BERLIN (AP) 鈥 An investigation has determined that 鈥淐hinese state actors" were responsible for a 2021 cyberattack on Germany's national office for cartography, officials in Berlin said Wednesday. The Chinese ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry for a protest for the first time in decades.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said the German government has 鈥渞eliable information from our intelligence services鈥 about the source of the attack on the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy, which he said was carried out 鈥渇or the purpose of espionage.鈥
鈥淭his serious cyberattack on a federal agency shows how big the danger is from Chinese cyberattacks and spying,鈥 Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement. 鈥淲e call on China to refrain from and prevent such cyberattacks. These cyberattacks threaten the digital sovereignty of Germany and Europe.鈥
Fischer declined to elaborate on who exactly in China was responsible. He said a Chinese ambassador was last summoned to the German Foreign Ministry in 1989 after the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Germany's attribution of the cyberattack is the latest case to reflect increasing tensions between Berlin and Beijing about potential security risks posed by China.
In April, on suspicion of spying for China and arranging to transfer information on technology with potential military uses. And an in the European Parliament was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
Three weeks ago, Germany said it will bar the use of critical components made by Chinese companies in core parts of the country鈥檚 5G networks in two steps starting in 2026.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz鈥檚 government last year for relations with China that refers to a 鈥渟ystemic rivalry鈥 with the Asian power and a need to reduce risks of economic dependency, but highlights Berlin鈥檚 desire to work with Beijing on challenges such as climate change and maintain trade ties. The strategy drew .
In the 2021 case, the Interior Ministry said that part of the cartography agency's network was compromised but further malware wasn't found. It said the attacker was successfully kicked out of the network, and the agency 鈥 which provides official geodata for Germany 鈥 undertook a series of measures to improve its IT security.
