The Pentagon directly accused China of cyber attacks on American government computer systems and government contractors in its annual report to Congress, which was released Monday, the New York Times reports.
The report marks the first time the Obama administration has explicitly accused the Chinese of cyber attacks. Some estimates show China is responsible for more than 90 percent of cyber espionage in the United States.
The report, released Monday, described China’s primary goal as stealing industrial technology, but said many intrusions also seemed aimed at obtaining insights into American policy makers’ thinking. It warned that the same information-gathering could easily be used for "building a picture of U.S. network defense networks, logistics, and related military capabilities that could be exploited during a crisis."
It was unclear why the administration chose the Pentagon report to make assertions that it has long declined to make at the White House. A White House official declined to say at what level the report was cleared. A senior defense official said "this was a thoroughly coordinated report," but did not elaborate.
A Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman criticized the report on Tuesday.
