The FBI is investigating a suspected Chinese cyber campaign in which hackers impersonated Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., the chair of the House committee on U.S.-China competition, in emails sent to trade groups, law firms, and government agencies ahead of high-stakes trade talks with Beijing.

"We will not be intimidated," Moolenaar wrote in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.

The emails, which appeared to come from a nongovernment address, sought input on draft sanctions legislation and contained malware linked to APT41, a hacking group believed to work with China's Ministry of State Security, sources told the Journal.

The FBI told the paper it was "working with our partners to identify and pursue those responsible."

Cybersecurity analysts said the spyware could have given Beijing access to recommendations provided to the Trump administration as it negotiated tariffs with China in Sweden in July.

Beijing has denied the allegations, with the Chinese Embassy saying it opposes hacking and "firmly opposes smearing others without solid evidence."

The episode comes amid a surge in alleged Chinese espionage campaigns, including AI-generated impersonations of senior U.S. officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

The specific targeting of Moolenaar comes as he is a key Chinese espionage critic and the chair of the Select Committee on the CCP, which released an investigative report Friday revealing that the Biden-era Defense Department and longtime career officials have allowed extensive research to be conducted with CCP-backed defense entities while funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars.

The report was called "Fox in the Henhouse," issuing a warning to how ingrained Chinese espionage might be in American governmental institutions.

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