy, the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, territorial disputes in the South China Sea and intellectual property related to 5G technology. What\u2019s more, President Trump announced earlier this month that he isn\u2019t even considering a phase two trade deal with China, saying that the relationship between the two countries has been \u201cseverely damaged\u201d by the coronavirus pandemic.
Cyberattacks related to the coronavirus have become increasingly common in recent months. The charges against Xiaoyu and Jiazhi come as Trump administration officials\u2014including Attorney General William Barr and national security advisor Robert O\u2019Brien\u2014ramp up their rhetoric against what they say are Chinese government efforts to steal trade secrets through hacking. Indeed, Western intelligence agencies have for months warned about the possibility of more cyberattacks related to coronavirus research: Just last week, authorities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom accused hackers with links to Russia of trying to target coronavirus research. Earlier this year, biotech firm Gilead Sciences, whose antiviral remdesivir is one of few drugs that\u2019s been proven effective in treating Covid-19, was also targeted by Iranian-linked hackers.
The Trade Deal May Be Dead, Trump Says China Relationship \u2018Severely Damaged\u2019 (Forbes)
China Warns U. S. \u2018Meddling\u2019 In Hong Kong Could Derail Phase One Trade Deal (Forbes)
Gilead Sciences Targeted By Hackers Linked To Iran: Report(Forbes)
Dow Jumps 350 Points After Gilead Says Remdesivir Coronavirus Treatment Reduces Risk Of Death(Forbes)
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