Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Belgian MP Els Van Hoof’s laptop was hacked by Chinese spies in 2021, part of a broader pattern of Chinese espionage in Europe. Van Hoof calls for improved digital security measures in response.
Els Van Hoof, chair of the Belgian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee revealed that Chinese spies hacked her laptop in 2021. This happening is the latest in a series of allegations concerning Chinese espionage actions in Europe. Tensions have been rising between Beijing and Western nations over espionage, with Western intelligence services repeatedly warning about the activities of Chinese state-backed hackers. Beijing has always denied these allegations.
According to the FBI, Ms Van Hoof is supposed to have opened several emails, letting hackers obtain her IP address. “They wanted to intimidate me, but I’m not going to give in,” the lawmaker answered.
What Role Does the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China Play?
MP Els Van Hoof is a constituent of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC). That is an international association of parliamentarians operating on human rights in China. She stated that 400 members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a British group with links to an international network of politicians pressing on China of which she is a member, had been pointed by the cyber attack.
“I have also opened those emails and that means I have become tracked in all my doings on a digital level,” Van Hoof, a member of the Flemish Christian Democrats, expressed. “That is a very uncomfortable feeling.”
How Did Chinese Hackers Access Van Hoof’s Laptop?
As early as 2021, there were apprehensions that something was going on with Ms Van Hoof’s laptop. After a review by Belgian state security officials, nothing else occurred. Until now, that is. An FBI statement has surfaced in a lawsuit against 7 Chinese nationals charged with spying on Americans. It shows that Chinese spies infiltrated Ms Van Hoof’s laptop via an e-mail.
“They looked like emails from an international agency,” Van Hoof states. “The emails were about Donald Trump and human rights. They seemed very innocent and informative. But the intention was to get into our systems.”
“I feel that I am working with my windows and doors open,” Van Hoof conveyed VRT. “The intention is obviously to scare you and make you shut up.” The alleged intimidation had been going on ever since she took up her current role, she told VRT.
How Did Chinese Spies Target European Parliamentarians?
Els Van Hoof further disclosed that the hacking incident concerned intimidation from industry sources and the Chinese embassy, along with the revocation of a committee hearing about the Uyghur ethnic minority due to a system shutdown.
According to Ms Van Hoof, the pressure doesn’t stop there. “For example, the Chinese ambassador has already threatened me several times. I have already received letters saying I am playing with fire. We also desired to hold a hearing on the situation of Uighurs in China. When we wanted to start, the whole system went down.”
“But I don’t want to give in and I want to keep saying my thoughts about Taiwan, for example, or the situation of the Uighurs, but I do want better protection.” Ms Van Hoof is now supporting the creation of a security office in parliament. In collaboration with state security, they could give security briefings to MPs and permanently update them on digital security.
“Anyone can be a target. I can imagine that intimidation does work with people who are in a more difficult position and don’t get the support at home I enjoy. You would quit your job for less. And that, of course, is not the intention.”
