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China has hacked emails used by congressional staff on powerful committees in the U.S. House of Representatives, as part of a massive cyber espionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The White House had no immediate comment.
China accessed email systems used by some staffers on the House China committee as well as aides on the foreign affairs committee, intelligence committee and armed services committee, the report said.
Salt Typhoon has emerged as one of the top concerns of American cybersecurity. U.S. officials allege that the hacking group is doing more than just gathering intelligence; it is prepositioning itself to paralyze U.S. critical infrastructure in case of a conflict with China.
Beijing has repeatedly denied being behind the intrusions.