Our research and observations indicate that the Communist Party of
China (CPC,中国共产党) is tasking the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA,中国人民解放军) to commit systematic cyber espionage and data theft against organizations around the world. This section provides photos and details of Unit 61398 facilities, Chinese references discussing the unit’s training and coursework requirements, and internal Chinese communications documenting the nature of the unit’s relationship with at least one state-owned enterprise. These details will be particularly relevant when we discuss APT1’s expertise, personnel, location, and infrastructure, which parallel those of Unit 61398
The PLA’s cyber command is fully institutionalized within the CPC and able to draw upon the resources of China’s state- owned enterprises to support its operations. The CPC is the ultimate authority in Mainland China; unlike in Western societies, in which political parties are subordinate to the government, the military and government in China are subordinate to the CPC. In fact, the PLA reports directly to the CPC’s Central Military Commission (CMC, 中央军事委 员会).6 This means that any enterprise cyber espionage campaign within the PLA is occurring at the direction of senior members of the CPC. (Mandiant report, “Exposing One of China’s Cyber Espionage Units,” Posted 22 Feb 13)
