Eric Holder Announces Hacking Charges Against China

US justice department charges Chinese with hacking (BBC)

The US has charged five Chinese army officers with hacking into private-sector American companies in a bid for competitive advantage, in the first cyber-espionage case of its kind.

Attorney General Eric Holder said the alleged breaches were "significant" and demanded "an aggressive response".

US prosecutors say the officers stole trade secrets and internal documents from five companies and a trade union.

The US and China have previously sparred over cyber attacks.

In Washington on Monday, Mr Holder said the hacking charges laid against the Chinese nationals were the first against "known state actors for infiltrating U.S. commercial targets by cyber means".