Beijing’s Cyberattack Allegation Against NSA Adds to Signs of US–China Decoupling: Analysts

After raising tariffs on U.S. products and warning citizens to rethink U.S. travel plans, Beijing accused a U.S. government agency of hacking infrastructure.

A Boeing 737-800 of China United Airlines prepares to land at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China, on April 16, 2025. Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

As tensions escalate between China and the United States, Beijing has accused a U.S. security agency and others of conducting cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. Analysts believe this situation indicates a broader trend of economic decoupling between the two nations.

State media Xinhua reported on April 15 that Chinese authorities accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of launching cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, in February.

Chinese cybersecurity experts claim they traced instructions found in Heilongjiang’s critical infrastructure back to the U.S. agency, according to the news report, which was republished on the website of China’s Ministry of Public Security, the country’s top espionage agency.

Beijing’s announcement follows a report released by China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center on April 3 that highlights allegations of overseas cyberattacks targeting the information systems of the Asian Winter Games. The report claims that these alleged attacks, which it said occurred between Feb. 7 and Feb. 14, came mainly from the United States and its allies.

In response to a request for comment on Beijing’s cyberattack accusation, the U.S. State Department said it is aware of the situation.

“The reality is that Chinese cyber actors continue to target the United States,” a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times on April 20.

“We have been clear that China’s pervasive and irresponsible cyber activity is unacceptable.”

“Targeting U.S. critical infrastructure networks must stop.”

Chinese police are also pursuing three individuals they allege are NSA agents involved in the alleged cyberattacks, according to Xinhua. They claim that Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson targeted China’s infrastructure and companies, including telecom giant Huawei.

The Chinese authorities encouraged the public to come forward with information, promising unspecified rewards for any tips, according to the report. No personal details, including photos or information about the accused individuals’ whereabouts, have been released.

In response to an inquiry from The Epoch Times, the NSA on April 20 declined to comment on the matter.

Chinese officials claim to have evidence suggesting that the University of California and Virginia Tech were also involved in these alleged cyber incidents, according to Xinhua, but they did not provide details to support the claim.

The University of California told The Epoch Times on April 21 that it is looking into the matter, while Virginia Tech did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

Trade War

Although it’s not the first time Beijing has publicly pointed fingers at U.S. entities for alleged cyber espionage, analysts suggest that the timing of this accusation is significant, given the backdrop of an ongoing tariff war between the world’s two largest economies.

China has vowed not to back down in its tariff fight with the United States, the largest buyer of its products. In contrast to the dozens of countries reaching out to Washington seeking negotiations on U.S. reciprocal tariffs, Beijing has responded by raising its own tariffs on U.S. goods, blacklisting dozens of American companies, and tightening controls on critical minerals export.

Furthermore, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a notice on April 9 advising its citizens to fully consider the risks when considering traveling to the United States, citing “deterioration of China–U.S. economic and trade relations.”

Three days later, China’s National Film Administration announced restrictions on Hollywood film imports, adding to bilateral tensions.

Yeh Yao-Yuan, a tenured professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, told The Epoch Times that Beijing’s latest cyberattack accusation is a reaction to U.S. tariff hikes and an escalation in the ongoing cyber conflict.

He suggested that this exchange also reflects a broader trend of decoupling between the two nations.

“The U.S.–China relationship is heading toward a trajectory of the first Cold War, and both sides are likely to drift further apart,” Yeh said on April 18. “Ultimately, countries around the globe will have to make choices about where they stand.”

Sheng Xue, a Chinese writer and human rights activist, believes that Beijing’s latest claim of cyberattacks is part of the regime’s propaganda efforts.

With U.S. tariffs exceeding 100 percent, China’s ailing economy is under mounting pressure, but the leadership in Beijing aims to portray itself as a “power capable of striking back,” Sheng told The Epoch Times on April 18.

In this context, Beijing is seeking to create “an external enemy” to divert public attention away from domestic issues and incite anti-American sentiment among the people, Sheng said.

News coverage is shown on a large screen outside a shopping mall during coverage of U.S. tariffs, in Beijing on April 11, 2025. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

Cyberattacks by CCP

The latest development coincides with growing concerns in Washington about Chinese cyber espionage activities under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In March, the Trump administration announced changes and sanctions against a dozen Chinese citizens, including two officials affiliated with Beijing’s Ministry of Public Security, due to their alleged roles in a years-long cyberattack campaign targeting U.S. government agencies and groups critical of the regime. The foreign ministries of several Asian nations, including Taiwan, India, and South Korea, were also among the alleged targets of these cyber espionage efforts.

In January, U.S. authorities imposed sanctions on a Chinese entity and an individual due to their links to the Salt Typhoon hacking group, which has victimized the Treasury Department and major American telecommunications companies.

The House Select Committee on the CCP convened a hearing on March 5 to explore strategies to bolster U.S. cyber defenses against ongoing threats from Beijing.

“The CCP has targeted the grids that power our homes, the facilities that treat our water, and the hospitals that care for us as part of their cyber warfare on the American people,” Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the House panel, said in his opening remarks.

“We must understand that this isn’t just a cyber threat,“ Moolenaar said. ”This is part of the CCP’s larger strategy to destroy the American way of life.”

Luo Ya contributed to this report.