FBI Issues Stern Warning to Chinese Hackers, Here's the Trigger

The FBI has warned Chinese hackers to be careful when travelling abroad, as they are vulnerable to arrest. This is a consequence of the large-scale recruitment of hackers by the Chinese government. FBI Assistant Director Brett Leatherman appeared a few days after the extradition of Chinese national Xu Zewei (34) to the US from Italy, accused of participating in a widespread hacking campaign in 2020 and 2021 directed by the Chinese government while working for a Chinese contractor. Xu was arrested in Milan in July 2025 and sent to the US after an Italian court ruling allowed extradition. “The protection that Chinese hackers receive in China does not apply once they cross the border,” Leatherman said, quoted from CNA on Saturday (2/5/2026). Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said the US government is handling this politically motivated case, which violates personal freedoms and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens. “The charges against Xu are unfounded and aimed at smearing China,” the spokesperson said. Xu, along with several co-conspirators, hacked US-based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research on COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and testing, according to the Department of Justice on 27 April. Xu and the others reported the hacks to the Shanghai State Security Bureau of the Ministry of State Security of China, an intelligence agency within the Chinese government, according to the DOJ. An officer within the bureau then directed Xu to target specific email accounts belonging to virologists and immunologists. “Xu and the others were also responsible for exploiting vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server software as part of a widespread hacking campaign publicly tracked as ‘Hafnium’,” the DOJ revealed. A senior DOJ official told reporters on Thursday that the Hafnium campaign included targeting law firms, with hackers seeking information on US policymakers and government agencies. The lawyer listed as Xu’s representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.