This accusation comes amid rising tensions ahead of upcoming negotiations between Beijing and Washington to ease trade disputes, and a summit of APEC leaders in South Korea where Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are expected to meet.

China has formally accused the US National Security Agency of conducting sophisticated cyberattacks on its National Time Service Centre in Xian, Shaanxi, which is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, potentially disrupting critical infrastructure such as communications, financial systems, and power grids.

The Chinese government claims to have irrefutable evidence showing US espionage activities involving stolen data and access credentials since 2022, used to monitor employees and network systems, with the attacks described as long-term and highly covert.

China has urged its citizens to remain vigilant and report foreign cyber threats, emphasizing the severity of these cyberattacks and their potential to cause chaos in cyberspace, which experts warn could lead to power failures, financial market disruptions, and satellite navigation issues.

The Chinese government presented this evidence as irrefutable, highlighting the seriousness of the threat.

The US is described as having a 'hacker empire' that is the main source of chaos in cyberspace, leveraging bases in Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan to maintain plausible deniability.

Western cybersecurity experts have identified China as the primary source of cyber chaos, with ongoing concerns about espionage, sabotage, and data theft, which have inflicted billions in damages on the German economy alone.

Experts warn that even minor timing errors in cyber operations could cause significant disruptions, including power outages, financial instability, and issues with satellite navigation.

This escalating cyber conflict occurs just days before high-level negotiations and international summits, highlighting the geopolitical stakes involved.

The US claims and the details of these cyberattacks are part of an ongoing escalation between the two nations, with further updates expected as investigations continue.

The targeted Chinese infrastructure is located in Shaanxi province and is linked to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, emphasizing the strategic importance of the attacked site.

In response, China is taking measures to reduce reliance on US technology, including releasing export control documents accessible only through its own software.