China’s Ministry of State Security has unveiled a series of cyberattacks orchestrated by the United States National Security Agency (NSA) against the National Time Service Center in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. Since 2022, the NSA has targeted the center, which is responsible for maintaining Beijing Time, a critical component of China’s national infrastructure. The attacks, if successful, could have disrupted network communications, financial systems, power grids, transportation networks, and even space launches, according to the ministry’s investigation. The National Time Service Center plays a pivotal role in providing precision time services essential for sectors such as communications, finance, electricity, transportation, mapping, and defense. The ministry warned that such cyberattacks could trigger international time chaos, with far-reaching and unpredictable consequences. The NSA reportedly exploited vulnerabilities in a foreign cellphone brand’s messaging service in March 2022 to gain control over mobile devices of center staff, stealing sensitive information. From April 2023, the NSA repeatedly infiltrated the center’s computer systems using stolen credentials. Between August 2023 and June 2024, the NSA deployed a new cyber warfare platform with 42 specialized tools to target the center’s High-Precision Ground-Based Timing System. The attacks were often timed during late-night to early-morning hours in Beijing, using virtual private servers in the US, Europe, and Asia to mask their origin. The US also employed tactics like forging digital certificates and using strong encryption to erase evidence. Following the discovery of these attacks, the Chinese national security agency guided the center to enhance its cybersecurity measures. The ministry accused the US of pursuing cyber hegemony, violating international norms, and targeting critical infrastructure worldwide. It also highlighted the US’s use of technical bases in Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan to launch attacks while maintaining plausible deniability. The report concluded that the US, despite its accusations of a ‘China cyber threat,’ is the true ‘hacker empire’ and the primary source of global cyberspace instability.