Tag: china

Australia’s Latest Temporary Military Deployment To Europe Is Connected To Containing China

Australia agreed during last month’s NATO Summit to deploy an E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft and up to 100 troops to Europe till November at the bloc and Poland’s request in support of Ukraine. This will be carried out under “Operation Kudu”, which “is the Australian Defence Force commitment to the training of Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel in the United Kingdom.” It follows a prior such deployment to Ramstein Air Base so the latest one isn’t really all that newsworthy.

That doesn’t mean that it’s insignificant, however, since it’s important for observers to understand why Australia is continuing to militarily involve itself in a conflict on the opposite side of the planet. The reason is that Australia is doing so as a quid pro quo for Anglo-American support in containing China through AUKUS. Regardless of whether one agrees with it, the Australia government nowadays considers China to be an adversary – largely due to Anglo-American influence – and formulates policy accordingly.

Sending arms to Ukraine, training its troops in the UK, and once again carrying out a temporary military deployment to Europe isn’t just a way to pay back its AUKUS allies, but also a means for obtaining experience in the event that China gets involved in a regional conflict. Whether it’s against Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, and/or the US, Australia expects to involve itself in a similar way as with Russia-Ukraine via the aforesaid means of arms shipments, training, and early warning and control missions.

Moreover, by showing solidarity with NATO in its proxy war on Russia through Ukraine as explained above, Australia hopes that the bloc’s European members will repay the favor if it involves itself in a future AUKUS+ (AUKUS, Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines) proxy war on China. Even though they’d probably do this at their American “daddy’s” behest, albeit as a quid pro quo for “defending Europe from Russia” in this case (as they sincerely but wrongly believe), it’s a suitable pretext for the public.

The larger goal is to craft the perception of a “Global West” that stretches across the Atlantic and Pacific to encompass both halves of Eurasia, thus enabling the US to “Lead From Behind” in containing China in the future and maybe once again Russia too depending on events. Australia’s role is therefore to serve as an example of an Asia-Pacific country contributing to the European front of the US’ present containment campaign against Russia to justify European countries contributing to a future Asian front against China.

Keep reading

China’s New Internet ID Prompts Fears of Total Digital Surveillance and Control

Starting July 15, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will launch a sweeping new Internet ID system, raising concerns that the initiative could usher in a new era of surveillance and control over the digital lives of more than a billion people.

The new program, introduced by six major government departments including the CCP’s Ministry of Public Security and China’s top internet regulator, will require users to register with their real names and obtain a state-issued “internet number” and “internet certificate.” These digital IDs will be used to access any online platform that requires real-name authentication, potentially including everything from social media to health records, education portals, and government services.

While the Chinese regime insists that participation is voluntary, critics warn that the system is designed for gradual enforcement as the regime seeks to centralize control and surveillance of internet users in China.

“This is clearly a staged rollout of a comprehensive surveillance apparatus,” Cao Lei, an independent Chinese internet data analyst, told The Epoch Times.

The CCP’s state-run media announced the new system in May and promoted the Internet ID as a means to “safeguard personal information” and streamline government regulation and verification. To apply for an Internet ID, users must submit official ID documents such as a Chinese Resident Identity Card, a passport, or a Mainland Residence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents. Facial recognition and mobile phone verification are also required in the process. Even minors are encouraged to register, with their guardians providing identification on their behalf.

At the moment, the system is already integrated into more than 400 apps, spanning e-commerce, health care, tourism, education, and public services.

Keep reading

US reportedly plans to curb sales of AI GPUs to Malaysia and Thailand to prevent smuggling to China

The U.S. government is preparing a new set of export rules that would tighten control over the exports of advanced Nvidia AI GPUs to Malaysia and Thailand, in a bid to prevent the re-export of these components to China amid existing bans, according to Bloomberg.

A preliminary version of the new export rule, reported by Bloomberg, states that the U.S. Commerce Department would require companies to obtain a U.S. government export license before sending AI GPUs to the two Southeast Asian nations. The plan has not been finalized and may change, yet it may represent another step towards limiting Chinese entities’ access to high-performance Nvidia AI GPUs.

Malaysia and Thailand are not major suspected hubs for the smuggling of Nvidia’s GPUs, unlike Singapore, which is officially listed as one of Nvidia’s primary sources of revenue, raising questions about whether the products sold to Singapore-based entities eventually end up in China. Indeed, Nvidia denies that its AI GPUs formally sold to Singapore-based entities could end up in China, arguing that they are sold to entities officially based in Singapore, but they are destined elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is widely believed that Singapore is a hub for smuggling high-end Nvidia GPUs to China and other sanctioned countries.

Keep reading

Huawei To Stand Trial In US On Charges Of Bank Fraud, Sanctions Violations, Theft

Chinese company Huawei Technologies will stand trial on multiple charges after a federal judge denied its bid to dismiss a long-running case against it.

On July 1, District Judge Ann Donnelly of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ruled that there was sufficient evidence to proceed with a 16-count indictment against Huawei and its subsidiaries.

Huawei, which is closely tied to the Chinese communist regime, stands accused of racketeering, stealing trade secrets from six U.S. companies, and committing bank fraud.

With Donnelly’s ruling, the case will move forward toward trial. Currently, the proceedings are scheduled to begin on May 4, 2026.

Huawei stands charged with using a Hong Kong-based front company, Skycom, to conduct business in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions and with misleading banks in order to facilitate more than $100 million in illegal money transfers.

Additionally, the indictment alleges that Huawei engaged in racketeering to expand its global brand.

Representatives of Huawei did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times by publication time.

In November 2024, Huawei pleaded not guilty and called itself “a prosecutorial target in search of a crime.”

The upcoming trial is expected to last several months and could have significant implications for the ongoing tensions between the United States and China over technology, trade, and national security.

As part of the long-running federal investigation into Huawei’s business dealings, Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, also the daughter of the company’s founder, Ren Zhengfei, was previously charged and detained in Canada for nearly three years before the charges against her were dismissed in 2022 as part of a deferred prosecution agreement.

Huawei, based in Shenzhen, China, operates in more than 170 countries and employs approximately 208,000 people worldwide. The U.S. government has imposed restrictions on Huawei’s access to U.S. technology since 2019, citing national security concerns; Huawei has denied those accusations.

Along with manufacturing smartphones and consumer technolog

Keep reading

My Wray Or The Highway: New Report Raises Troubling Questions Over The FBI Spiking Report Contradicting Director

Newly declassified FBI documents obtained by Fox raise troubling questions over the FBI allegedly spiking findings that contradicted the testimony of  then-FBI Director Christopher Wray.

The FBI had uncovered a Chinese conspiracy to influence the election in favor of then-President Joe Biden, including the creation of false driver’s licenses.

Wray denied that such efforts were occurring and the FBI reportedly proceeded to effectively bury the report.

Agents had found that the Chinese manufactured fake driver’s licenses and shipped them to the U.S. in a scheme to help Biden. That not only contradicted the narrative of the election, but Wray’s testimony.

Wray testified before Congress that the FBI had not seen any coordinated voter fraud ahead of the 2020 election:

“We have not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it is by mail or otherwise.”

However, that does not appear to be true.

Keep reading

Two Chinese Nationals Arrested, Accused of Espionage Targeting U.S. Navy Personnel

Two individuals believed to be working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party’s intelligence agency have been arrested by U.S. authorities for allegedly spying on U.S. Navy service members and recruiting military personnel to assist their efforts.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Yuance Chen, residing in Happy Valley, Oregon, and Liren Lai, who entered the country on a tourist visa and was apprehended in Houston, Texas, were taken into custody last Friday. 

Both men face serious charges for acting as agents of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS)—the country’s primary foreign intelligence service—conducting covert operations across the United States.

According to the DOJ, the pair engaged in a range of clandestine activities, including gathering sensitive information on Navy bases and personnel, facilitating cash payments through “dead drop” techniques and attempting to recruit U.S. Navy members to cooperate with the MSS.

FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the importance of these arrests in protecting national security.

Keep reading

Australian pilot being held as a political prisoner is facing extradition to the US, where he could receive 60 years in prison

Daniel Duggan is facing extradition from Australia to the US over allegations of training Chinese fighter pilots while working for a South African company.

Former US intelligence officer John Kiriakou and Australian lawyer and defence analyst Dr. Glenn Kolomeitz, believe the case is politically motivated and part of the US government’s efforts to send a message to China amidst a “cold war” between the two nations.

Daniel Duggan, an Australian citizen and father of six, has been detained in a maximum security prison since October 2022, facing extradition to the United States over allegations of training Chinese fighter pilots, which he denies.

On 19 December 2024, Attorney General Mark Dreyfus confirmed Duggan’s extradition to the US.  He will be handed over “to American authorities in the early part of 2025,” The Guardian reported.  He potentially faces a 60-year prison term in the US if convicted.  However, his legal team continues to challenge the decision, citing issues with the extradition treaty and the lack of evidence presented against Duggan.

His family has launched a petition on Change.org, urging the Australian Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, to reverse his decision to extradite Duggan, arguing that the case is politically motivated and that Duggan should not be handed over to the US. 

The family has also initiated a legal challenge in the Federal Court to block his extradition, claiming the allegations against him are baseless and that the extradition process has been unfair.  They argue that Duggan has no criminal history and that the charges against him have not been tested in court.

A couple of weeks ago, Sydney Criminal Lawyers reported that a date has been set for Duggan to appeal his extradition.  His appeal will be heard by the Federal Court of Australia on 26 August 2025.

Keep reading

FBI blocked probe into alleged Chinese 2020 election meddling to protect Wray from fallout, documents show

The FBI blocked an investigation into allegations that the Chinese Communist Party manufactured fake driver’s licenses and shipped them to the U.S. in a scheme to influence the 2020 presidential election in favor of Joe Biden because it would “contradict” then-FBI Director Christopher Wray’s congressional testimony, newly declassified FBI documents obtained by Fox News Digital reveal.

The records, which include communications between FBI officials ahead of the 2020 election, were recently declassified by FBI Director Kash Patel and transmitted to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Fox News Digital reported in June that Patel located and declassified the original reporting document alleging the Chinese Communist Party sought to deliver fake driver’s licenses to Chinese sympathizers in the U.S. who would cast a vote for Biden in the 2020 election. The document did not say whether any ballots were cast as part of the scheme.

Keep reading

China’s Nuclear Force Buildup: A Direct Challenge to US Strategic Superiority

China’s nuclear force expansion has fundamentally transformed the global strategic environment, according to senior congressional leaders who characterize Beijing’s modernization program as a shift from limited deterrent capabilities to comprehensive nuclear forces designed for strategic competition with the United States. By 2035, China aims to possess the world’s most powerful nuclear arsenal, surpassing that of the United States.

Representative Scott DesJarlais, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces Subcommittee, assessed that China’s nuclear modernization has created “a new tripolar environment (U.S., China, Russia, and China) that is less stable and more competitive” than the bipolar strategic framework that characterized the post-Cold War period.

Defense Intelligence Agency analysis confirms that China’s nuclear warhead inventory has surpassed 600 operational weapons. Its missile arsenal includes over 2,000 missiles capable of reaching Taiwan, including advanced hypersonic systems. The PLA Rocket Force has already deployed hypersonic weapons and nuclear-capable H-6N bombers. U.S. intelligence projects that China will field 700 nuclear warheads by 2027 and over 1,000 by 2030, with continued expansion expected through at least 2035.

Ultimately, China aims to field an estimated 1,500 nuclear warheads, marking the fastest peacetime nuclear expansion in modern history and underscoring its drive for strategic parity with the United States. This modernization includes both quantitative growth and qualitative upgrades, such as low-yield precision strike systems and multi-megaton intercontinental ballistic missiles, giving China what DIA analysts describe as “a broader range of nuclear response options” than ever before.

Much of China’s expanding nuclear arsenal is being deployed at higher readiness levels than in the past, enabling faster response times and signaling a shift away from its traditional posture of minimal deterrence and low alert status. This evolution is supported by a vast industrial infrastructure designed for sustained nuclear modernization, bolstered by the systematic acquisition of foreign nuclear technology.

China’s nuclear buildup is further enabled by the world’s largest civilian nuclear construction program, which provides both a technological foundation and strategic cover for military development. With at least 28 reactors currently under construction, nearly half of all global reactor projects.

Keep reading

Israel and Ukraine Used Smuggled Drones To Wreak Havoc on Their Enemies. Could China Do the Same?

A covert Israeli drone base secretly installed in the heart of Iran. More than 100 Ukrainian remote-controlled military aircraft smuggled deep into Russia, concealed under wooden sheds. Israel and Ukraine have activated these assets to devastating effect over the past year, decimating the Iranian military command and crippling Russia’s Air Force—all with a flip of a switch.

The stunningly successful asymmetric attacks have some experts wondering: Could China, America’s “number one geopolitical foe” in the words of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, be laying the groundwork to do the same in the United States?

“Mossad did this in secret. The Chinese Communist Party is doing it openly,” warned Michael Sobolik, a veteran China analyst with the Hudson Institute. “The mullahs in Iran had no idea. Putin had no idea. But we know, and we have no excuse. Do we have the political will and the self respect to make sure we can survive in a crisis?”

Several China experts told the Washington Free Beacon that the United States has left the door wide open for its communist adversary to establish a foothold in the country. Top of mind for many is the Chinese-owned farmland adjacent to at least 19 military bases across the United States, which Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described as the elephant in the room following Israel’s covert strikes against Iran.

“Letting firms or individuals with CCP ties buy property next to U.S. bases hands Beijing the hardest part of that playbook—the forward staging area—no smuggling required,” Singleton told the Free Beacon. “A prudent policy starts with the assumption that a determined, tech-savvy adversary will exploit every acre it controls.”

The threats, however, go far beyond Chinese-owned farmland. Former FBI director Christopher Wray warned in a speech last April that China has been laying the groundwork to “physically wreak havoc on our critical infrastructure at a time of its choosing.”

That includes America’s shipping ports, which are almost entirely reliant on automated cranes manufactured by ZPMC, a Chinese state-owned military contractor. A joint congressional investigation in 2024 discovered unauthorized cellular modems embedded in some of those cranes, potentially giving China the ability to remotely shut down U.S. ports and wreak havoc on America’s food chains and manufacturing capabilities.

Keep reading