Chairman John Moolenaar of the U.S. House Select Committee on the CCP. EPA=Yonhap News. 

A Chinese hacking group attempted to steal information by sending phishing emails to government agencies while impersonating the chairman of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 7th (local time), citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to the report, in July, staff from the House Select Committee on the CCP, as well as representatives from trade associations, law firms, and U.S. government agencies, received a series of emails appearing to be from Representative John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), who chairs the committee.

The emails stated that "your insights are essential" and requested the recipients to review an attached draft bill and provide feedback.

However, the emails raised suspicions because they were sent from a generic address rather than Rep. Moolenaar's official congressional email account.

Cyber analysts who traced the emails determined that they were the work of a hacker group known as "APT 41," rather than Rep. Moolenaar. The WSJ described this group as one believed to have contractual ties with China's Ministry of State Security.

The cybersecurity firm Mandiant stated that the emails contained malicious code, and that if anyone had opened the attached file, it would have provided a gateway for the hackers to infiltrate their systems, the WSJ reported.

The emails were sent shortly before the U.S. and China were set to engage in trade negotiations in Stockholm, Sweden.

The targets of the emails were organizations that provide input to the U.S. federal government regarding U.S.-China trade negotiations.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently investigating the incident.

An FBI spokesperson told the WSJ that they are aware of the incident and are "working with our partners to identify and track those responsible."

In a statement, Rep. Moolenaar described the attempt as another example of China's aggressive cyber operations aimed at stealing and leveraging U.S. strategy, adding, "We will not be intimidated."

The Chinese Embassy in the United States denied the allegations of Chinese involvement, stating that the Chinese government opposes and combats cyberattacks and "firmly opposes slandering others without solid evidence."

Meanwhile, the WSJ reported that there was a previous attempt to target the House Select Committee on the CCP with a phishing email attack in January.

Last year, the House Select Committee on the CCP released a report claiming that Chinese-made cranes at U.S. ports could be remotely controlled by the Chinese government to monitor trade flows or potentially disrupt port operations.

Following that report, emails impersonating the CEO of the world’s largest crane manufacturer, the Chinese state-owned enterprise Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), were sent to staff members of the committee, the WSJ reported, citing sources.

Yonhap News