Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Justice Department’s announcement that it is indicting five members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, charging them with hacking into the networks of U.S. companies.

“The Justice Department's decision to indict five Chinese accused of cyber theft sends a strong and important message that our country will not tolerate activities that undermine our businesses' ability to innovate.

“China's growing economy makes the country an increasingly important global player. But China must play fair. It can't take ideas developed elsewhere, including in the U.S., and use them to hurt our competitiveness.

“I hope the Chinese will work with U.S. officials to put a stop to cyber theft for good,” Larsen said.

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