Did the U.S. cross a cyber red line? China accuses NSA of hacking its national time centre, raising concerns over critical infrastructure vulnerability.
 |
| Beijing claims U.S. intelligence infiltrated its time infrastructure in a possible high-stakes cyber operation. Here’s what it could mean for global security. Image: CH |
BEIJING, China — October 20, 2025:
China’s claim that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) carried out cyberattacks against its National Time Service Center marks another escalation in the ongoing cyber rivalry between the two superpowers. The accusations, made public on Sunday by China’s Ministry of State Security via its official WeChat account, allege a long-term cyber operation that targeted core infrastructure vital to national and international systems.
The Ministry stated that the NSA exploited a vulnerability in a foreign smartphone brand’s messaging platform in 2022 to infiltrate mobile devices and internal networks used by the time centre’s staff. The compromised systems reportedly allowed U.S. operatives to exfiltrate sensitive data and monitor internal communications. The specific brand of the phone was not disclosed.
More seriously, China alleges that attacks were not limited to surveillance. In both 2023 and 2024, the NSA is said to have attempted direct attacks on the centre’s internal networks and high-precision ground-based timing systems — infrastructure essential to China's power grid, communications, financial systems, and even its alignment with international standard time.
The National Time Service Center, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is responsible for generating, maintaining, and broadcasting China’s official time. Disruptions to its operation could ripple across sectors dependent on precise timing, including military, finance, and telecommunications — all of which rely on synchronized networks.
The U.S. embassy in Beijing has not commented on the allegations. Meanwhile, the accusation adds another layer to a deteriorating bilateral relationship marked by trade disputes, tech restrictions, and mutual cyber blame. Earlier this month, Washington threatened to increase tariffs on Chinese imports while Beijing moved to tighten rare earth export controls — critical materials in global tech production.
Cybersecurity experts say the public nature of China's accusation — published via social media rather than through diplomatic channels — is part of a broader strategy. It serves not only to warn domestic audiences of foreign threats but also to signal resolve to international observers amid growing competition in the digital domain.
While independent verification of these claims remains unavailable, the message from Beijing is clear: cyber infrastructure is now a frontline in modern geopolitical conflict. If true, the targeting of a national time centre — typically viewed as neutral and technical — reflects a shift in how cyber warfare is waged, moving from data theft to strategic disruption.
As China and the U.S. continue to position each other as primary cyber threats, allegations like these will likely become more frequent — and potentially more destabilizing.