• Russia Continues to Spread Disinformation on Imaginary U.S. Biowarfare Facilities in Ukraine

    On January 30, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the chief of Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Warfare at the Russian Ministry of Defense, claimed once again in a briefing that the United States developed biological weapons in facilities in Ukraine. Kirillov went further than he had previously, this time referencing the EcoHealth Alliance in his claims that the U.S. has done work “enhancing the pathogenic characteristics of COVID-19.” Kirillov appeared to have tried to appeal to Western outlets that have trafficked in conspiracy theories about both the coronavirus and the war in Ukraine.

  • What China’s Surveillance Balloon Says About U.S.-China Relations

    The question of what information the Chinese were trying to uncover using a balloon – when China’s many satellites could glean this same information – is intriguing. A far more important issue, however, is what this episode says about the ability, or more accurately inability, of Washington and Beijing to manage a future crisis. Worryingly, it appears that neither the United States nor China is prepared for a serious crisis.

  • Chinese Spy Balloon Over the U.S.: An Aerospace Expert Explains How the Balloons Work and What They Can See

    Balloons are much closer to the ground than any satellites, so they can see even more clearly. And balloons are moving relatively slowly, so they also have a degree of persistence. However, spying is not usually done these days with balloons because they are a relatively easy target and are not completely controllable.

  • How Dangerous Is TikTok?

    The rapid ascent of the Chinese video-streaming app TikTok has alarmed lawmakers and privacy watchdogs around the world. What are they worried about? Why is TikTok in the crosshairs of so many authorities and monitoring bodies.

  • China 'Spy Balloon:' Why Doesn't the Pentagon Shoot It Down?

    Espionage is all about secrets — keeping and revealing them. But here’s what we can say about the alleged spy balloon.

  • When Could a College or a University Hosting a Confucius Institute Receive DOD Funding?

    A new report proposes a set of criteria for the U.S. Department of Defense to consider in developing a waiver process that would potentially allow U.S. institutions of higher education to receive DOD funding while hosting a Confucius Institute.

  • How Chinese Companies Are Challenging National Security Decisions That Could Delay 5G Network Rollout

    In many countries, governments have decided to block Chinese companies from participating in building communication infrastructure in their countries because of national security concerns.  Chinese companies and investors often refuse to take such national security changes lying down. With varying degrees of success, firms have mounted a range of formal and informal challenges in recent years.

  • How China’s Maritime Militia Takes Advantage of the Grey Zone

    In recent years, China has used paramilitary forces to put pressure on neighboring countries that have conflicting claims with Beijing. Japan has been one of the targets over which China seeks to gain dominance by deliberately creating grey-zone situations at sea.

  • 2022 UFO Report Released by U.S. Intelligence Community

    The 2022 UFO report says that 510 objects were reported – they include 144 objects previously reported and 366 new sightings. Most of both the old and new cases were determined, after analysis, to exhibit “unremarkable characteristics.”

  • Was George Santos Groomed to be a Russian Agent?

    Among the multitude of lies and falsehoods newly elected Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has concocted, the most intriguing item – and likely the source of Santos’s most serious potential legal trouble – are his campaign finances. What is especially noticeable, and disturbing, are the generous contributions Santos has received from Viktor Vekselberg, one of Vladimir Putin’s wealthiest and most influential courtiers. “For all we know,” writes one commentator, “some foreign power may have bought itself a congressman. This isn’t outlandish speculation.”

  • China Launches WTO Dispute Over U.S. Chip Export Controls

    Capping a year of increasing tension between Washington and Beijing over advanced chips used in everything from smartphones to weapons of mass destruction, China has initiated a trade dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States for imposing wide-ranging semiconductor export controls on China.

  • New Bill Proposes Banning TikTok in the U.S.

    Both the administration and Congress have moved to limit, or even ban, TikTok in the United States because of worries about China using the Chinese-owned platform to gather personal data on millions of Americans. Justin Sherman writes that “all told, it is a noteworthy piece of legislation, and it delineates between the risk of data access and the risk of content manipulation better than then-President Trump’s executive order on TikTok.”

  • U.K. Removes China from Sizewell C Nuclear Plant as Tensions Grow

    London has stripped Chinese firm CGN of its stake in the nuclear plant. British lawmakers were visiting Taiwan and China’s London ambassador was summoned over the alleged assault of a BBC reporter as tensions mount.

  • Germany Did Research with North Korea -- Despite UN Sanctions

    Kim Jong Un wants to modernize his nuclear weapons. To stop him, the UN has banned research collaboration with North Korea. One Berlin institute continued to collaborate with North Korea on research projects — without flagging the risks.

  • “Safeguarding Science” Toolkit to Help U.S. Research Enterprise Guard Against Threats

    The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) and its partners announced a unique collaboration between elements of the U.S. intelligence and scientific communities to help the U.S. research enterprise mitigate the broad spectrum of risk it faces from nation-state, criminal, and other threat actors.