On December 10, 2025, the UK government imposed financial sanctions on two Chinese technology companies on Tuesday, December 9, accusing them of launching indiscriminate cyber attacks on multiple countries worldwide. The British side criticized these enterprises for acting recklessly, disregarding rules and consequences, and posing a serious threat to global security.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) stated that these new sanctions aim to curb the disruptive behavior of Chinese bad actors that undermine the security and prosperity of the UK. It also highlights the threat posed by the Chinese network industry to international security, including information security companies, data intermediaries collecting and selling personal information, hiring hackers, with some companies even serving the Chinese Communist Party’s intelligence agencies.
The sanctions announcement pointed out that Sichuan Anxun Information Technology Co. Ltd (i-Soon) had launched attacks on IT systems of over 80 governments and private enterprises globally and assisted Chinese cybersecurity industry players and cyber troops in attempting to infiltrate and disrupt foreign governments and private institutions. They targeted UK public sector and private enterprises through research, providing technology, and sharing vulnerabilities.
The other sanctioned company is Integrity Technology Group Incorporated (formerly known as Beijing Yongxin Zhicheng Technology Co., Ltd.), which was accused of participating in major cyber attacks, not only aiding in planning and preparing attacks but also providing cyber attack techniques and tools.
The announcement stated that Integrity Technology Group manages a covert botnet comprising over 260,000 compromised devices worldwide and sells network access rights, allowing attackers to invade and disrupt IT systems and data without authorization, with the UK public sector being one of the victims.
The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) assessed that Chinese private network companies and related enterprises have formed an “ecosystem” or complex network that in actual or potential terms assists the Beijing government in cyber operations.
In August this year, the UK and 12 countries exposed three Chinese companies – Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology, Beijing Huanyu Tiangiong Information Technology, and Sichuan Zhixin Ruijie Network Technology – for their involvement in the “Hurricane Salt” espionage operation, providing network-related products and services to Chinese intelligence units, including multiple People’s Liberation Army units and the Ministry of State Security, targeting global governments, telecommunications, military, and public sectors in large-scale cyber attacks.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized in a recent speech at City Hall that national security cannot be compromised, and it is the government’s top priority. He stated that the UK will robustly respond to threats.
The UK pointed out that China’s unrestrained cyber attacks have violated the UN-agreed cyber principles.