China

The top diplomats of Ukraine and the United States on Tuesday jointly cautioned against giving any weight to alternate peace plans that seek a cease-fire without the full withdrawal of invading Russian forces, in a subtle rebuff of a recent proposal by China. "Ill-advised concessions to the aggressor would only encourage Russia to intensify its attacks on democracy, giving it time to rebuild its military capabilities and resume the armed offensive against Ukraine," Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, said at a virtual forum hosted by the U.S. State Department. Publicly, Kyiv and Moscow have been cautiously receptive to China's 12-point position paper, which reaffirms the "territorial integrity of all countries" without directly mentioning Ukraine, references "legitimate security interests" in deference to Russia, and calls for a quick end to hostilities on the ground. Outside of Kyiv's government, where elected officials tend to speak more freely, senior Ukrainian … [Read more...] about Blinken hints China peace plan for Ukraine is “cynical trap”

The arrest last week of a former CIA officer suspected of spying for China exposed one of the most significant intelligence breaches in American history. But the damage is even worse than first reported, sources familiar with the matter tell NBC News. A secret FBI–CIA task force investigating the case concluded that the Chinese government penetrated the CIA's method of clandestine communication with its spies, using that knowledge to arrest and execute at least 20 CIA informants, according to multiple current and former government officials. American officials suspect China then shared that information with Russia, which employed it to expose, arrest and possibly even kill American spies in that country, said the current and former officials, who declined to be named discussing a highly sensitive matter. The possible sharing with Russia has not previously been reported. Ex-CIA officer Jerry Chun Shing Lee suspected of spying for China … [Read more...] about Alleged CIA China turncoat Lee may have compromised U.S. spies in Russia too

Officials in Beijing this week seized on a headlining visit to China by Apple's Tim Cook and other Fortune 500 CEOs to juxtapose their warm welcome with the mounting pressure faced by TikTok in the United States. Cook and other Western business leaders attended the government-sponsored China Development Forum, which concluded on March 27 with talks led by senior members of the Chinese cabinet. Cook's first attendance at the event since the pandemic was further proof of China's ongoing dominance as a manufacturer of top-end consumer electronics. The Apple executive had announced his arrival in the Chinese capital on Friday with a smiling selfie posted to China's main social media website Weibo, less than 12 hours after Shou Zi Chew , the CEO of TikTok, was grilled by American lawmakers in a lengthy congressional hearing about the cybersecurity risks posed by the short-video app. Chinese officials and state media outlets picked up on the contrasting big tech moments after … [Read more...] about China officials use Tim Cook visit to criticize U.S. pressure on TikTok

Officials in China continued their full-throated backing of TikTok this week as the fate of the short-video app risked becoming a geopolitical football as it faces intense scrutiny in the United States. "The U.S. has provided no evidence or proof to support its allegation, yet it has been abusing its state power to block and suppress the company concerned," Mao Ning, China 's foreign ministry spokesperson, said Tuesday. A senior U.S. official had called TikTok a "Trojan horse." He said it posed long-term cybersecurity challenges linked to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. China has upped the volume of its opposition to a ban on the app, the country's most successful tech export ever, in the days after TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew's five-hour grilling by U.S. lawmakers. It was likely the most watched congressional hearing of the year so far. TikTok says it has 150 million monthly active users in America. The app has become a rare point of convergence between … [Read more...] about U.S. “hurting” Americans by probing TikTok, China says

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails TikTok’s chief executive failed to give assurances that China doesn’t interfere in the app or that its software can be used to spy on users as he faced tough questions at a hearing in the United States Congress. Shou Zi Chew was portrayed as evasive by a hostile committee following fears the Chinese-owned video platform should be barred because of security concerns and because it carries content that can harm children’s mental health. He told Republican representative Cathy McMorris-Rodgers he could not “100 per cent guarantee” that Beijing was not influencing parts of the app. She also asked if Mr Chew could say with certainty that the app could not be used to spy on journalists or other US citizens. He declined to give that same commitment. It led her to accuse TikTok of being a “weapon” that could be … [Read more...] about TikTok boss can’t guarantee China doesn’t interfere with app or spy on users

A former CIA officer who was charged Tuesday with unlawful possession of secrets is suspected of a much worse crime: betraying U.S. informants in China, sources familiar with the case told NBC News. The former officer, Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 53, was arrested Monday after flying into New York on a Cathay Pacific flight from his home in Hong Kong, federal authorities announced. Lee, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen, was charged with a single count of unlawfully possessing national defense information, based on a 2012 search that found him to be in possession of two notebooks containing the true names of CIA assets and covert facilities, which are some of the agency's most closely guarded secrets. Ex-CIA officer Jerry Chun Shing Lee suspected of spying for China Jan. 17, 2018 01:55 But sources familiar with the case say he is suspected of funneling information to China that caused the deaths or imprisonment of approximately 20 American … [Read more...] about Ex-CIA officer Jerry Chun Shing Lee suspected of spying for China

HONG KONG — China on Wednesday threatened retaliation if House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as she passes through the United States next week, saying it would be a “provocation.” Speaking hours later as she left Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy that Beijing claims as its territory, Tsai said external pressure would not deter her government from engaging with the world. Tsai’s trip comes as Beijing is buoyed by newly established diplomatic ties with Honduras and a historic visit to China by Tsai’s predecessor. The dueling visits underscore Taiwan’s increasingly fragile status, as well as the growing tensions between the U.S. and China, which experts told NBC News could make Beijing respond to Tsai’s U.S. travel more aggressively than in the past. In remarks at an airport outside Taipei before her departure, Tsai said, “We are calm and confident, will neither yield nor provoke.” “Taiwan will firmly walk on the road of … [Read more...] about China threatens retaliation if Kevin McCarthy meets with Taiwan’s president

Last October, executives at the Chinese gaming company NetEase and the American video game developer Activision Blizzard joined a Zoom videoconference to discuss the future of their 14-year partnership to offer Activision’s games like World of Warcraft in China. NetEase executives were worried about new laws imposed by the Chinese government and wanted to make changes to their longstanding contract with Activision to ensure they were in compliance. But the companies left the call with drastically different interpretations of what had been said, according to four people familiar with the talks and a document viewed by The New York Times. What NetEase executives contended was a conciliatory gesture was seen as a threat by Activision executives. A month later, the companies broke off talks. In January, more than three million Chinese players lost access to Activision’s iconic games when the partnership ended, and angry NetEase employees livestreamed the dismantling of a 32-foot … [Read more...] about Rift Between Gaming Giants Shows Toll of China’s Economic Crackdown

close Video 'The Five': ChatGPT creator is a 'little bit scared' of his own creation 'The Five' co-hosts weigh in on the creator of ChatGPT raising 'major concerns' regarding the implications of how artificial intelligence could change society. Elon Musk’s proposed temporary halt in AI development would give China the freedom to surpass the U.S. and develop "the most powerful tool" in the 21st century, according to an industry expert. "We need artificial intelligence to automate and manage so much of the existing technology, as well as open the ability for us to manage a significantly larger population," Sultan Meghji, a professor at Duke University’s Pratt Engineering School, told Fox News Digital. "We will not be able to do that without artificial intelligence." "As we consider our global competition with the People's Republic of China and others," Meghji, who served as the first chief innovation officer for the FDIC , argued, "artificial … [Read more...] about Musk’s proposed AI pause means China would ‘race’ past US with ‘most powerful’ tech, expert says

close Video Pentagon officials testify before Congress on the China threat Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports on Pentagon leaders detailing the growing threat from China. China is on a "disturbing" path to become militarily "superior" to the United States by mid-century, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley testified Wednesday, while warning that the United States probably would not be able to "stop, slow down, disrupt, interdict or destroy" China’s nuclear development program. Milley testified Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a hearing dedicated to the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the Department of Defense. US INTEL COMMUNITY WARNS OF 'COMPLEX' THREATS FROM CHINA, RUSSIA, NORTH KOREA During the hearing, Milley stressed that the United States needs to "outpace" China’s development, specifically their military … [Read more...] about China on ‘disturbing’ path to eclipse US military by mid-century, Milley warns