China has accused the United States of conducting long-term cyberattacks on its National Time Service Center, claiming that the breaches could have endangered the country’s communication systems, financial networks, power grids, and even the international standard time.
According to a statement posted by China’s Ministry of State Security on its official WeChat account, the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) allegedly carried out the operation over an extended period. The ministry said it discovered evidence showing that data and credentials were stolen as early as 2022, allowing the attackers to spy on employees’ mobile devices and internal network systems.
The statement also claimed that the NSA exploited a vulnerability in the messaging service of an unnamed foreign smartphone brand to gain access to staff members’ devices. The ministry said the cyberattacks targeted not only the center’s main network but also attempted to compromise its high-precision ground-based timing systems during 2023 and 2024.
The National Time Service Center, which operates under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is responsible for generating, maintaining, and broadcasting China’s official standard time.
The U.S. embassy in Beijing has not yet commented on the accusations.
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