UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced measures to protect the nation against what has been identified as Chinese cyber aggression. This declaration follows accusations against China for cyber attacks on the UK’s Electoral Commission, endangering the personal data of millions of voters and numerous officials. Sunak underscored the necessity of bolstering cybersecurity to defend democratic values and personal freedoms from China’s assertive actions globally.

Parallel to Sunak’s statement, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden disclosed in the House of Commons that the government attributes these cyber offenses to “China state-affiliated actors,” specifying that these actions were conducted between 2021 and 2022. The National Cyber Security Centre implicated a China-affiliated cyber group in a sophisticated attack on the Electoral Commission and identified China’s APT31 group as conducting reconnaissance on UK parliamentarians, many of whom have publicly criticized China.

As a countermeasure, the UK has imposed sanctions against entities associated with these cyber attacks. The Foreign Secretary, Lord David Cameron, has condemned China’s cyber activities as “completely unacceptable” and highlighted the importance of international collaboration to counteract such threats to UK’s democracy and privacy.

The government’s response also includes updated cybersecurity guidelines for political organizations and heightened measures to protect against cyber threats, demonstrating a commitment to safeguard the nation’s democratic integrity and personal freedoms against external cyber espionage. These developments mark a potentially significant shift in UK-China relations, with a focus on defending against cyber threats and upholding human rights and international standards.