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Hidden communication devices found in Chinese power inverters in US
Security experts examining grid-connected equipment have discovered unauthorised communication devices that are not documented in product specifications inside some Chinese solar power inverters.
Undocumented components found in power inverters
Power inverters, predominantly manufactured in China and used globally to connect solar panels and wind turbines to power grids, as well as in batteries, heat pumps and EV chargers, are under scrutiny. While inverters are designed with remote access capabilities for updates and maintenance, utility companies typically implement firewalls to block direct communication with China.
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Undocumented communication components, including cellular radios, have also been identified in batteries from several Chinese suppliers in the past nine months. The exact number of solar inverters and batteries examined remains unclear, according to the report by Reuters. These undisclosed components could potentially create backdoor communication channels that bypass firewalls remotely, with potentially devastating effects.
Mike Rogers, former director of the National Security Agency (NSA), stated that the Chinese could be hoping that the extensive use of inverters limits the options that the West has to deal with the security issue. "We know that China believes there is value in placing at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption."
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington criticised the broad use of national security as a justification to target China. "We oppose the generalisation of the concept of national security, distorting and smearing China's infrastructure achievements," the spokesperson said.
The US government has not publicly acknowledged the findings. The US Department of Energy (DOE) stated that it regularly evaluates risks linked to emerging technologies. "While this functionality may not have malicious intent, it is critical for those procuring to have a full understanding of the capabilities of the products received," a spokesperson said.
Amid rising US-China tensions, the US and other nations are re-evaluating China's involvement in critical infrastructure due to fears of possible security risks, according to two former government officials. In February, two US Senators introduced the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act, which would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from buying batteries from certain Chinese companies starting in October 2027, citing national security risks. The bill, referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 11 March, is not yet law and targets six Chinese firms — CATL, BYD, Envision Energy, EVE Energy, Hithium and Gotion High-tech — allegedly linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
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NDTV
11 minutes ago
- NDTV
Putin Demands Donbas Surrender, No NATO, No Western Troops In Ukraine: Report
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up all of the eastern Donbas region, renounce ambitions to join NATO, remain neutral and keep Western troops out of the country, three sources familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking told Reuters. The Russian president met Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday for the first Russia-U.S. summit in more than four years and spent almost all of their three-hour closed meeting discussing what a compromise on Ukraine might look like, according to the sources who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Speaking afterwards beside Trump, Putin said the meeting would hopefully open up the road to peace in Ukraine - but neither leader gave specifics about what they discussed. In the most detailed Russian-based reporting to date on Putin's offer at the summit, Reuters was able to outline the contours of what the Kremlin would like to see in a possible peace deal to end a war that has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people. In essence, the Russian sources said, Putin has compromised on territorial demands he laid out in June 2024, which required Kyiv to cede the entirety of the four provinces Moscow claims as part of Russia: Dontesk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine - which make up the Donbas - plus Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Kyiv rejected those terms as tantamount to surrender. In his new proposal, the Russian president has stuck to his demand that Ukraine completely withdraw from the parts of the Donbas it still controls, according to the three sources. In return, though, Moscow would halt the current front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, they added. Russia controls about 88% of the Donbas and 73% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, according to U.S. estimates and open-source data. Moscow is also willing to hand over the small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine it controls as part of a possible deal, the sources said. Putin is sticking, too, to his previous demands that Ukraine give up its NATO ambitions and for a legally binding pledge from the U.S.-led military alliance that it will not expand further eastwards, as well as for limits on the Ukrainian army and an agreement that no Western troops will be deployed on the ground in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, the sources said. Yet the two sides remain far apart, more than three years after Putin ordered thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine in a full-scale invasion that followed the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and prolonged fighting in the country's east between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. Ukraine's foreign ministry had no immediate comment on the proposals. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly dismissed the idea of withdrawing from internationally recognised Ukrainian land as part of a deal, and has said the industrial Donbas region serves as a fortress holding back Russian advances deeper into Ukraine. "If we're talking about simply withdrawing from the east, we cannot do that," he told reporters in comments released by Kyiv on Thursday. "It is a matter of our country's survival, involving the strongest defensive lines." Joining NATO, meanwhile, is a strategic objective enshrined in the country's constitution and one which Kyiv sees as its most reliable security guarantee. Zelenskiy said it was not up to Russia to decide on the alliance's membership. The White House and NATO didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the Russian proposals. Political scientist Samuel Charap, chair in Russia and Eurasia Policy at RAND, a U.S.-based global policy think-tank, said any requirement for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas remained a non-starter for Kyiv, both politically and strategically. "Openness to 'peace' on terms categorically unacceptable to the other side could be more of a performance for Trump than a sign of a true willingness to compromise," he added. "The only way to test that proposition is to begin a serious process at the working level to hash out those details." Trump: Putin Wants To See It Ended Russian forces currently control a fifth of Ukraine, an area about the size of the American state of Ohio, according to U.S. estimates and open-source maps. The three sources close to the Kremlin said the summit in the Alaskan city of Anchorage had ushered in the best chance for peace since the war began because there had been specific discussions about Russia's terms and Putin had shown a willingness to give ground. "Putin is ready for peace - for compromise. That is the message that was conveyed to Trump," one of the people said. The sources cautioned that it was unclear to Moscow whether Ukraine would be prepared to cede the remains of the Donbas, and that if it did not then the war would continue. Also unclear was whether or not the United States would give any recognition to Russian-held Ukrainian territory, they added. A fourth source said that though economic issues were secondary for Putin, he understood the economic vulnerability of Russia and the scale of the effort needed to go far further into Ukraine. Trump has said he wants to end the "bloodbath" of the war and be remembered as a "peacemaker president". He said on Monday he had begun arranging a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, to be followed by a trilateral summit with the U.S. president. "I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it ended," Trump said beside Zelenskiy in the Oval office. "I feel confident we are going to get it solved." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Putin was prepared to meet Zelenskiy but that all issues had to be worked through first and there was a question about Zelenskiy's authority to sign a peace deal. Putin has repeatedly raised doubts about Zelenskiy's legitimacy as his term in office was due to expire in May 2024 but the war means no new presidential election has yet been held. Kyiv says Zelenskiy remains the legitimate president. The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have said they are sceptical that Putin wants to end the war. Security Guarantees For Ukraine Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was instrumental in paving the way for the summit, and the latest drive for peace, according to two of the Russian sources. Witkoff met Putin in the Kremlin on August 6 with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. At the meeting, Putin conveyed clearly to Witkoff that he was ready to compromise and set out the contours of what he could accept for peace, according to two Russian sources. If Russia and Ukraine could reach an agreement, then there are various options for a formal deal - including a possible three-way Russia-Ukraine-U.S. deal that is recognised by the U.N. Security Council, one of the sources said. Another option is to go back to the failed 2022 Istanbul agreements, where Russia and Ukraine discussed Ukraine's permanent neutrality in return for security guarantees from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, the sources added. "There are two choices: war or peace, and if there is no peace, then there is more war," one of the people said.
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First Post
11 minutes ago
- First Post
Partner turns threat: New Zealand intelligence flags China as 'most active' security risk
New Zealand is facing the toughest national security challenges of recent times with increasing threats of foreign interference and espionage, particularly from China, according to an intelligence report released on Thursday. New Zealand's intelligence agency has issued a sharp warning about Beijing's growing influence, identifying China as the 'most active' foreign power attempting to interfere in the country's politics, society, and businesses. In its annual threat assessment released Thursday, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) said foreign states continue to target critical organisations, infrastructure, and technology to extract sensitive information, with China flagged as a particularly 'assertive and powerful' actor. The report noted that Beijing has shown both the 'willingness and capability' to carry out intelligence activity undermining New Zealand's national interests. While not all activity amounted to foreign interference, the agency stressed that China is deliberately seeking to expand its influence across New Zealand and the wider Indo-Pacific region. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Some states, including China, Russia and Iran, are willing to engage in covert or deceptive activity in order to influence discussions and decisions, or gain access to technology and information that can help them meet these goals … New Zealand has been targeted by some of these activities,' the report said. The report pointed out that the Indo-Pacific has become the main ground for strategic rivalry between global powers. In this competition, China is described as a 'particularly assertive and powerful actor,' seeking to entrench its influence across the region, as per The Straits Times. 'It has demonstrated both a willingness and capability to undertake intelligence activity that targets New Zealand's national interests,' the NZSIS said. Reacting sharply, the Chinese Embassy in Wellington dismissed the findings as 'unsubstantiated and groundless' and accused New Zealand of harbouring a 'Cold War mentality.' Beijing maintained it still regarded New Zealand as a friend and partner, but warned it would 'take firm measures' to defend its interests if faced with 'groundless attacks.' At a regular news briefing, Mao Ning, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, accused New Zealand's intelligence and security agencies of 'repeatedly spreading rumours' in recent years. 'China strongly opposes this,' she said, urging New Zealand to focus on actions in favour of the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations. The country, part of the Five Eyes intelligence and security alliance, has increasingly amped up its rhetoric over the growing influence of China in the region and a rise in geopolitical tensions, and on Thursday said it would spend NZ$2.7 billion ($1.6 billion) to beef up its defence force. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Director-General of Security Andrew Hampton said the threats need to be taken much more seriously than they are currently. 'Our threat environment is deteriorating and that has a direct impact on our safety and security,' he said in a statement released alongside the report. The report also pointed to the growing threat of violent extremism and said the most plausible attack scenario remains a lone actor who has been radicalised online. 'Grievances and polarising issues in the online information space are almost certainly driving support for a range of violent extremist ideologies within New Zealand,' the report noted. With inputs from agencies
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Business Standard
11 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Putin prepared to meet Zelenskyy but legitimacy an issue, says Lavrov
Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but all issues must be worked through first and there's a question about Zelenskyy's authority to sign a peace deal, Putin's foreign minister said on Thursday. Putin and US President Donald Trump met on Friday in Alaska for the first Russia-US summit in more than four years and the two leaders discussed how to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. After his summit talks in Alaska, Trump said on Monday he had begun arranging a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, to be followed by a trilateral summit with the US president. Asked by reporters if Putin was willing to meet Zelenskyy, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "Our president has repeatedly said that he is ready to meet, including with Zelenskyy". Lavrov, though, added a caveat: "With the understanding that all issues that require consideration at the highest level will be well worked out, and experts and ministers will prepare appropriate recommendations. "And, of course, with the understanding that when and if - hopefully, when - it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person who signs these agreements from the Ukrainian side will be resolved," Lavrov said. Putin has repeatedly raised doubts about Zelenskyy's legitimacy as his term in office was due to expire in May 2024 but the war means no new presidential election has yet been held. Kyiv says Zelenskyy remains the legitimate president. Russian officials say they are worried that if Zelenskyy signs the deal then a future leader of Ukraine could contest it on the basis that Zelenskyy's term had technically expired. Zelenskyy said this week Kyiv would like a "strong reaction" from Washington if Putin were not willing to sit down for a bilateral meeting with him. WAR OR PEACE? European leaders say they are sceptical that Putin is really interested in peace, but are searching for a credible way to ensure Ukraine's security as part of a potential peace deal with minimal US involvement. Lavrov said it was clear that neither Ukraine nor European leaders wanted peace. He accused the so-called "coalition of the willing" - which includes major European powers such as Britain, France, Germany and Italy - of trying to undermine the progress made in Alaska. "They are not interested in a sustainable, fair, long-term settlement," Lavrov said of Ukraine. He said the Europeans were interested in achieving the strategic defeat of Russia. "European countries followed Zelenskyy to Washington and tried to advance their agenda there, which aims to ensure that security guarantees are based on the logic of isolating Russia," Lavrov said, referring to Monday's gathering of Trump, Zelenskyy and the leaders of major European powers at the White House. Lavrov said the best option for a security guarantee for Ukraine would be based on discussions that took place between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul in 2022. Under a draft of that document which Reuters has seen, Ukraine was asked to agree to permanent neutrality in return for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. Any attempts to depart from the failed Istanbul discussions would be hopeless, Lavrov said. At the time, Kyiv rejected that proposal on the grounds that Moscow would have held effective veto power over any military response to come to its aid.
