China Allegedly Hacks Phones of UK Prime Ministers’ Aides
The allegations emerged as current British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly visiting China this week, the first such visit since 2018.
The report, published Monday, claimed that Chinese state-sponsored hackers compromised the mobile devices of senior Downing Street officials over several years. The operation, allegedly codenamed Salt Typhoon, targeted aides close to former prime ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak between 2021 and 2024.
Although it is unclear whether the prime ministers’ personal devices were affected, the report said the breach reached “right into the heart of Downing Street.”
British intelligence agency MI5 reportedly issued an espionage alert to Parliament last November, warning of Chinese spying threats.
China has not immediately responded to the report. Last month, the UK government sanctioned two China-based tech firms for “reckless and indiscriminate cyberattacks” against “the UK and its allies.” Beijing criticized the sanctions, expressing “strong dissatisfaction.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China “firmly opposes and cracks down on hacking activities in accordance with the law, and at the same time, resolutely opposes the dissemination of false information for political purposes.”
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