Czech Republic Blames China for Cyber Attack on Foreign Ministry

The Czech Republic has accused China of carrying out a cyberattack on its Foreign Affairs Ministry. The attack, which targeted a communication system used for unclassified messages, has been going on since 2022, according to Czech officials.

The Czech government said the hacking campaign was carried out by a group called APT31, which is believed to be linked to China’s Ministry of State Security. In response, the Czech Foreign Ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador to formally protest the incident.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the ministry has now switched to a more secure communication system after discovering the attack. “I summoned the Chinese ambassador to make clear that such hostile actions have serious consequences for our bilateral relations,” he wrote.

The Czech government strongly condemned the cyberattack, calling it a serious threat to its critical infrastructure.

Both NATO and the European Union have expressed support for the Czech Republic. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said China and all countries must stop using their territory to carry out cyberattacks. “States should not allow their territory to be used for malicious cyber activities,” she said.

The Chinese embassy in Prague has not responded to the accusations.

In recent years, EU member states have faced an increasing number of cyberattacks believed to be coming from China. The European Union has urged China to take stronger action to prevent such activities.