China accuses US of cyberattack on national time center

Key Points

• China has accused the U.S. National Security Agency of conducting cyberattacks on its national time center, claiming such actions could disrupt essential services like network communications and financial systems.
• The accusation includes allegations that the NSA exploited vulnerabilities in a foreign mobile phone brand's messaging services to steal sensitive information from the time center's staff.
• China's Ministry of State Security reported that the NSA used 42 types of cyberattack weapons and attempted to breach the time center's key timing system between 2023 and 2024.
• This incident may escalate existing tensions between Washington and Beijing, already strained by issues related to trade, technology, and Taiwan.

BEIJING (AP) — China on Sunday accused the U.S. National Security Agency of carrying out cyberattacks on its national time center following an investigation, saying any damage to related facilities could have disrupted network communications, financial systems and power supply.

The Ministry of State Security alleged in a WeChat post that the U.S. agency had exploited vulnerabilities in the messaging services of a foreign mobile phone brand to steal sensitive information from devices of the National Time Service Center's staff in 2022. It did not specify the brand.

The U.S. agency also used 42 types of “special cyberattack weapons” to target the center's multiple internal network systems and attempted to infiltrate a key timing system between 2023 and 2024, it said.

It said it had evidence but did not provide it in the post.

It said the time center is responsible for generating and distributing China’s standard time, in addition to providing timing services to industries such as communications, finance, power, transport and defense. It had provided guidance to the center to eliminate the risks.

“The U.S. is accusing others of what it does itself, repeatedly hyping up claims about Chinese cyber threats,” it said.

Western governments in recent years have alleged hackers linked to the Chinese government have targeted officials, journalists, corporations and others. The ministry's statement could fuel tensions between Washington and Beijing, on top of trade, technology and Taiwan issues.

The U.S. Embassy did not immediately comment.