Chinese engineers have been confirmed to be providing technical support for the United States Department of Defense systems, prompting government contractor Microsoft (MS) to decide to halt the practice.
Frank Shaw, MS chief communications officer, noted on the 18th (local time) on X (formerly Twitter) that the company changed the method of technical support for its U.S. government clients to ensure that a China-based engineering team does not provide technical support related to the Ministry of National Defense cloud services.
Earlier, the U.S. investigative news outlet ProPublica reported that MS, a major contractor for the U.S. government, had been maintaining the cloud computing systems of the Ministry of National Defense through engineers based in China.
The oversight of these personnel was conducted by a U.S. subcontractor with security clearance, but the media pointed out that the oversight activities were limited and the supervisor's expertise was lacking.
Following this report, the U.S. Congress officially raised the issue, and Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, ordered a two-week comprehensive investigation into the Ministry of National Defense cloud contracts.
Secretary Hegseth emphasized in a video posted on X that it has been confirmed that some technology corporations have utilized cheap Chinese labor for the Ministry of National Defense cloud services, stating, "This is unacceptable in today's digital threat environment."
He added, "From now on, China will not be allowed to be involved in any way with the Ministry of National Defense systems," stating, "We will continue to monitor and respond to all threats to military infrastructure and online networks."
Senator Tom Cotton (Republican-Arkansas), chairperson of the Senate Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to Secretary Hegseth inquiring about a list of contractors using Chinese personnel.
In the letter, he pointed out that "the U.S. government recognizes that China's cyber capabilities represent one of the most aggressive and dangerous threats to the United States, which is clearly demonstrated in instances of infiltration into critical infrastructure, communication networks, and supply chains."
He emphasized that "the Ministry of National Defense must prepare for all potential threats that may exist throughout the entire supply chain, including subcontractors."