WASHINGTON — China rejected allegations that a Chinese hacking campaign penetrated email systems used by staff on powerful U.S. House committees, calling the claims “politically motivated disinformation,” Jan. 8, 2026. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing opposes hacking and also opposes “smearing” China with what she described as politically driven accusations, according to Reuters.
The denial followed reporting that a cyber-espionage effort dubbed Salt Typhoon accessed congressional staff email accounts tied to committees that handle China policy and national security. The scope of the intrusion, what data may have been taken and whether it extended beyond staff accounts remain unclear, and U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed details.
Salt Typhoon allegations target key House committees
The breach was first reported by the Financial Times, which said the compromised email systems were used by staff for committees including the House panel focused on China and committees overseeing foreign affairs, intelligence and armed services. Reuters reported it had not independently verified the Financial Times account.
Even limited access to staff inboxes can be valuable for espionage, former U.S. officials and cybersecurity specialists have said, because committee staff routinely handle sensitive drafts, investigative material, scheduling details and communications with executive-branch agencies and outside experts. The episode also underscores an uncomfortable reality for governments and corporations alike: email remains a high-value target, and breaches can take time to detect and contain.
GovExec, citing people familiar with the matter, said investigators were still working to determine which accounts were affected and what, if any, information was accessed or removed. GovExec reported that sources declined to identify specific committees while the inquiry is ongoing.
Why Salt Typhoon keeps coming up in U.S. security debates
Salt Typhoon has become a recurring label in U.S. reporting and policy discussions about alleged Chinese cyber-espionage, particularly where communications data is involved. While Beijing routinely denies state-backed hacking accusations, U.S. officials and allied governments have increasingly warned that sophisticated actors can burrow into networks for long periods, collecting data quietly.
The latest House email breach allegation lands amid a broader, long-running argument in Washington over how to harden core communications systems against nation-state threats — and who should bear the cost of upgrades, monitoring and incident response.
Earlier Salt Typhoon episodes add context
The congressional email allegation is not the first time Salt Typhoon has been linked to high-stakes targets. In July 2025, Reuters reported that a Department of Homeland Security memo said a U.S. state’s Army National Guard network was “extensively” hacked by a group U.S. officials call Salt Typhoon.
In January 2025, the U.S. Treasury announced sanctions tied to an alleged Salt Typhoon-linked telecom hacking campaign; the Associated Press reported the penalties targeted a Shanghai-based hacker and a Chinese cybersecurity firm that U.S. officials said were connected to the activity.
And as Congress debated telecommunications risks, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing focused on Salt Typhoon and threats to U.S. telecom networks, according to a House Oversight release.
For now, China’s denial leaves the alleged House email breach in a familiar standoff: U.S. reporting and investigators pointing to a Salt Typhoon-style campaign, and Beijing rejecting the claims as politics dressed up as cybersecurity.
