Cybersecurity Policy Report, China Accuses Three U.S. Officials of Hacking Sports Event, (Apr 15, 2025)
Chinese authorities today accused the U.S. National Security Agency of engaging in cyber attacks targeting the Asian Winter Games in the city of Harbin in February and named three NSA operatives accused of the attacks.
Chinese authorities often respond to U.S. allegations about Chinese cyber attacks with assertions about U.S. cyber operations against Chinese targets, but the accusations leveled today were unusually specific.
“Investigations by Chinese technical teams revealed that the cyberattacks were carried out by the Office of Tailored Access Operations of the NSA,” according to a report in Xinhua, China’s state news agency.
“Investigations revealed that the NSA focused its pre-event cyberattacks on critical systems of the Asian Winter Games, including registration, arrival/departure management, and competition entry platforms, authorities said. These systems, essential for pre-event operations, stored vast amounts of sensitive personal data of individuals associated with the Games,” Xinhua said.
The report didn’t say why the NSA would target the games, and the NSA had no immediate comment on the report.
Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the Chinese government had “raised concerns with the U.S.” about the alleged attacks “through various means.”
“We previously made clear China’s position more than once,” Mr. Lin said at a ministry news briefing today, according to a transcript.
“At the ninth Asian Winter Games, the U.S. government conducted cyberattacks on the information systems of the Games and the critical information infrastructure in Heilongjiang. This move is egregious for it severely endangers the security of China’s critical information infrastructure, national defense, finance, society and production as well as its citizens’ personal information. China condemns the above-mentioned malicious cyber activity by the U.S. government,” Mr. Lin said.
“We urge the U.S. to take a responsible attitude on the cybersecurity issue, and stop any attack, including cyberattack, and groundless vilification against China,” he added. “China will continue to do what is necessary to protect its own cybersecurity.”
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