Beijing Hackers Spy on US Embassador to China

Recent reports state that hackers from Beijing conducted probable state-approved espionage by hacking into the email account of China’s US Ambassador, Nicholas Burns. They further claim that this espionage was not limited to the ambassador’s email ID. It included several government and private emails of US Officials, possibly. In the face of the deteriorating US-China relationships and the rising tensions in the South China Sea, this espionage shows the lack of faith of Chinese authorities in the US administration. 

Microsoft Detects the Spying Activities 

Microsoft declared that a wider internet-related spying operation was also in force against the US’s East Asia administration branch. Last week Microsoft confirmed that Chinese hackers used its digital key and exploited its coding flaw to steal emails from US government agencies. They also maintain that source identification will be a complex technical process. The FBI is currently investigating the breach of the US government’s security. Microsoft has embarked on a self-reflective journey to fix its security breach issues.

The White House National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge stated that the breach only affected unclassified systems in the US government’s Microsoft cloud. 

The Rising US-China Tensions

The Taiwan issue is a constant toothache for the US. It has to walk on eggshells to deal with its Chinese counterparts on this issue. While they support Taiwan, they also refuse to deny the Chinese claims to the region. The situation has seen recent escalation with a repeated show of strength by China in the Taiwan Strait. Additionally, China has been increasing its influence globally, it has strategically placed resources by giving loans to staggering economies in the East. Moreover, the news about the CCP government encouraging Chinese people to stop using foreign goods and services is a clue towards Chinese disengagement from global influence in economic terms. 

All of the above shows that China is preparing to launch a major operation. The spying, the economic policies, and the military muscle flex are obvious pointers to its intent toward Taiwan. It also shows that China is keeping a very close eye on US agencies across the globe. The detected espionage indicates that there may be other, deeper spying activities on the economies of the world to track their stance on China and its actions. The CCP government is leaving no stone unturned in its path to ensure its dominance of the world. These are only a few ways that China is trying to stay one step ahead from its detractors.