The target of China's hacking attack on the U.S. Treasury was the sanctions office, according to the Washington Post.

Hackers linked to the Chinese government have breached a highly classified office of the Treasury Department that implements economic sanctions against countries and individuals. This is one of the most powerful tools at the disposal of the U.S. for achieving national security objectives.

This information was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Washington Post.

Citing unnamed U.S. officials, the Washington Post revealed that the hackers infiltrated the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Office of Financial Research, as well as targeting the office of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

The publication notes that this attack reflects Beijing's determination to gather intelligence on its most significant rival in the global power and influence struggle.

Officials stated that the primary focus of the Chinese government is on Chinese organizations that the U.S. government may consider imposing financial sanctions against.

Earlier this week, the Treasury Department informed Congress in a letter that hackers stole non-classified documents during a "major incident." However, it did not specify which users or departments were affected.

The letter from the U.S. Treasury indicated that hackers had breached a third-party cybersecurity provider, BeyondTrust.

Chinese firms, individuals, and organizations frequently become targets of U.S. sanctions, which Washington uses as a key tool of its foreign policy towards Beijing.

The United States views China as its greatest foreign policy challenge, and last month, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that Washington does not rule out sanctions against Chinese banks as it seeks to reduce Russia’s oil revenue and limit access to foreign supplies to support its war against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, relations between the United States and China remain tense as elected President Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, threatening Beijing with even harsher tariffs than those he implemented during his first term. During his campaign last year, he proposed imposing tariffs of 60% or more on all imports from China, which could provoke a global trade war.