On October 19, 2025, China’s Ministry of State Security publicly accused the United States National Security Agency (NSA) of orchestrating cyberattacks against the National Time Service Center (NTSC). This center is pivotal in generating and distributing China’s standard time, serving critical sectors such as communications, finance, power, transportation, and defense.
According to the Ministry’s statement on WeChat, the NSA exploited vulnerabilities in the messaging services of an unspecified foreign mobile phone brand in 2022. This exploitation allegedly enabled the extraction of sensitive information from NTSC staff devices. Furthermore, between 2023 and 2024, the NSA purportedly deployed 42 specialized cyberattack tools targeting multiple internal network systems of the NTSC and attempted to infiltrate a key timing system.
The Ministry claimed to possess evidence supporting these allegations but did not disclose specific details in the public statement. They emphasized the potential ramifications of such cyberattacks, noting that any damage to the NTSC’s facilities could disrupt essential services, including network communications, financial systems, and power supplies.
In response to these alleged threats, the Ministry stated that it had provided guidance to the NTSC to mitigate and eliminate associated risks. They also criticized the U.S. for what they perceive as hypocrisy, stating, The U.S. is accusing others of what it does itself, repeatedly hyping up claims about Chinese cyber threats.
This accusation adds to the growing list of cyber-related tensions between the two nations. In recent years, Western governments have accused Chinese state-sponsored hackers of targeting officials, journalists, corporations, and various organizations. Conversely, China has consistently denied these allegations and has, in turn, accused the U.S. of similar cyber activities.
For instance, in September 2025, China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC) reported that the NSA’s Office of Tailored Access Operations (TAO) had conducted tens of thousands of malicious attacks on network targets in China in recent years. One notable target was the Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, a leading institution in aerospace and navigation research. The CVERC alleged that the NSA infiltrated the university’s networks to steal sensitive data.
In another instance, in 2013, China’s Defense Ministry reported that two of its military websites, including the Defense Ministry’s page, were subjected to an average of 144,000 hacking attempts per month, with 62% of these attacks originating from the United States. The Ministry’s spokesperson at the time, Geng Yansheng, highlighted the increasing frequency of these attacks and called for the U.S. to clarify its cyber activities.
The U.S. has also leveled accusations against China. In October 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice charged ten Chinese nationals, including intelligence officers and hackers, for allegedly engaging in a scheme to steal sensitive information from aerospace and technology companies. The indictment detailed how these individuals targeted a turbofan engine used in commercial airliners in Europe and the United States.
These mutual accusations underscore the complex and contentious nature of cyber relations between the U.S. and China. Both nations have accused each other of cyber espionage and attacks, leading to heightened tensions and a growing need for international dialogue and cooperation in the realm of cybersecurity.
