A recent report by a U.S. company alleging that China is behind a decade-long hacking program targeting Southeast Asian nations is the latest example of the United States' habitual defamation when it comes to cyber security.
The report, issued by publicly-listed firm FireEye, claimed that an advanced hacking group, referred to as APT30, has infiltrated the computer systems of government bodies, militaries and economic entities mainly in Southeast Asia for espionage purposes since 2004.
Though the report is devoid of any concrete evidence that the group is sponsored by the Chinese government, FireEye still tried to attribute the purported "longest cyber espionage program so far" to China by using such vague expressions as "possibly" "appears" and "signs."
The heavily faulted logic pattern is not a surprise for those who have followed China-U.S. interactions on cyber security: the U.S. side -- both government officials and businesses -- have developed an addition to blaming China every time a hacking attack happens, or whenever they "detect" that such a thing has happened.
In fact, to ascertain the sources of hacking attacks is pretty difficult if not entirely impossible, given the borderless nature of the Internet.
Isn't it strange that the United States, with its notoriously ubiquitous role in cyber espionage, could always find China as the one that is behind organized hacking attacks? It often presents details of the crime but barely convincing information on why China is identified as the perpetrator.
The ever-present irony aside, the timing of the FireEye report seems to have been carefully chosen: it is released while China and the Southeast Asian countries are gearing up for an upcoming ASEAN summit as well as scheduled events to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference.
By throwing dirt on China, the report is also intended to sow discord between China and its Asian neighbors, and the ulterior motive just resembles that of the recent U.S. clamoring of "China Threat" on the South China Sea.
China, itself a major victim of cyber attacks, has made it clear that it is against all forms of hacking attacks, and it believes that members of the international community need better communication and cooperation to address cyber security breach.
Cyber security is a global responsibility. It is advisable that members of the world community refrain from unilateral and counterproductive actions, and sincerely join hands in pushing for meaningful progress in the undertaking.
For the United States, it would be a good start to stop the foul practice of trying to boost its own status in the cyber world by giving China a bad name. For once the trust is damaged, it will take a lot more effort to repair and possibly to no avail.
