Elise Stefanik: Suspected Chinese Hacking Proves Biden’s ‘Thaw’ China Strategy Failed

House Republican Conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said in a written statement on Friday that the recent alleged Chinese hacking proves that the “thaw” with the Chinese Communist Party is the wrong move.

Stefanik released a statement after hackers believed to be linked to China exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft software to breach the email systems for more than two dozen organizations, which includes some government agencies. Breitbart News reported:

Hackers, identified as “Storm-0558,” exploited a security weakness in Microsoft’s cloud-computing environment to gain access to sensitive computer networks. This development is especially concerning for officials and security researchers, as it is seen as part of a larger espionage campaign that could have compromised valuable U.S. government information.

…

The full extent and severity of the incident, including the specific institutions and individuals affected, are not yet known. The incident has underscored the growing concerns among senior Western intelligence officials about the ability of Chinese hackers to orchestrate stealthy attacks that can evade detection for years.

China, however, has consistently denied hacking U.S. organizations and has accused the U.S. and its allies of targeting Chinese networks. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment on the incident.

Stefanik called for “peace through strength” instead of Biden’s flawed “thaw” strategy.

“The State Department knew Communist China was carrying out an extensive hacking campaign to collect intelligence against the United States, yet Secretary Blinken still went to Beijing, legitimizing the CCP’s aggressive behaviors in the process,” Stefanik said. “This is unacceptable and exactly why I called for the cancellation of Secretary Blinken’s trip. President Biden’s desire for a “thaw” in relations with the CCP continues to be the incorrect approach. Instead, we must pursue peace through strength in order to deter further CCP aggression.”