Czech Republic Accuses China of Sustained Cyberattack on Foreign Ministry

The Czech government has accused China of executing a cyberattack against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that has been ongoing since 2022.

Such a statement was published on the ministry’s website.

The attack was uncovered following an investigation into suspected long-term cyber activity. In response, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský summoned the Chinese ambassador.

“The malicious activity, which started in 2022 and targeted an institution designated as critical infrastructure of the Czech Republic, was conducted by the cyberespionage group APT31, which is publicly linked to China’s Ministry of State Security,” the statement reads.

The Security Information Service, Military Intelligence, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior, and the National Cyber and Information Security Agency conducted the investigation. The responsible entity was identified with a high degree of certainty.

The Czech government strongly condemned the cyber campaign, stating it undermines trust in China and contradicts its public commitments.

On the social media platform X, Lipavský announced that he had summoned the Chinese ambassador to make clear that “such hostile actions have serious consequences for bilateral relations.”

The European Union expressed solidarity with the Czech Republic and reiterated its commitment to countering malicious cyber activity. It also signaled readiness to take further action if necessary.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also condemned China’s cyber campaign targeting the Czech Foreign Ministry.

The accusations come amid deepening defense cooperation between the Czech Republic and Taiwan.

In May 2023, Taiwanese media reported that Taipei was negotiating a major arms deal with Prague involving 155mm DITA self-propelled howitzers produced by the Czech company Excalibur Army, along with a large number of Tatra trucks. The trucks are intended to serve as weapons systems and engineering equipment platforms.

Recently, Turkish authorities uncovered a Chinese spy network accused of replacing mobile communication stations to monitor government officials.