US accuses China of aiding North Korea cyber thefts
- Senior justice official John Demers says Asian superpower is helping launder stolen proceeds as well as possibly providing expertise and training
- China is playing ‘balancing act’, he adds, saying that Beijing ‘does not want North Korea to fail’ but is also not keen on neighbour being ‘overly aggressive’
A senior US justice official accused China on Thursday of helping North Korea launder money from massive cyber thefts it has carried out to raise funds in the face of international sanctions.
At an event hosted by a Washington think tank, John Demers, the assistant attorney general for national security, also said North Korea was likely to be getting support from China in the form of cyber expertise and training.
“The other thing … that really pops out of our cases … is the involvement of China in helping the North Koreans evade the sanctions … in helping them launder money that they have somehow gotten or that they want to bring into the regime, or that they’ve stolen and otherwise, helping them sort of move goods,” Demers said.
“There is support through Chinese cyber infrastructure, there’s likely to be support in terms of sharing expertise and training from the Chinese side,” he added in the event hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
02:49
North Korea’s new ‘monster’ intercontinental ballistic missiles on show at military parade
Demers said those involved in violating Chinese-backed international sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programmes included unscrupulous private individuals and businesses.
“But probably the biggest issue is going to be countries like China that … don’t want North Korea to fail,” he said.