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Epoch Times
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Beijing's Cyberattack Allegation Against NSA Adds to Signs of US–China Decoupling: Analysts
News Analysis As tensions escalate between China and the United States, Beijing has accused a U.S. security agency and others of conducting cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. Analysts believe this situation indicates a broader trend of economic decoupling between the two nations. State media Xinhua reported on April 15 that Chinese authorities accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of launching cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, in February. Chinese cybersecurity experts claim they traced instructions found in Heilongjiang's critical infrastructure back to the U.S. agency, according to the news report, which was republished on the website of China's Ministry of Public Security, the country's top espionage agency. Beijing's announcement follows a report released by China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center on April 3 that highlights allegations of overseas cyberattacks targeting the information systems of the Asian Winter Games. The report claims that these alleged attacks, which it said occurred between Feb. 7 and Feb. 14, came mainly from the United States and its allies. In response to a request for comment on Beijing's cyberattack accusation, the U.S. State Department said it is aware of the situation. Related Stories 4/17/2025 3/8/2018 'The reality is that Chinese cyber actors continue to target the United States,' a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times on April 20. 'We have been clear that China's pervasive and irresponsible cyber activity is unacceptable.' 'Targeting U.S. critical infrastructure networks must stop.' Chinese police are also pursuing three individuals they allege are NSA agents involved in the alleged cyberattacks, according to Xinhua. They claim that Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson targeted China's infrastructure and companies, including telecom giant Huawei. The Chinese authorities encouraged the public to come forward with information, promising unspecified rewards for any tips, according to the report. No personal details, including photos or information about the accused individuals' whereabouts, have been released. In response to an inquiry from The Epoch Times, the NSA on April 20 declined to comment on the matter. Chinese officials claim to have evidence suggesting that the University of California and Virginia Tech were also involved in these alleged cyber incidents, according to Xinhua, but they did not provide details to support the claim. The University of California told The Epoch Times on April 21 that it is looking into the matter, while Virginia Tech did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. Trade War Although it's not the first time Beijing has publicly pointed fingers at U.S. entities for alleged cyber espionage, analysts suggest that the timing of this accusation is significant, given the backdrop of an ongoing tariff war between the world's two largest economies. China has vowed not to Furthermore, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a notice on April 9 advising its citizens to fully consider the risks when considering traveling to the United States, citing 'deterioration of China–U.S. economic and trade relations.' Three days later, China's National Film Administration announced Yeh Yao-Yuan, a tenured professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, told The Epoch Times that Beijing's latest cyberattack accusation is a reaction to U.S. tariff hikes and an escalation in the ongoing cyber conflict. He suggested that this exchange also reflects a broader trend of decoupling between the two nations. 'The U.S.–China relationship is heading toward a trajectory of the first Cold War, and both sides are likely to drift further apart,' Yeh said on April 18. 'Ultimately, countries around the globe will have to make choices about where they stand.' Sheng Xue, a Chinese writer and human rights activist, believes that Beijing's latest claim of cyberattacks is part of the regime's propaganda efforts. With U.S. tariffs exceeding 100 percent, China's ailing economy is under mounting pressure, but the leadership in Beijing aims to portray itself as a 'power capable of striking back,' Sheng told The Epoch Times on April 18. In this context, Beijing is seeking to create 'an external enemy' to divert public attention away from domestic issues and incite anti-American sentiment among the people, Sheng said. News coverage is shown on a large screen outside a shopping mall during coverage of U.S. tariffs, in Beijing on April 11, 2025. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images Cyberattacks by CCP The latest development coincides with growing concerns in Washington about Chinese cyber espionage activities under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In March, the Trump administration In January, U.S. authorities imposed The House Select Committee on the CCP convened a 'The CCP has targeted the grids that power our homes, the facilities that treat our water, and the hospitals that care for us as part of their cyber warfare on the American people,' Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the House panel, said in his opening remarks. 'We must understand that this isn't just a cyber threat,' Moolenaar said. 'This is part of the CCP's larger strategy to destroy the American way of life.' Luo Ya contributed to this report.
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
China accuses US of launching 'advanced' cyberattacks, names alleged NSA agents
China accuses US of launching 'advanced' cyberattacks, names alleged NSA agents BEIJING, April 15 (Reuters) - China accused the United States National Security Agency (NSA) on Tuesday of launching "advanced" cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in February, targeting essential industries. Police in the northeastern city of Harbin said three alleged NSA agents to a wanted list and also accused the University of California and Virginia Tech of being involved in the attacks after carrying out investigations, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua on Tuesday. The NSA agents were identified by Xinhua as Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling and Stephen W. Johnson. The three were also found to have "repeatedly carried out cyber attacks on China's critical information infrastructure and participated in cyber attacks on Huawei and other enterprises." It did not specify how the two American universities were involved. The U.S. Embassy in China did not respond to an emailed request for comment. More: 12 Chinese nationals charged with hacking U.S. Treasury and others: Justice Department China's foreign ministry later confirmed the attacks and said Beijing had raised its concerns with the United States. "We urge the U.S. to take a responsible attitude on the issue of cyber security and … stop unprovoked smears and attacks on China," ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular news briefing. The detailed allegations come as the world's two largest economies spiral deeper into a trade war that has already spurred travel warnings for Chinese tourists going to the U.S. and halted imports of U.S. films into China. "The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) launched cyber attacks against important industries such as energy, transportation, water conservancy, communications, and national defence research institutions in Heilongjiang province," Xinhua said, citing the Harbin city public security bureau. The attacks had "the intention of sabotaging China's critical information infrastructure, causing social disorder, and stealing important confidential information," it added. ANONYMOUS SERVERS Xinhua said the NSA operations took place during the Winter Games and were "suspected of activating specific pre-installed backdoors" in Microsoft Windows operating systems on specific devices in Heilongjiang. In order to cover its tracks, the NSA purchased IP addresses in different countries and "anonymously" rented a large number of network servers including in Europe and Asia," Xinhua said. The NSA intended to use cyberattacks to steal the personal data of participating athletes, the news agency said, adding that the cyber attacks reached a peak from the first ice hockey game on February 3. The attacks targeted information systems such as the Asian Winter Games registration system and stored "sensitive information about the identities of relevant personnel of the event," Xinhua said. The U.S. routinely accuses Chinese state-backed hackers of launching attacks against its critical infrastructure and government bodies. Last month, Washington announced indictments against a slew of alleged Chinese hackers who targeted the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the foreign ministries of Taiwan, South Korea, India, and Indonesia. Beijing denies all involvement in overseas cyber espionage. After years of being accused by Western governments of cyberattacks and industrial espionage, in the past two years several Chinese organisations and government organs have accused the United States and its allies of similar behaviour. In December, China said it found and dealt with two U.S. cyber attacks on Chinese tech firms to "steal trade secrets" since May 2023, but did not name the agency involved. (Reporting by Laurie Chen, Liz Lee, Qiaoyi Li and Colleen Howe in Beijing and Farah Master in Hong Kong; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Saad Sayeed)
Iraqi News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
China accuses US spies of Asian Winter Games cyberattacks
Beijing – Chinese security officials said Tuesday they had implicated three US 'secret agents' in cyberattacks during February's Asian Winter Games in the northeastern city of Harbin, offering a reward for information on the alleged spies. Harbin police released a statement on Weibo accusing three US National Security Agency (NSA) agents of attacks on 'key information infrastructure'. It named the individuals as 'Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling and Stephen W. Johnson', working in the NSA's Office of Tailored Access Operations, an intelligence-gathering unit on cyberwarfare. China's computer virus watchdog said this month it had recorded more than 270,000 foreign cyberattacks on information systems related to the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, held from February 7 to 14. Attacks targeted the event's information release and entry-exit management systems, as well as card payments and local infrastructure between January 26 and February 14, it said. Two-thirds of those attacks came from the United States, the watchdog said at the time. China's foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned what it called 'malicious cyber behaviour' and said it had 'expressed its concerns to the US in various ways'. 'We urge the US to stop unwarranted smears and attacks against China', ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, adding that Beijing would take 'necessary measures' to protect its cybersecurity. The US Embassy in Beijing did not respond to a request for comment. The Harbin police statement also accused the NSA agents of targeting Chinese companies including Huawei, which has faced US sanctions since 2019 over national security concerns. And state news agency Xinhua reported that teams had 'uncovered evidence' implicating the University of California and Virginia Tech in the 'coordinated campaign' on the Asian Winter Games. Officials said they would reward any person who could provide clues about the three individuals and 'cooperate with public security organs in arresting' them. They vowed to 'seriously crack down on cyberattacks and the theft of state secrets against China by foreign forces'. The statement did not specify what kind of reward it was offering, but China has for years offered residents cash for submitting tip-offs. Those found guilty of espionage can face life in prison or execution under Chinese law. In March, China's ministry of state security said it had sentenced to death a former engineer for leaking state secrets to a foreign power.
The Hill
15-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
China pursuing 3 alleged US operatives over cyberattacks during Asian Games
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China said Tuesday it is pursuing three alleged U.S. operatives accused of carrying out cyberattacks on Chinese infrastructure during the Asian Games held in the city of Harbin in February. A notice from the Harbin police headquarters named them as Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson and said they worked through the National Security Agency. The police said nothing about how they obtained the names or where the three were believed to be at present. The alleged attacks targeted the systems for managing the Games themselves, such as registration, competition entry and travel, all of which stored 'vast amounts of sensitive personal data of individuals associated with the Games,' the police said. The attacks continued during the Games in an attempt to 'disrupt them and undermine their normal operations,' according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The report also alleged the NSA cyberattacks targeted critical infrastructure in Heilongjiang province, which includes Harbin, such as energy, transportation, water resources, telecommunications, and defense research institutions. The hackers also attacked Chinese technology company Huawei, Xinhua said. The report alleged that the NSA 'transmitted unknown encrypted data packets to specific devices running Microsoft Windows operating systems within the province.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, dished out further criticisms at a daily briefing, while offering no firm evidence. The attacks caused 'serious harm to China's critical infrastructure, national defense, finance, society, production, and the personal information security of Chinese citizens. The nature of these actions is extremely malicious,' Lin said. 'China has expressed its concerns to the U.S. side through various means regarding the U.S. cyberattacks on China's critical infrastructure. We urge the U.S. to adopt a responsible attitude on cybersecurity issues, stop cyberattacks on China, and cease unwarranted smears and attacks on China. China will continue to take necessary measures to protect its cybersecurity,' the spokesperson said. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. It's not clear why the alleged attacks would have been timed to the Asian Games, unless it was expected that China might ease some of its strict internet controls while hosting the competition. The U.S. and China have long accused each other of cyberattacks, with the U.S. also naming Chinese individuals who worked for military hacking units, even issuing wanted posters for them. Just last month, the Justice Department and others announced coordinated efforts to disrupt and deter the malicious cyber activities of 12 Chinese nationals, including two law enforcement officers, the DOJ reported. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence last month called China 'the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. government, private-sector, and critical infrastructure networks.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
China Says US Hacked Networks of 2025 Asian Winter Games
(Bloomberg) -- China accused a US spy agency of hacking the Asian Winter Games held this year in Harbin, and took the unusual step of identifying individuals it thinks are responsible. How Did This Suburb Figure Out Mass Transit? The Secret Formula for Faster Trains Even Oslo Has an Air Quality Problem NYC Tourist Helicopter Crashes in Hudson River, Killing Six Lisbon Mayor Wants Companies to Help Fix City's Housing Shortage The US National Security Agency's Office of Tailored Access Operations carried out the attacks, which targeted 'registration, arrival/departure management, and competition entry platforms,' state news agency Xinhua said, citing Harbin police. 'Vast amounts of sensitive personal data of individuals associated with the games' was stored on the computer systems, it said. Police named three NSA agents suspected of carrying out the hacking as Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling and Stephen W. Johnson, according to Xinhua. The three also participated in operations targeting Huawei Technologies Co., it said. Bloomberg News wasn't immediately able to verify whether employees with those names work for the NSA. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters the hacks 'severely endangered the security of China's critical information infrastructure, national defense, finance, society, production, as well as citizens' personal information.' The NSA didn't respond to a request for comment outside of normal business hours. China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center said this month that more than 270,000 foreign cyberattacks were recorded on computer networks associated with the Asian Winter Games between Feb. 7 and Feb. 14. About two-thirds of the attacks were traced to the United States, it said. Washington has said that Beijing presents the 'most active and persistent cyber threat to US government, private-sector, and critical infrastructure networks,' pointing to a campaign of cyber attacks against critical infrastructure known as 'Volt Typhoon.' Last month, US prosecutors charged 10 Chinese citizens and two government agents for hacks that targeted dissidents, religious groups, news outlets and American government agencies. In January, Bloomberg News reported that the computer of former US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was infiltrated and unclassified files were accessed as part of a broader breach of the agency by Chinese state-sponsored hackers. Chinese officials have denied US allegations, and a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in December that accusations that the government was behind the Treasury hack were 'unwarranted and groundless.' --With assistance from Jordan Robertson. The Beauty Salon Recession Indicator Trump Is Firing the Wrong People, on Purpose GM's Mary Barra Has to Make a $35 Billion EV Bet Work in Trump's America Cheap Consumer Goods Are the American Dream, Actually World Travelers Are Rethinking Vacation Plans to the US ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
