January 9, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese embassy in Manila yesterday downplayed the reported Chinese hacking and stealing of sensitive data of the Philippines, calling the allegations “unjustified,” “groundless” and a smear campaign for geopolitical purposes.
“We firmly oppose and crack down on hacking and cyberattacks in accordance with law, and at the same time we also oppose unjustified labeling, groundless accusations or smear campaign for geopolitical purposes,” an unidentified Chinese embassy spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson added that the report links the hacking to the South China Sea issue and mentions that the United States and others have provided technical support and technology to the Philippines.
“Who is the mastermind behind this hype farce and who is using cyber issues to stir up the regional situation and seek geopolitical interests?” the spokesperson asked.
Bloomberg recently reported that China state-sponsored hackers had penetrated the Philippines’ executive branch and had stolen “sensitive” data as part of a year-long campaign.
Military data were among those stolen during the hacks, most of which happened from early 2023 to June 2024, according to Bloomberg.
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