The Treasury Department has announced sanctions in connection with a massive Chinese hack of American telecommunications companies and a breach of its own computer network.

The Biden administration on Friday announced sanctions on two Chinese entities accused of cyberattacks, including a firm it said is directly involved in the recent espionage campaign against US telecommunications firms and a hacker behind the recent breach of Treasury Department computers.

American officials on Friday slapped a Chinese company and a man affiliated with China's Ministry of State Security with sanctions for their roles in cyber attacks in December.

The State and Treasury Departments say Chinese cybersecurity vendor Sichuan Juxinhe is behind the hacks into numerous US telecommunications companies.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury department on Friday sanctioned Shanghai-based Yin Kechen and cybersecurity company Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co., accusing both of being involved in a series of hacks against American telecom companies.