China Slams US Sanctions on Cybersecurity Company, Cites Cyber Attacks on Chinese Networks

China has criticized the U.S. Treasury's decision to impose sanctions on a Beijing-based cybersecurity company, Integrity Technology Group. The company is accused of being involved in multiple hacking incidents targeting critical U.S. infrastructure.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China has cracked down on cyber attacks and that Washington was using the issue to "defame and smear China." He also said that the U.S. should stop its "unilateral sanctions" and "long-arm jurisdiction."

The Chinese cyber security agency also complained of attacks on Chinese networks. The agency said that it had detected and blocked a large number of cyber attacks from the U.S. in recent years.

The U.S. Treasury said that Integrity Technology Group had provided support to Chinese government hackers. The company is accused of developing and selling hacking tools that were used in attacks against U.S. government agencies, businesses, and critical infrastructure.

The sanctions against Integrity Technology Group are the latest in a series of actions taken by the U.S. government against Chinese companies and individuals accused of cyber attacks. In 2018, the U.S. indicted two Chinese nationals for their alleged role in hacking into the computer systems of Equifax, a credit reporting agency.

The U.S. government has also accused China of stealing intellectual property from U.S. companies. In 2017, the U.S. Trade Representative's office released a report that said China had stolen an estimated $600 billion in intellectual property from U.S. companies in 2015.