UK Deputy Prime Minister: China Linked to Cyber Attacks

story

Mar 25, 2024

Image copyright: Spencer Platt/Staff/Getty Images via Getty Imagesstory last updated Mar 26

The Facts

UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden in a speech in the House of Commons on Monday accused "Chinese state-affiliated actors" of being responsible for two "malicious" cybersecurity breaches since 2021.
In August 2023, the UK's Electoral Commission revealed that from Aug. 2021 to Oct. 2022 "hostile actors" had accessed the records of nearly 43M voters who registered between 2014 and 2022.

The Spin

Anti-China narrative

The UK government must push back against China immediately. Beijing's consistent attempts to influence the direction of the UK from the shadows while committing a series of human rights violations domestically can't be tolerated. London's relationship with Beijing must be drastically reimagined with immediate effect.

Conservative Home

Pro-China narrative

The UK's baseless allegations against China are without evidence and merely an attempt to politicize the issue of cybersecurity at the behest of Washington. The UK's smear campaign is both illegal and ineffective, and all sanctions will merely provoke a legitimate, tough response from Beijing.

Global Times

Establishment-critical narrative

Despite the threat, the UK has been slow with its meek reaction to Beijing's attacks. The government seems both scared and tentative to do any more than apply weak sanctions to minor individuals connected to Beijing. The government's current response to attempts to undermine British democracy has so far been desperately lacking in teeth.