EU stands in solidarity with Czech Republic after cyberattack blamed on China

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union stands in solidarity with the Czech Republic, after the Czech Republic identified China as being responsible for a "malicious cyber campaign" at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The European Union and its Member States, together with international partners, stand in solidarity with Czechia regarding the malicious cyber campaign that targeted its Ministry of Foreign Affairs," said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in a statement.

EU member states have increasingly been the target of cyber attacks from China in recent years and China should do more to prevent them, the European Union added on Wednesday.

Kallas said the EU condemned these attacks, which she said were contrary to internationally agreed norms on how states should behave in cyberspace.

"We call upon all states, including China, to refrain from such behaviour," she said. "States should not allow their territory to be used for malicious cyber activities."

Kallas said the EU was ready to take further action if needed to prevent, deter or respond to malicious behaviour in cyberspace.

(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Bart Meijer;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)