Americans allegedly attacked Chinese time center, Beijing warns of collapse

China has accused the United States of launching a cyberattack on the National Time Service Center, which generates, manages, and broadcasts Chinese standard time.

According to the Chinese Ministry of State Security, the US National Security Agency has been infiltrating the center's systems for a long time, using stolen data and login credentials since 2022.

The attacks allegedly involved exploiting a vulnerability in the shipping service of a foreign smartphone brand, which is said to have given the US access to employees' devices.

The investigation also found that the Americans attempted to attack the center's high-precision time measurement system in 2023 and 2024. China warned that such disruptions could jeopardize communications networks, financial systems, energy supplies, and international standard time.

The US Embassy has not yet commented on the allegations.

(reuters, max)