Prague has formally accused China of launching a malicious cyber campaign against its Foreign Affairs ministry's unclassified communications network. Beijing's embassy in Prague dismissed the allegations and urged an end to what it called 'microphone diplomacy.'
Investigators trace the operation back to the Czech Republic's 2022 EU presidency, attributing it to APT31, a group allegedly operating under China's Ministry of State Security. After detecting the intrusion, officials rolled out a more secure communications platform in 2024.
Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský summoned China's ambassador to stress the severity of the breach, which targeted emails and other documents related to Asia. The government condemned the incident as an attack on its critical infrastructure.
International partners have rallied behind Prague. NATO and the EU have condemned the attack and the US Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy has called on China to meet its international cybersecurity commitments.
