The reports, citing people familiar with the matter, came out around the same time as the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said they are investigating “unauthorised access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China”.

“After the FBI identified specific malicious activity targeting the sector, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) immediately notified affected companies, rendered technical assistance, and rapidly shared information to assist other potential victims,” the federal agencies said in a joint statement.