U.S. NEWS
American Firms Hit With New Retaliatory Restrictions From Beijing

China barred domestic organizations and individuals from doing business with seven U.S. entities in August 2026 and tightened controls on U.S.-bound drones and related technology. Beijing said the measures were retaliation for recent American restrictions on Chinese technology companies and entities accused of involvement in forced labor in Xinjiang. Source: (Full article...)

Defense Contractors Scramble to Escape Dependence on Chinese Minerals

Lockheed Martin began seeking new North American sources of scandium and germanium as the United States tried to reduce its defense industry's dependence on Chinese-controlled mineral supply chains. The materials are important for military aircraft, optics and other advanced systems, and China's dominant position in processing has created a strategic vulnerability for U.S. manufacturers. Source: (Full article...)

Ocean-Floor Mapping Raises New Concerns About Future Submarine Warfare

A Reuters investigation found that Chinese vessels have been systematically mapping strategically important parts of the ocean floor as Beijing develops capabilities relevant to undersea warfare. The research could help Chinese forces understand acoustic and seabed conditions in regions important to U.S. submarines and naval operations. Source: (Full article...)

American Citizen Admits Gathering Intelligence for Chinese Handlers

Thomas Weir Pauken II pleaded guilty in June 2026 to acting as an agent of a foreign government inside the United States. According to the Justice Department, he worked at the direction of people tied to China's Ministry of State Security, attempted to cultivate American intelligence sources and reported information about U.S. targets back to his handlers. Source: (Full article...)

B-2 Air Force Base Photographer Pleads Guilty

Chinese national Qilin Wu pleaded guilty to unlawfully photographing Whiteman Air Force Base and military equipment after authorities found him near the Missouri installation in December 2025. According to court documents, Wu told patrol officers that he wanted to observe B-2 Spirit bombers and continued photographing the installation after being warned not to do so. Source: (Full article...)

Offutt Air Force Base Incident Leads to Arrest at JFK

Federal authorities charged Chinese national Tianrui Liang after he allegedly photographed military aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, a major U.S. Strategic Command installation. Investigators also alleged that he had been near Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota before traveling to Nebraska. Source: (Full article...)

Rare-Earth Curbs Continue to Bite Into American Supply Chains

Chinese restrictions on heavy rare-earth exports continued to affect U.S. and allied industries in 2026 even after a partial trade truce. Materials such as dysprosium, terbium and yttrium are essential for defense, electronics and advanced manufacturing, giving Beijing substantial leverage because China dominates much of the world's processing capacity. Source: (Full article...)

Google AI Secrets Case Ends in Economic-Espionage Conviction

A federal jury convicted former Google engineer Linwei Ding in January 2026 of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets involving advanced artificial-intelligence technology. The Justice Department said Ding stole thousands of pages of confidential Google material while pursuing ventures aligned with Chinese government industrial priorities. Source: (Full article...)

Manhattan's Undeclared Chinese Police Station Ends in Federal Conviction

A federal jury convicted Lu Jianwang in May 2026 of acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government and obstructing justice in connection with an undeclared overseas police station in Lower Manhattan. Prosecutors said the station operated for China's Ministry of Public Security, extending Beijing's law-enforcement reach onto U.S. soil. Source: (Full article...)

Former Chinese Dissident Admits Spying on U.S.-Based Democracy Activists

Yuanjun Tang, once imprisoned in China for pro-democracy activity, pleaded guilty in 2025 to acting as an unregistered Chinese agent in the United States. Prosecutors said he supplied Ministry of State Security officers with information about U.S.-based Chinese dissidents and helped infiltrate an encrypted group chat used by democracy activists. Source: (Full article...)

Clandestine Intelligence Network Allegedly Recruited Operatives Inside America

Federal authorities arrested Yuance Chen and Liren Lai in 2025 on charges of acting as Chinese government agents. The Justice Department alleged that they carried out clandestine Ministry of State Security assignments in the United States, including efforts to recruit potential intelligence sources and facilitate covert operations. Source: (Full article...)

Plot Allegedly Combined Dissident Harassment With Military-Technology Smuggling

Federal prosecutors charged two men in 2025 with conspiring to stalk and silence a U.S. resident critical of the Chinese government while also attempting to obtain sensitive American military technology for China. The Justice Department described the alleged scheme as both an attack on free expression and a national-security threat. Source: (Full article...)

i-Soon Hackers Accused of Breaking Into U.S. Government and Dissident Networks

Ten Chinese nationals were charged in March 2025 over a hacking campaign involving the Chinese technology company i-Soon. Prosecutors alleged that employees hacked targets at the direction of Chinese government agencies, including U.S. government offices, a state legislative body, religious organizations and critics of the Chinese Communist Party. Source: (Full article...)

Salt Typhoon Penetrates Major American Telecommunications Networks

U.S. authorities said the China-linked Salt Typhoon cyber campaign compromised multiple American telecommunications and internet-service providers. Investigators said attackers obtained call-data records, some private communications involving selected victims and information connected to court-authorized law-enforcement requests. Source: (Full article...)

Treasury's Own Computer Systems Breached by China-Linked Hacker

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Shanghai-based hacker Yin Kecheng after linking him to a compromise of Treasury information-technology systems. The department simultaneously sanctioned a Chinese cybersecurity company it said was directly involved with the Salt Typhoon group targeting American telecommunications infrastructure. Source: (Full article...)

Sensitive U.S. Infrastructure Data Allegedly Sold by Shanghai Hacker

Treasury sanctioned Shanghai-based cyber actor Zhou Shuai and his company after accusing him of acquiring, brokering and selling data stolen from highly sensitive American critical-infrastructure networks. The Justice Department also brought criminal charges tied to the alleged intrusions. Source: (Full article...)

Flax Typhoon Infrastructure Targeted American Critical Systems

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Beijing-based Integrity Technology Group for its alleged role in computer intrusions attributed to Flax Typhoon, a Chinese state-sponsored cyber group. U.S. officials said the group had targeted organizations in American critical-infrastructure sectors and represented a persistent national-security threat. Source: (Full article...)

Federal Reserve Adviser Charged With Passing Economic Secrets to China

Former Federal Reserve senior adviser John Harold Rogers was charged in January 2025 with conspiring to steal Federal Reserve trade secrets for the benefit of China. Prosecutors alleged that he shared sensitive economic information with Chinese co-conspirators while concealing the relationship from investigators. Source: (Full article...)

Rare-Earth Magnet Bottleneck Throws Manufacturers Into 'Full Panic'

Automakers and other manufacturers warned of production disruptions in 2025 after Chinese export restrictions created shortages of rare-earth magnets. China controls a dominant share of global rare-earth processing and magnet production, allowing licensing decisions in Beijing to affect factories and supply chains in the United States and other industrial economies. Source: (Full article...)

American Farmers Become Targets in the Renewed Trade Fight

China imposed new tariffs on roughly $21 billion worth of American agricultural exports in March 2025. The measures covered hundreds of products, including soybeans, pork, beef and vegetables, putting pressure on U.S. farmers and exporters as Beijing retaliated against higher American tariffs on Chinese goods. Source: (Full article...)

Shield AI and Other U.S. Companies Placed on Beijing's Blacklists

China added 12 American companies to an export-control list and six others to its unreliable-entities list in April 2025. Companies including Shield AI and Sierra Nevada Corporation faced restrictions on China-related trade and investment, while other U.S. firms were barred from receiving Chinese dual-use exports. Source: (Full article...)

Chinese Countermeasures Put New Fees on U.S.-Linked Ships

China imposed countermeasures and port fees on U.S.-linked vessels during the 2025 trade confrontation, raising costs and disrupting shipping schedules. Washington and Beijing later agreed to suspend the competing port-fee systems for a year, but the episode demonstrated China's willingness to use access to its ports as economic leverage. Source: (Full article...)

Defense Companies and Executives Sanctioned Over Taiwan Arms Sales

Beijing sanctioned seven military-industrial companies and related executives in December 2024 in response to U.S. military assistance and arms sales to Taiwan. The measures froze assets in China and prohibited Chinese organizations and individuals from conducting business with the targeted firms. Source: (Full article...)

General Atomics, General Dynamics and Boeing Face Chinese Business Bans

China placed major American defense companies on its unreliable-entities list in May 2024 over arms sales to Taiwan. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security faced restrictions on China-related imports, exports and investment, while senior executives were barred from entering the country. Source: (Full article...)

Lockheed and Raytheon Units Hit by Another Round of Sanctions

Beijing announced measures against 12 U.S. military-linked companies in May 2024, including units of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and General Dynamics. China froze assets under its jurisdiction and imposed entry bans on senior executives, citing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and sanctions on Chinese entities. Source: (Full article...)

Fake American Personas Target Voters Before the Presidential Election

Researchers identified a Chinese state-linked influence operation impersonating U.S. voters and spreading divisive political messages ahead of the 2024 election. The network, commonly called Spamouflage or Dragonbridge, used accounts across numerous social-media platforms while posing as Americans or local media outlets. Source: (Full article...)

APT31 Campaign Reaches U.S. Officials, Lawmakers and Businesses

The United States charged seven Chinese nationals and sanctioned a Wuhan company over an alleged state-backed hacking campaign known as APT31. U.S. authorities said targets included White House and State Department personnel, lawmakers, activists, journalists, academics and businesses, with the operation serving Chinese intelligence and economic-espionage objectives. Source: (Full article...)

Volt Typhoon Burrows Into American Critical Infrastructure

U.S. cybersecurity authorities warned that the Chinese state-sponsored group Volt Typhoon had compromised and maintained access inside American critical-infrastructure networks. Investigators said the activity appeared designed to position Chinese cyber operators for disruptive or destructive actions during a future major crisis or conflict. Source: (Full article...)

China-Based Chemical Companies Accused of Feeding America's Fentanyl Crisis

The Justice Department announced indictments against eight China-based chemical companies and employees in October 2024, alleging that they trafficked precursor chemicals used by cartels to manufacture fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Prosecutors said the companies used deceptive shipping and payment methods to evade detection while supplying chemicals that ultimately entered the U.S. drug market. Source: (Full article...)

Chinese National Police Accused of Harassing Dissidents Across the United States

Federal prosecutors charged dozens of officers associated with China's Ministry of Public Security over alleged transnational-repression operations targeting people in the United States. Authorities said the defendants used fake social-media accounts to harass critics of Beijing, spread propaganda and attempt to suppress the online speech of dissidents living on American soil. Source: (Full article...)