China Accuses U.S. of Cyber Sabotage During Asian Winter Games
Tensions between the United States and China have taken a sharp turn into the digital battlefield as Beijing publicly accuses the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of carrying out a wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting key Chinese infrastructure during the 2025 Asian Winter Games. In a bold move, Chinese authorities have named individual NSA agents allegedly involved in the operation and implicated two prominent American universities.
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Chinese Authorities Point Fingers at NSA and U.S. Academia
According to a report from China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, police in the city of Harbin concluded a wide-ranging investigation into cyber intrusions timed around the Winter Games in February. The findings allege that the NSA orchestrated a covert campaign against Chinese institutions, including tech giant Huawei, through sophisticated digital tactics.
Three American nationals—Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson—were named by Chinese authorities as NSA operatives who have “repeatedly carried out cyber attacks on China's critical information infrastructure.” This infrastructure reportedly included sectors such as energy, transportation, national defense research, and communications. The University of California and Virginia Tech were also cited as being involved, though no further details were provided regarding their specific roles.
The U.S. Embassy in Beijing declined to comment on the allegations, but China’s foreign ministry asserted it had formally raised its concerns with Washington. “We urge the U.S. to take a responsible attitude on the issue of cyber security and stop unprovoked smears and attacks on China,” said ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.
Winter Games Allegedly Used as Cover for Digital Espionage
Xinhua’s report claims that the cyberattacks were timed with the Asian Winter Games and reached their peak on February 3, coinciding with the first ice hockey match. Investigators believe the NSA targeted systems related to athlete registration, aiming to steal sensitive personal data of participants.
In a particularly alarming detail, Chinese authorities accuse the NSA of activating pre-installed backdoors in Microsoft Windows operating systems on devices located in Heilongjiang province. These attacks were allegedly made to appear anonymous through the use of globally rented servers and foreign IP addresses, allowing the perpetrators to mask their origins.
According to Chinese officials, the operations were designed not just for surveillance or espionage, but to intentionally destabilize China’s infrastructure, cause public disorder, and extract confidential state and corporate information.
Cyber Cold War Heats Up
This latest wave of accusations adds a new layer of intensity to the already strained relations between the U.S. and China. The two superpowers have been engaged in a growing tit-for-tat exchange of cyber-related accusations. Just last month, the U.S. unsealed indictments against alleged Chinese hackers accused of targeting American government agencies and foreign ministries in Asia.
China has long denied involvement in cyber espionage abroad. However, the narrative has recently shifted, with Chinese authorities increasingly accusing the U.S. of conducting similar operations against Chinese interests. In December, Beijing claimed to have neutralized two separate U.S. cyberattacks aimed at stealing trade secrets from Chinese tech firms since May 2023, though those incidents lacked specifics.
As cyber warfare becomes a more visible and volatile element of international relations, these latest accusations reflect the escalating digital arms race between the world’s leading powers. With both nations trading blame and ramping up countermeasures, the cyber front of this geopolitical rivalry shows no signs of cooling down.