Category: Special Topics

Despite China’s ‘Vast Capacity’ in Cyber Warfare, It Is an ‘Unknown Quantity’: UK Expert

An expert on cyber warfare told a webinar in London that China has a “vast capacity” but is an “unknown quantity when it comes to execution.” Daniel Moore, the author of a new book called Offensive Cyber Operations: Understanding Intangible Warfare, said the recent experience of the Ukraine conflict had shown that Russian cyber warriors…


Gov. Whitmer Defends Offering $715 Million to CCP-Linked Company

The governor of Michigan did not contest an accusation by her challenger that she cemented business ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as part of her effort to develop Michigan’s economy and defended the move as an effort to increase economic development. The exchange between Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican challenger Tudor Dixon…


US Navy, Army Successfully Test Hypersonic Weapon Components: Pentagon

The U.S. Navy and Army successfully conducted a test of hypersonic weapons components and materials on Oct. 26, the Pentagon announced, amid continued efforts to surpass Russia and China in developing the emerging class of weapons. Hypersonic weapons refer to weapons that can travel faster than Mach 5—meaning five times faster than the speed of sound,…


German Chancellor’s China Visit Motivated by Eagerness to Strengthen Economic Ties

News Analysis German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has confirmed that he will lead a German business delegation to visit China in early November. The visit comes after EU leaders shared their concerns about Europe’s economic dependence on China under the leadership of the Chinese Communist regime. However, Scholz stated repeatedly that Germany must continue trade with…


Chinese Cyber Group Running Influence Campaign Targeting US Midterm Elections: Report

In a report dated Oct. 26, the cybersecurity firm Mandiant identified new narratives pushed by Dragonbridge, an online disinformation campaign. The report says that Dragonbridge—in an effort to influence the U.S. midterm elections—has been aggressively seeking to create conflicts between the United States and its allies and within the U.S. political system. In an earlier report,…


GOP Lawmakers Demand Answers on Boston University’s Controversial COVID-19 Experiments on Mice

Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are seeking answers from Boston University over its “potentially risky gain-of-function research with coronaviruses.” In the preprint paper first released on Oct. 14, researchers with Boston University said they created a new strain of COVID-19 by combining the Omicron variant’s spike protein and the original Wuhan strain…


Xi Jinping Sinks Chinese Stocks

The markets have shown China’s leader Xi Jinping that embracing authoritarian leadership and surrounding oneself with  obsequious “yes” men tends not to encourage investor confidence. On Monday, the stock prices of some of China’s leading outward-looking companies like Alibaba and Tencent sunk by 11 percent in a single day. From Oct. 24 to Oct. 25,…


Alleged Former Marine Pilot Arrested Under US Sealed Warrant in Australia

An alleged former U.S. Marine fighter pilot and flight instructor has been arrested in Australia after a warrant was issued by the United States for his provisional arrest. Reuters reported that Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested Daniel Edmund Duggan, 54, on Oct. 21 in the rural town of Orange in New South Wales, with judicial records showing…


Chinese Regime Will Face Hostile America If Critical Mineral Trade Cut

Beijing has been warned if it tries to cut critical mineral exports to the United States, it will face a hostile reception. Speaking at a private forum in Melbourne hosted by Hamilton Wealth Partners, former Australian ambassador to the U.S. and former federal treasurer, Joe Hockey, said that there had been discussions in the U.S….


Xi’s Consolidation of Power Signals a More Aggressive China: Analysts 

The United States is “not seeking a new Cold War” with either the Chinese regime or Russia, declared President Joe Biden at the United Nations in September. Yet Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power during a twice-a-decade political reshuffle will inevitably intensify competition between the two nations, and increase risks of a cold war,…