Chinese counterparts reveal that hacks had been targeting networks for years as a warning against aiding Taiwan. China openly admitted it was behind a series of cyber-attacks on US infrastructure in a secret meeting with American officials, according to reports. Members of the Chinese delegation indicated to their US counterparts in December 2024 that they had spent years targeting computer networks in electrical grids, water supplies and ports, in what appeared to be a warning against the US providing support to Taiwan.[1]
US officials were said to have been shocked at China admitting culpability for what it has called the “Volt Typhoon” campaign, sources told the Wall Street Journal. The meeting between security teams from the two superpowers is said to have taken place in Geneva, Switzerland last year, during Joe Biden’s last few weeks as US president.
Regarding the “Volt Typhoon” campaign, these cyber-attacks have raised significant concerns about the vulnerabilities in the US critical infrastructure. The revelations came as a stark reminder of the ongoing cyber warfare that poses a persistent threat to global security.
The Biden administration went public with warnings about the Volt Typhoon campaign last year, claiming that Beijing was attempting to establish itself in critical infrastructure to cause chaos if a war broke out.
Wang Lei, a top cyber official with China’s ministry of foreign affairs, reportedly indicated that the hacks were the result of the US lending military backing to Taiwan, according to current and former US officials. He is not said to have directly stated that China was responsible for the campaign of cyber-attacks on the US. However, American officials took the admission as an implicit warning against coming to Taiwan’s aid in the event of a Chinese invasion. China regards the island as part of its territory even though it has been effectively independent since 1949.
Nate Fick, then the ambassador-at-large for cyberspace and digital policy in the Biden administration, is said to have led the US delegation at the summit. Both Mr. Biden’s White House and Donald Trump’s transition team, which was preparing to assume control of the US government, were briefed on the meeting.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have deteriorated even further under Mr. Trump, as Pentagon officials vowed to retaliate with their own cyber-attacks and the US president recently imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese imports.
The US State Department did not comment on the specifics of the meeting in a statement to the Wall Street Journal. However, it said that the US made clear to China that it would “take actions in response to Chinese malicious cyber activity,” which it described as “some of the gravest and most persistent threats to US national security.”
The national security council declined to comment on the allegations. The Chinese embassy in Washington DC accused the US of “using cybersecurity to smear and slander China” and spreading disinformation about “so-called hacking threats.”
This article is shared at no charge for educational and informational purposes only.
Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. We provide indicators of compromise information via a notification service (RedXray) or an analysis service (CTAC). For questions, comments or assistance, please contact the office directly at 1-844-492-7225, or feedback@redskyalliance.com
Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings:
- Reporting: https://www.redskyalliance.org/
- Website: https://www.redskyalliance.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/64265941
Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings:
REDSHORTS - Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5207428251321676122
[1] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/04/11/china-admits-cyber-attacks-us-infrastructure-secret-meeting/
Comments