LETTERS: IN his recent interview with New Straits Times, Christopher Wray, Director of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, brazenly smeared and attacked China when talking about cyber security.
His remarks, baseless and distorted, were purely slander against China and misinformation to the public.
To let the public know the truth, the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia has to make a response.
Lie one: Christopher Wray said that "the Chinese government is adept at employing criminal hacking groups."
This is totally unfounded. In fact, the Chinese government remains committed to governing cyberspace in accordance with the law.
China has formulated and enforced a number of laws including Cyber Security Law, Data Security Law and Personal Information Protection Law, and has taken resolute measures to enforce these laws for protecting personal information and safeguarding cyber security and data safety.
China has launched special campaigns against cyber crimes like hacking, telecom and online fraud, and online infringement and piracy, to deter illegal online activities and create an increasingly orderly cyberspace.
China has no part in stealing secrets, nor does it in any way encourage or support any individual or organisation to do so.
Lie two: Christopher Wray claimed that "their (Chinese hackers) cyber campaigns can cause immense economic damage, stealing data, technology, undermining confidence in supply chains."
This is absolutely nonsense. It is widely recognised across the world that China has taken an active part in international dialogue and cooperation on cyberspace.
Working with the international community, China is committed to improving the level of cooperation in data security and personal information protection, and combating cyber crime and cyber terrorism. In September 2020, China launched the Global Data Security Initiative, which provides a blueprint for developing global data security rules and receives positive responses from a large group of countries.
The China-Asean Cybersecurity Exchange and Training Center has been established to increase cyber security capabilities.
Lie three: Christopher Wray asserted that "China does the most damage because of the sheer size of their hacking operations."
What a shameless blame! Actually, these words are best to describe the US itself. As is known to all, the US is the origin of cyber warfare, the biggest spreader of advanced cyber weapons and the biggest global cyber thief.
In an attempt to maintain its hegemony in cyberspace, the US has been using its tech advantage to conduct massive cyber surveillance and secret theft against the rest of the world, which seriously harms other countries' sovereignty and the privacy of global internet users.
In 2013, PRISM programme revealed how the US engaged in cyber espionage across the world.
The US even asked nine international internet giants, including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and Apple to cooperate with the US government to secretly monitor the information across the world.
The programme even invaded the network equipment of multiple countries including Germany and the Republic of Korea.
Lie four: Christopher Wray even suggested that "we do all of that by working with our partners, like the Royal Malaysia Police, to conduct joint, sequenced operations against both the criminals and the nation-state hacking groups."
If it is not a joke, that would be ridiculous. The US government continuously attempts to deploy cyber forces to other countries in the name of capacity-building cooperation to infiltrate these countries' cyber system.
The US has even resorted to media and other forms of disinformation of so-called "Chinese hackers" in order to induce or coerce relevant countries, particularly those around China, to receive US cyber force deployment.
Given the fact that the US leads the world in hacking technology, such practice not only endangers relevant countries' own cyber security, but also turns themselves into a bridgehead for US government's cyber attacks against China without their knowledge. This calls for high vigilance among regional countries.
All the lies will eventually fall apart, while the justice resides in people's hearts. We urge the US to stop now its global hacking operations and no longer confound public opinion with disinformation.
We also call on the world to make the cyberspace a large stage where a variety of flowers bloom, rather than a new battlefield for a digital iron curtain. In this regard, the Chinese side puts forward following suggestions:
First, we should build fair and reasonable cyberspace. It is necessary to practice true multilateralism, support the United Nations (UN) in playing a core role in the global governance of cyberspace, and fully listen to the legitimate concerns of numerous developing countries.
Second, we should build open and inclusive cyberspace. It is a must to adhere to fairness and justice and oppose any form of scientific and technological hegemony and cyber hegemony.
Third, we should build safe and stable cyberspace. It is necessary to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, advocate the peaceful use of cyberspace and resolutely resist the cyber arms race.
Fourth, we should build cyberspace full of vigour and vitality. It is important to ensure openness, security and stability of the global information and communication industrial and supply chain, so as to stimulate the potential and vitality of international cooperation in cyberspace.
In a word, China is willing to strengthen exchanges and deepen cooperation with Malaysia and all other countries, to advance the reform of the global cyber governance system and build a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Malaysia