Chinese cyberattacks won’t silence us, say British lawmakers

LONDON — A group of British lawmakers insisted they won't be "bullied into silence" by Beijing amid new allegations of Chinese-linked cyberattacks on U.K. democratic institutions.

Three MPs — all prominent critics of the Chinese state — were briefed by the U.K. parliament's director of security Monday morning after reports at the weekend that Beijing will be formally linked by British authorities to a string of attacks on U.K. lawmakers.

A statement from the British government pointing the finger at China is expected in the coming hours. Beijing preemptively rejected the claims as "slander."

Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, one of the MPs reportedly targeted, told a press conference in central London Monday that he could not share any details from the morning's security briefing.

But, speaking on behalf of the group of lawmakers, he said Beijing had long attempted to exert pressure on its critics – and insisted the group would not be cowed.

"Together with other members of parliament, activists, and dissidents, we have been subjected to harassment, impersonation, and attempted hacking from China for some time," Duncan-Smith said.

"We take this opportunity to highlight that, though extremely unwelcome, our discomfort pales in comparison to Chinese dissidents who risk their lives to oppose the Chinese Communist Party," Duncan Smith added. "Neither we, nor other parliamentary colleagues, will be bullied into silence by Beijing."

Duncan Smith was speaking alongside fellow Tory MP Tim Loughton and the Scottish National Party MP Stewart McDonald. All three are members of the hawkish Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

Duncan Smith urged the British government to take a tougher line with China, officially designating it as a "threat" rather than its current label: viewing China as a "challenge."

Electoral Commission attack

The plea from MPs came as Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden also prepared to accuse Chinese state-affiliated companies of being behind a separate set of attacks which hit Britain's electoral watchdog in 2021.

The Electoral Commission announced last year that it was the subject of the complex cyberattack, in which, it said, its systems were accessed by "hostile actors." The watchdog said that the personal data of voters had been compromised during the attack.

Dowden is expected to announce retaliatory sanctions against Chinese officials when he addresses the House of Commons Monday afternoon.

Speaking to broadcasters Monday morning, Dowden's boss Rishi Sunak said China represents the "greatest state-based threat" to the U.K.

"China is behaving in an increasingly assertive way abroad, authoritarian at home, and it represents an epoch-defining challenge and is also the greatest state-based threat to our economic security," Prime Minister Sunak said.

China has already rejected the claims it targeted British institutions. Asked about them Monday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian accused London of “spreading disinformation” and said China itself was a victim of cyberattacks.

“Designations of cyberattacks are a highly complex and sensitive issue,” Lin told a press conference. “There should be comprehensive and objective evidence, rather than slandering other countries without any factual support, let alone politicizing cybersecurity issues.

“We call on all sides to stop spreading disinformation,” he added.