Washington DC: The United States has issued a stern condemnation of China following revelations by the Czech government that a Chinese state-affiliated hacking group was behind a cyberattack on the Czech Foreign Ministry’s communication systems.

The attacks, reportedly carried out by the Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT31) group — linked to China’s Ministry of State Security — began in 2022 and targeted critical government infrastructure.

The Czech Foreign Ministry, which has since replaced its compromised communication network, summoned the Chinese ambassador in Prague to protest the breach. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský stated that such hostile acts have “serious impacts on mutual relations” and directly undermine China’s credibility.

The US State Department responded by denouncing the malicious cyber activity and expressing  support for Czechia.

NATO and the European Union also issued strong condemnations. NATO cited a “growing pattern” of Chinese-linked cyberattacks, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the incident “an unacceptable breach of international norms,” warning that the EU “will not tolerate hostile cyber actions.”

Though the full extent of the breach remains unclear, the episode marks another significant blow to China’s international standing amid mounting accusations of digital espionage across Europe and North America.
(With AFP inputs)