The UK government has formally accused China of being behind “malicious” online campaigns against British MPs and the country’s Electoral Commission.

Under the same charges, both the British and US governments imposed sanctions against a company and two individuals linked to the Chinese government.

The attacks targeted lawmakers critical of Beijing, while an attempt was made to gain access to the data of 40 million voters.

The individuals (Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin) and the company (Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company Ltd) where sanctions were imposed are linked to China’s state-owned cyber espionage group APT31.

According to Euronews, UK sanctions include asset freezes, trade bans, and UK entry bans.

The US has announced that the same two Chinese nationals are among a group of seven people facing criminal charges of conspiracy to commit computer hacking and telecommunications fraud in New York.

The Chinese embassy in London spoke of political manipulation and malicious slander, while China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded that countries should base their claims on evidence and not proceed with undocumented accusations.

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