New Zealand, China Clash Over Hacking Claims

SYDNEY - New Zealand’s trade minister said Thursday he does not expect Chinese economic retaliation to increasing tensions over claims of Chinese cyberhacking. China this week called on New Zealand to “abandon [its] Cold War mentality” after New Zealand’s government criticized Beijing for supporting hacking following a cyberattack on tech giant Microsoft.

New Zealand authorities said Monday they had uncovered evidence of Chinese state-sponsored cyberattacks in New Zealand. Government officials said the Government Communications Security Bureau had established links between a group supported by Beijing called the Advanced Persistent Threat 40 and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand. Monday, the United States and other Western countries, including New Zealand and Australia, accused China of hacking Microsoft Exchange, an email service used by companies around the world. New Zealand said such interference undermined global stability and security. China reacted angrily. Its embassy in Wellington issued a statement Tuesday calling the hacking allegations “totally groundless and irresponsible.” It urged New Zealand to “abandon the Cold War mentality.”