Representative Elise Stefanik has strongly condemned Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to China last month, calling it "unacceptable" in light of reports that the State Department was aware of a hacking operation targeting official emails just before Blinken's departure. Stefanik, the House Republican Conference Chair, criticized the decision to proceed with the trip despite the knowledge of the cyberattack, arguing that it legitimized the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) aggressive behavior. The New York Times reported that the hacking operation, which began in May, targeted the email accounts of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and several State Department officials. The State Department reportedly discovered the intrusion on June 16, the same day Blinken left for Beijing. Although the State Department confirmed the anomalous activity and stated that they took immediate steps to secure their systems, they declined to provide further details, citing cybersecurity policy. Officials assured that no classified information was compromised in the email breach.

This incident follows a series of hostile actions by the Chinese regime, including the spy balloon incident earlier this year and reported attempts to establish spy bases in Cuba. The intelligence community has identified China as the most significant cyber espionage threat to U.S. government and private sector networks. There are concerns about China's capability to launch cyberattacks that could disrupt critical infrastructure services within the United States, such as oil and gas pipelines and rail systems. Blinken reportedly addressed the hacking incident with China's top diplomat, expressing deep concern and promising to hold those responsible accountable. However, Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for its perceived leniency towards China's actions, emphasizing the need for a stronger stance against the CCP's aggression.