On April 15, 2025, Chinese authorities in Harbin accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of conducting sophisticated cyberattacks during the February Asian Winter Games. The alleged attacks targeted critical infrastructure in Heilongjiang province, including energy, transportation, and defense institutions.

Chinese police named three individuals—Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson—as alleged NSA agents involved in the cyber operations. They were placed on a wanted list. Additionally, the University of California and Virginia Tech were cited as being involved, though specific details were not provided.

According to China's state news agency Xinhua, the NSA utilized anonymous international servers and IP addresses to obscure their operations. They reportedly exploited pre-installed backdoors in Microsoft Windows systems. The attacks intensified during the games, particularly targeting athlete registration systems and sensitive personal data.

This development comes amid escalating U.S.-China tensions, including a trade war and mutual accusations of cyber espionage. While China denies involvement in offensive cyber operations, recent years have seen Beijing push back with its own accusations of U.S. cyber intrusion, including claims of NSA attacks on Chinese enterprises like Huawei.

The U.S. Embassy in China has not commented on the allegations. China's foreign ministry urged the U.S. to take a responsible attitude on cybersecurity issues and to stop unprovoked smears and attacks on China.

The 2025 Asian Winter Games, held from February 7 to 14 in Harbin, featured 1,222 athletes from 34 nations competing in 64 events across 11 sports. The games were opened by President Xi Jinping and closed by Timothy Fok, Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia.

This incident underscores the growing complexity of international relations in the digital age, where cyber operations have become a central aspect of geopolitical strategy.