Representative James Comer, the committee chair, along with the heads of two subcommittees, has requested staff briefings from Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Secretary of State Antony Blinken by August 9. The lawmakers expressed concern about the recent cyber attack on federal agencies, including the email account of a senior US government official, which they believe showcases a new level of skill and sophistication from Chinese hackers.
Earlier this year, a group based in China, as reported by Microsoft, hacked the emails of several senior US officials, including Gina Raimondo. The State and Commerce departments have not yet responded to messages seeking comment on the matter.
The news of Chinese hackers breaching the emails of senior State and Commerce department officials caused a stir amid the already high tensions between Beijing and Washington over various issues, such as trade and Taiwan. The full extent of the breach, which affected at least two dozen other organizations, remains unclear.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the hackers also gained access to the email accounts of the US ambassador to China and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia. Overall, hundreds of thousands of emails were stolen.
Despite the reported Chinese hacking, Gina Raimondo stated last month that she still plans to visit China later this year. She emphasized that the trip planning does not excuse any form of hacking or security infringement.
In response to the allegations, China’s embassy in Washington issued a statement, warning against groundless speculations and allegations, and highlighting the complexity of identifying the sources of cyber attacks.