Chinese authorities in the city of Harbin have levelled allegations against the United States' National Security Agency (NSA), claiming it orchestrated sophisticated cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games held in February. The targets reportedly included key industries such as energy, communications, transport, and national defence research institutions, according to the Reuters news agency.

Police in Harbin have also placed three individuals on a wanted list, alleging their affiliation with the NSA. The Chinese state news agency Xinhua named these individuals as Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling and Stephen W. Johnson.

They are said to have repeatedly attacked China’s critical information infrastructure, including cyber operations directed at Huawei and other firms. The report further claimed that the University of California and Virginia Tech were implicated in the cyber campaign, though no specifics were provided about their alleged involvement.

Xinhua, citing Harbin’s public security bureau, stated that the NSA’s aim was to disrupt China’s critical infrastructure, spread social disorder and extract sensitive information. These operations were alleged to have taken place during the Games and involved the activation of pre-installed backdoors within Microsoft Windows systems on devices located in Heilongjiang Province.

To obscure the origin of the attacks, NSA operatives were also said to have acquired IP addresses in multiple countries and anonymously rented servers across Europe and Asia. The cyber campaign purportedly sought to harvest personal data of athletes participating in the event, peaking during the first ice hockey match on February 3.

Xinhua also reported that systems such as the Games’ registration network were compromised, with sensitive information on event personnel being accessed.

These claims come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing, already entrenched in a protracted trade dispute. The steadily worsening relationship between the two countries has seen warnings issued to Chinese tourists planning to travel to the US as well as a ban put on importing US films to China.

The claims are not unusual, however, as the US government frequently accuses Chinese state-linked actors of cyber espionage. It is less common for China to make similar claims, though. Only last month, Washington indicted several individuals alleged to be Chinese hackers targeting the US Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Commerce and the foreign ministries of Taiwan, South Korea, India and Indonesia. Beijing, meanwhile, has consistently denied any role in international cyber operations.