Cyber aggression part and parcel of hegemony: China Daily editorial

In a revelation that puts the spotlight on the cyber warfare waged by the United States, China's state security authorities announced they had uncovered and thwarted brazen cyberattacks orchestrated by the US National Security Agency against China's National Time Service Center, a critical institution under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Situated in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, the National Time Service Center provides the high-precision time services essential for China's national communications, finance, power, transportation and defense sectors. The center's pioneering autonomous time measurement system is a technological guarantee that is vital not only for national stability but also for global timekeeping standards. A successful cyberattack could have unleashed chaos, disrupting networks, financial systems and even aerospace operations, with ramifications that could have resonated globally.

The meticulous investigation by the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team of China revealed a long-term, systematic cyber campaign by the NSA that began in March 2022, when it exploited vulnerabilities in foreign-branded phones to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. By April 2023, the NSA had escalated its efforts, using stolen credentials to breach the center's network infrastructure.

The intensity of these attacks peaked between August 2023 and June 2024, when the NSA deployed a sophisticated cyber operations platform, launching high-intensity assaults on the center's systems, according to the investigation. Its goal was clear: to cripple China's high-precision ground-based timing system, an act that would have posed a grave threat to China's national security.

According to the probe, the NSA employed 42 distinct tools designed for long-term infiltration, covert communication and data extraction. Yet the resilience and vigilance of China's cybersecurity teams ensured these threats were neutralized and the National Time Service Center underwent a comprehensive remediation process to upgrade its defenses and eliminate potential vulnerabilities.

The cyberattack on the center is not an isolated incident. It is emblematic of the US' cyber aggression that infiltrates critical infrastructure and violates cyber sovereignty on a global scale.

While the US hypocritically brands China as a "cyber threat", it is the US itself that has repeatedly been exposed as the true "empire of hackers". By leveraging technological footholds in regions such as Europe and Asia, the US has systematically expanded its cyber activities targeting other countries, undermining the trust and cooperation necessary for international cybersecurity. Such tactics are symptomatic of the instincts of the US to preserve its hegemony. Such activities are a pervasive threat to other countries, regardless of whether the US views them as friend or foe.

The international community must stand united in condemning and defending against the US' malignant cyber activities and reaffirm the importance of adhering to international norms and laws governing state behavior in cyberspace. It is essential to foster an environment where dialogue and cooperation triumph over unilateral actions and cyber aggression.

The latest revelation of the attack on the National Time Service Center calls for a global reassessment of cyber norms and the establishment of reliable international frameworks to prevent such state-sponsored cyber aggression. Countries worldwide must collaborate to create transparent, enforceable rules that ensure cyberspace remains a domain of peace and cooperation, rather than an arena for conflict and exploitation.

China remains committed to safeguarding its national security and will continue to strengthen its cyber defense capabilities while engaging in constructive dialogue to promote a safer and more secure cyberspace for all. Only through mutual respect and adherence to international principles can humanity achieve lasting peace and security in the digital age.