China Accuses US Of Hacking National Time Centers, Calls Attacks Can Disrupt Financial And Electric Systems

China accuses the US of hacking the National Time Service Center (photo: x @ChinaDaily)

JAKARTA - The Chinese government accuses the United States of cyber espionage against the National Time Service Center, the agency responsible for managing national standard time. Beijing warns that the serious breach has the potential to disrupt communications networks, financial systems, electricity supplies, and even international standard times.

In a statement on its official WeChat account on Sunday 19 October, China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) accused the United States National Security Agency (NSA) of "conducting a long-term cyberattack operation" against the national center of time.

MSS said it found evidence that classified data and credentials had been stolen since 2022, and was used to spy on mobile devices and network systems belonging to central employees.

"NSA exploits vulnerabilities in instant messaging services belonging to a foreign cell phone brand to access staff devices by 2022," MSS said, without mentioning the phone brand in question.

China's National Center for Time is under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This institution has a vital role in producing, maintaining, and broadcasting national standards which are a reference for communications, financial systems, and national defense.

According to the MSS, the investigation also found that the United States launched attacks on the agency's internal network system, as well as trying to hack into the high-precision land time determination system in 2023 and 2024.

In response to the allegations, the US Embassy in Beijing did not provide direct clarification. However, an embassy spokesman stated that cyber actors from China had 'compromised a network of large telecommunications providers in the US and the world to carry out a wide-scale cyber espionage campaign.'

"China is the most active and persistent cyber threat to the US government network, the private sector, and critical infrastructure," the spokesman said.

The exchange of cyber accusations adds to the tension of relations between the two superpowers. Disputes are also heating up due to China's tightened rare earth export policy, while Washington is threatening to increase additional rates on goods from China.

Tensions between Beijing and Washington are now not only a matter of trade, but also a time of literally. The world is witnessing two great powers fighting for control over the seconds that govern global rhythms.