The Chinese National Security Agency clarified that its American counterpart has carried out long-term hacking operations targeting the center affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, responsible for producing and broadcasting the country’s standard time. The ministry stated that it found evidence of data theft and credentials dating back to 2022, used to spy on employees’ smartphones and the center’s networks. It indicated that the CIA exploited a security vulnerability in a messaging application belonging to a foreign smartphone brand to access those devices, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency. The Chinese investigation also revealed that America attempted to hack the center’s high-precision ground timing system in 2023. The US embassy in Beijing did not immediately comment on China’s accusations. Beijing and Washington have been exchanging repeated accusations of cyber hacking for years, amid escalating trade tensions between them, against the backdrop of China’s restrictions on rare metal exports and America’s threat to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods.
