Germany on Wednesday (July 31) accused the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of launching a cyber attack against the German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy in 2021, alleging that the CCP’s intent was to conduct espionage and summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Berlin to formally protest the matter. This marks the first time in decades.
German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said that the German government received “definite intelligence from our intelligence agencies,” indicating that the source of the attack on the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy in 2021 originated from the CCP, noting that the CCP attack was “for espionage purposes.”
“This serious cyber attack against a federal agency demonstrates the extent of the harm posed by cyber attacks and espionage activities originating from China (CCP),” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated in a statement, urging the CCP to cease such cyber attacks.
She said, “These cyber attacks threaten Germany and Europe’s digital sovereignty.”
Fischer declined to specify which department of the CCP is responsible for this. He noted that the last time the Chinese Ambassador was summoned was after the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.
In the 2021 case, the Interior Ministry mentioned that part of the networks of the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy was breached, and the attackers were successfully expelled from the network. The agency is responsible for providing official geographical data for Germany and has taken a series of measures to enhance its information technology (IT) security.
The security department revealed that they anticipate the CCP will further intensify “state-operated” espionage activities.
Fischer stated, “Therefore, we are resolutely addressing these threats and significantly enhancing our defenses.”
According to the Associated Press report, Germany attributes this cyber attack to the CCP, highlighting the security threats posed by the CCP have strained relations between Germany and Beijing.
In April of this year, German authorities arrested three individuals suspected of engaging in espionage activities for the CCP, accusing them of attempting to transfer technical intelligence that could be used for military purposes. Additionally, an assistant to a prominent German member of the European Parliament was also arrested on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities for the CCP.
Three weeks ago, Germany announced plans to ban the use of critical components from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in the core parts of its domestic 5G networks starting in 2026, in two phases.
The government led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz formulated a strategic policy towards China last year, addressing Germany’s handling of “systemic competition” from the CCP and the necessity to reduce economic dependency risks on China. As a result, this move drew criticism from Beijing.