Editing People's Liberation Army (section)

=== Cyberwarfare ===
{{Main|Cyberwarfare and China}}

There is a belief in the Western military doctrines that the PLA have already begun engaging countries using cyber-warfare.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gorman |first=Siobhan |date=8 April 2009 |title=Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated By Spies |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123914805204099085 |url-status=live |access-date=1 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108232759/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123914805204099085 |archive-date=8 January 2015}}</ref> There has been a significant increase in the number of presumed Chinese military initiated cyber events from 1999 to the present day.<ref>{{citation |first = Bryan |last = Krekel |title = Capability of the People's Republic of China to Conduct Cyber Warfare and Computer Network Exploitation |publisher = [[Northrop Grumman]] |year = 2009 |url = http://www.uscc.gov/researchpapers/2009/NorthropGrumman_PRC_Cyber_Paper_FINAL_Approved%20Report_16Oct2009.pdf |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110203052113/http://www.uscc.gov/researchpapers/2009/NorthropGrumman_PRC_Cyber_Paper_FINAL_Approved%20Report_16Oct2009.pdf |archive-date = 3 February 2011 }}</ref>

Cyberwarfare has gained recognition as a valuable technique because it is an asymmetric technique that is a part of [[Chinese information operations and information warfare|information operations and information warfare]]. As is written by two PLAGF Colonels, [[Qiao Liang (writer)|Qiao Liang]] and [[Wang Xiangsui]] in the book ''[[Unrestricted Warfare]]'', "Methods that are not characterized by the use of the force of arms, nor by the use of military power, nor even by the presence of casualties and bloodshed, are just as likely to facilitate the successful realization of the war's goals, if not more so.<ref>{{citation |last1=Qiao |first1=Liang |last2=Wang |first2 = Xiangsui |title = Unrestricted Warfare |year=1999 |url = http://www.terrorism.com/documents/unrestricted.pdf |publisher = PLA Literature and Arts Publishing House via [[Foreign Broadcast Information Service]] |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20000815214700/http://www.terrorism.com/documents/unrestricted.pdf |archive-date = 15 August 2000 }}</ref>

While China has long been suspected of [[cyber spying]], on 24 May 2011 the PLA announced the existence of having 'cyber capabilities'.<ref>Beech, Hannah. [https://world.time.com/2011/05/27/meet-chinas-newest-soldiers-an-online-blue-army/ "Meet China's Newest Soldiers: An Online Blue Army."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927020105/https://world.time.com/2011/05/27/meet-chinas-newest-soldiers-an-online-blue-army/ |date=27 September 2024 }}  ''Time'', 27 May 2011.</ref>

In February 2013, the media named "Comment Crew" as a hacker military faction for China's People's Liberation Army.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/technology/chinas-army-is-seen-as-tied-to-hacking-against-us.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |newspaper = The New York Times |first = David E. |last = Sanger |title = China's Army Is Seen as Tied to Hacking Against U.S |date = 18 February 2013 |access-date = 28 February 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170310124107/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/technology/chinas-army-is-seen-as-tied-to-hacking-against-us.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |archive-date = 10 March 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref> In May 2014, a Federal [[Grand Jury]] in the United States indicted five [[PLA Unit 61398|Unit 61398]] officers on criminal charges related to cyber attacks on private companies based in the United States after alleged investigations by the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] who exposed their identities in collaboration with US intelligence agencies such as the CIA.<ref>[https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-charges-five-chinese-military-hackers-cyber-espionage-against-us-corporations-and-labor "U.S. Charges Five Chinese Military Hackers for Cyber Espionage . . . "] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203185110/http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-charges-five-chinese-military-hackers-cyber-espionage-against-us-corporations-and-labor |date=3 December 2015 }}, 19 May 2014, justice.gov</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/20/us/us-to-charge-chinese-workers-with-cyberspying.html "5 in China Army Face U.S. Charges of Cyberattacks"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519141057/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/20/us/us-to-charge-chinese-workers-with-cyberspying.html |date=19 May 2017 }}, 19 May 2014, NY Times</ref>

In February 2020, the United States government indicted members of China's People's Liberation Army for the [[2017 Equifax data breach]], which involved hacking into Equifax and plundering sensitive data as part of a massive heist that also included stealing trade secrets, though the CCP denied these claims.<ref name="cbs china deny">{{cite web | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-denies-responsibility-in-equifax-breach-after-doj-charges-four-military-members/ | title = Data from Equifax credit hack could "end up on the black market," expert warns | date = February 11, 2020 | access-date = February 11, 2020 | work = [[CBS News]] | archive-date = 2 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200702012248/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-denies-responsibility-in-equifax-breach-after-doj-charges-four-military-members/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="WSJ Indicted">{{cite web | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/four-members-of-china-s-military-indicted-for-massive-equifax-breach-11581346824 | title = Four Members of China's Military Indicted Over Massive Equifax Breach | date = February 11, 2020 | access-date = April 28, 2020 | work = [[The Wall Street Journal]] | archive-date = 29 May 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200529205316/https://www.wsj.com/articles/four-members-of-china-s-military-indicted-for-massive-equifax-breach-11581346824 | url-status = live }}</ref>