Tag: china

Fighting against Chinese cyber-espionage, FBI hunts down members of Chinese hacking networks

When Chinese national Xu Zewei stepped off a plane at Milan’s Malpensa airport for a vacation with his wife, Italian authorities arrested him. The Italians executed an American warrant issued by investigators for his alleged role in the most prolific Beijing-backed cyber-espionage campaign in recent years.

Before Xu’s July 3 arrest, the Justice Department often charged alleged Chinese hackers in absentia. But now, the Trump administration has detained for the first time one of Beijing’s suspected cyber operators as part of its wider effort to combat Chinese espionage against the United States.

The Justice Department announced Xu’s arrest earlier this week and outlined the charges against him as part of a nine-count indictment along with one codefendant. The pair are accused of involvement in computer intrusions that compromised personal data, intellectual property, COVID-19 research at U.S. universities, and law firm materials, the Justice Department said. 

The arrest of Xu Zewei in Italy marks one of the first recorded cases of the FBI apprehending a suspected Chinese hacker. The FBI’s Houston Field Office, which led the case, said in a social media post shortly after the announcement that Xu Zewei was “one of the first hackers linked to Chinese intelligence services to be captured by the FBI.” 

Keep reading

Trump Allegedly Warned Putin, Xi That He Would Bomb Their Capitals: Report

President Donald Trump allegedly told a group of campaign donors at a fundraising event last year that he had separately warned the Russian and Chinese leaders that he would bomb their capitals if they invaded their neighbors, according to a leaked audio.

The audio, published by CNN on July 8, allegedly captures Trump’s remarks at a private fundraiser during the 2024 presidential election recounting conversations he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping.

“With Putin, I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the [expletive] out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice,’” Trump could be heard saying, according to the audio. “And then [Putin] goes, like, ‘I don’t believe you.’ But he believed me 10 percent.”

According to the audio, Trump later added that he had conveyed a similar warning to Xi over a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a self-governing island that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims as a part of its territory.

“Then I’m with President Xi of China,” Trump said, per the audio. “I said the same thing to them. I said, you know, ‘If you go into Taiwan, I’m gonna bomb the [expletive] out of Beijing.’

“He thought I was crazy. He said, ‘Beijing!? You’re going to bomb [Beijing]?’

Keep reading

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Threatens to FREEZE Assets of CCP-Linked Billionaire Neville Singham After He Refuses to Testify on Funding LA Riots

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) announced Tuesday that she is pursuing a formal effort to freeze the U.S. assets of Neville Roy Singham—a tech billionaire linked to the Chinese Communist Party—after he refused to comply with a congressional request to testify regarding his alleged role in funding violent Marxist uprisings across the United States.

The Gateway Pundit reported last month that Rep. Anna Paulina Luna confirmed that the Committee will issue a formal document request to Singham over his alleged financial support of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) — the extremist Marxist group believed to be behind the violent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles.

“Thanks to the investigative work of Data Republican, House Oversight will issue a formal document request to Neville Singham regarding his funding of a communist group linked to the LA riots and the CCP,” Luna wrote on X.

She continued, “IF HE REFUSES TO APPEAR, HE WILL BE SUBPOENAED, AND IF HE IGNORES THAT HE WILL BE REFERRED TO THE DOJ FOR PROSECUTION.”

According to a bombshell report by @DataRepublican, Neville Singham—a tech multimillionaire who resides in Shanghai, China—has funneled over $20 million into U.S.-based far-left organizations via dark money channels like The People’s Forum and No Cold War, both of which are openly pro-Beijing.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation, a Marxist-Leninist group that advocates the complete dismantling of U.S. capitalism, was not only involved in organizing the LA riots but was reportedly responsible for printing signage, providing trained spokespeople, and coordinating demonstrations in other cities, including San Antonio and Oakland.

Even more disturbing, the same Singham-funded network also financed and coordinated pro-Hamas encampments and student uprisings at Columbia University and other elite campuses earlier this year.

Now, with Singham refusing to answer Congress and allegedly evading subpoena delivery while holed up in communist China, Rep. Luna is calling for more drastic measures.

Keep reading

US Charges Chinese Man Accused of Hacking Into Universities to Steal COVID-19 Research

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges on July 8 against a Chinese national taken into custody in Italy at the behest of Washington, and accused him of hacking into several U.S. universities to steal COVID-19 research at the direction of China’s main intelligence agency.

Xu Zewei, 33, was arrested in Milan, Italy, on July 3 by Italian law enforcement officials and FBI agents as he departed a plane from China. Xu and another Chinese national, Zhang Yu, 44, who remains at large, are charged in a nine-count indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Texas on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021.

According to the indictment, Xu was a general manager at a Chinese company called Shanghai Powerock Network, which allegedly conducted hacking operations at the direction of the Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB) under China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).

The DOJ said that Xu’s case exemplifies the Chinese regime’s use of a vast network of private companies and contractors in China to carry out hacking and information theft in a manner that concealed Beijing’s involvement.

“The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins,” Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said in a statement.

“The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget.”

Keep reading

Iran ‘Rapidly’ Beefs Up Air Defenses With Chinese Help After Israel Ceasefire

Iran has taken possession of Chinese surface-to-air missile batteries as Tehran rapidly moves to rebuild defensives destroyed by Israel during their recent 12-day conflict, sources have told Middle East Eye.

The deliveries of Chinese surface-to-air missile batteries occurred after a de-facto truce was struck between Iran and Israel on June 24, an Arab official familiar with the intelligence told MEE.

Another Arab official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive intelligence, said that the US’s Arab allies were aware of Tehran’s efforts to “back up and reinforce” its air defenses and that the White House had been informed of Iran’s progress. 

The officials did not say how many surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, Iran had received from China since the end of the fighting. However, one of the Arab officials said that Iran was paying for the SAMs with oil shipments.

China is the largest importer of Iranian oil, and the US Energy Information Administration suggested in a report in May that nearly 90 percent of Iran’s crude and condensate exports flow to Beijing.

For several years, China has imported record amounts of Iranian oil despite US sanctions, using countries such as Malaysia as a transshipment hub to mask the crude’s origin.

“The Iranians engage in creative ways of trading,” the second Arab official told MEE. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump likely heavily discussed Iran and its nuclear program when they meet on Monday. 

MEE reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. 

Keep reading

Chinese Warship Accused of ‘Laser Attack’ Against German Reconnaissance Aircraft on Red Sea Houthi Mission

Germany has summoned the Chinese ambassador for a dressing down after it stated a Chinese warship, unprovoked and without warning, fired a laser weapon at an aircraft on a European Union military mission.

The militaries of several developed nations are developing and deploying experimental laser weapons, a non-kinetic and potentially cost-effective anti-air capability for blinding military aircraft and shooting down drones and missiles. Now Germany alleges China has used such a device in anger against one of its aircraft over the Red Sea in the text of a diplomatic protest issued against Beijing.

Per the German Foreign Ministry, “The Chinese military employed a laser”, endangering the aircraft and the crew aboard. Germany has made a formal diplomatic protest over the incident, summoning the Chinese ambassador to Berlin for a dressing down. The Foreign Ministry said: “Endangering German personnel & disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable”.

The aircraft, which is a surveillance platform operated by a defence contractor, flown by civilian pilots, but carrying a German military team operating the intelligence suite aboard, was flying over the Red Sea as part of the European Union’s Aspides deployment. The purpose of the mission is the protection of civilian shipping by monitoring and intercepting Houthi missiles and does not, the European Union says, contribute to American-led strikes on the Iran-backed Houthis themselves.

Keep reading

US Moves To Ban Chinese Purchases Of US Farmland Over National Security Concerns

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on July 8 that the United States will be moving to ban Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland over national security concerns.

During a press conference with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and other top officials, Rollins said the Trump administration will work with states and use executive actions to ban ownership of U.S. agriculture by Chinese and nationals of other adversaries.

During a call with reporters on July 7, Rollins acknowledged there was no way for her agency to take back farmland owned by the Chinese and other foreign buyers.

“USDA is not in the role to be able to do that,” she said.

The national security action plan released by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and obtained by The Epoch Times states that, “Land owned by foreign nationals—particularly those from countries of concern…or other foreign adversaries—is a potential threat to national security and future economic prosperity. USDA will ensure transparency of foreign U.S. agricultural land ownership and pursue robust and overdue updates to data collection, reporting, and analysis.”

The USDA, according to the plan, will implement reforms such as creating an online filing system to require foreign entities to report their holdings and transactions in the U.S. agricultural marketplace.

It will also work alongside Congress and states to pass and implement laws to take “action to end the direct or indirect purchase or control of American farmland by nationals from countries of concern or other foreign adversaries.”

Additionally, the USDA will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Treasury Department to “ensure regular coordination” with the agriculture secretary related to reviews by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) when it comes to foreign transactions involving the agriculture sector, according to the plan.

Rollins announced that she will sit on CFIUS, a panel that reviews foreign purchases for national security risks, beginning July 8.

Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland has been a concern in both the agricultural and national security sectors.

Keep reading

Feds take down Chinese-operated grow home network in Massachusetts, Maine

An alleged network of interconnected grow houses in Massachusetts and Maine that Chinese nationals operated to cultivate and distribute marijuana is no more after authorities arrested the men behind the “sprawling criminal enterprise.”

Seven Chinese nationals have been indicted in connection with what the feds describe as a “multi-million-dollar conspiracy to cultivate and distribute marijuana across the Northeast.”

The group is accused of smuggling other Chinese nationals into the U.S. to work in the grow homes, found inside single-family properties in Massachusetts and Maine. The workers didn’t have access to their passports until they repaid their smuggling debts, according to a release from the office of Massachusetts US Attorney Leah Foley.

Authorities arrested six of the defendants Tuesday morning, while the seventh, Yanrong Zhu, 47, of Greenfield, Mass. and Brooklyn, N.Y., remains a fugitive.

The group allegedly used a Braintree home as the “base” for the enterprise to cultivate and distribute kilogram-sized quantities of marijuana in bulk. The network of interconnected grow houses also included properties in Melrose and Greenfield, among other locations in the Bay State, Maine and elsewhere, according to authorities.

“This case pulls back the curtain on a sprawling criminal enterprise that exploited our immigration system and our communities for personal gain,” Foley said in a statement. “These defendants allegedly turned quiet homes across the Northeast into hubs for a criminal enterprise – building a multi-million-dollar black-market operation off the backs of an illegal workforce and using our neighborhoods as cover.”

“That ends today,” she added.

Grow house operators allegedly communicated with one another through a list of marijuana cultivators and distributors from or with ties to China in the region, dubbed the “East Coast Contact List.”

Charging documents allege that the network began operating in or around January 2020.

Keep reading

Report: USAID Quietly Sent Thousands of Viruses to the Infamous Wuhan Lab

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reportedly shipped thousands of viruses to a Chinese military-linked biolab in Wuhan.

USAID sent 11,000 viral samples to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) over the course of a ten-year program, despite not having any formal agreement with the laboratory, according to documents obtained by Daily Caller.

The viruses were reportedly sent from China’s Yunnan province to Wuhan — the infamous epicenter of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic — with the exportation being funded by the USAID, which seemingly failed to devise a strategy that would prevent the samples from becoming bioweapons and staying accessible to the U.S. government.

Notably, the Wuhan Institute of Virology lacks adequate biosafety practices and has ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s military, People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The $210 million USAID program, dubbed PREDICT — which failed to implement a long-term storage plan when funding ceased — was spearheaded by the University of California-Davis and involved gathering virus samples from countries around the world.

Among the thousands of viral samples sent via USAID funding to the Wuhan lab is one of the closest known relatives of the Chinese coronavirus that ravaged the world in 2020, Daily Caller noted.

“Investigations involving USAID’s former funding of global health awards remain active and ongoing,” a senior State Department official told the outlet. “The American people can rest assured knowing that under the Trump Administration we will not be funding these controversial programs.”

Last week, USAID was finally shuttered after President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) uncovered a slew of examples of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

“Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Keep reading

Chinese state-sponsored contract hacker arrested in Italy at US request: DOJ

The US Department of Justice said on July 8 a Chinese state-sponsored contract hacker was arrested last week in Italy at the request of Washington, but the arrested man claimed he is a victim of mistaken identity.

Xu Zewei, 33, was arrested on July 3, the Justice Department said, adding a nine-count indictment was unsealed on July 8 in the Southern District of Texas alleging the involvement of that individual and a co-defendant in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021.

Xu was arrested in Milan, Italy, and will face extradition proceedings, the DOJ said in a statement.

It alleged China’s ministry of state security had directed theft of Covid-19 research and the exploitation of Microsoft email software vulnerabilities.

The Chinese government has denied allegations of being involved. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Xu’s lawyer said on July 8 that he is a victim of mistaken identity, that his surname is quite common in China and that his mobile phone had been stolen in 2020.

The 33-year-old IT manager at a Shanghai company appeared on July 8 before an appeals court in Milan, which will decide whether to send him to the United States. The man was arrested last week after he arrived at Milan’s Malpensa airport for a holiday in Italy with his wife.

Keep reading