China Reportedly Hacked the Phone of a British PM Aide

China is suspected of hacking the mobile phones of aides to several British prime ministers, British media The Telegraph reported.

The report from the media comes amid reports that current British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will make a visit to China this week, which will be the first visit by a British prime minister to the country since 2018.

As reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Tuesday, January 27, the report claimed that the mobile phones of senior officials in Downing Street had been infiltrated by Chinese state-sponsored hackers for several years.

The operation, which is believed to have the code name Salt Typhoon, targeted aides close to former British prime ministers, including Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak, who served between 2021 and 2024.

While it is not clear whether the prime ministers' personal devices were affected, the report states that the security breach reached "directly to the heart of Downing Street."

The British intelligence agency, MI5, reportedly issued a spy warning to parliament last November, warning of a spy threat from China.

Until now, there has been no official response from China regarding The Telegraph's claim.

Last month, the British government sanctioned two Chinese-based technology companies for alleged reckless and indiscriminate cyberattacks against Britain and its allies.

Beijing condemned the decision and expressed "strong dissatisfaction".

"China firmly opposes and eradicates hacking activities in accordance with the law, and at the same time, it firmly opposes the dissemination of false information for political purposes," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.