Latest news with #Chinese-produced
American Military News
4 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
US power grid may be at risk from Chinese solar power inverters, fmr. NSA official warns: Report
A former National Security Agency intelligence analyst has suggested China may be placing devices in 'strategic places' after mysterious communication devices were recently discovered in Chinese-produced solar power inverters used in U.S. electric grids. Two sources recently told Reuters that U.S. experts who check for potential security issues with equipment used for power grids have discovered that rogue communication devices not included in the official documents for the products have been discovered in Chinese solar power inverters. One of the anonymous sources told Reuters that cellular radios and other undocumented communication devices have also been discovered in certain batteries from various suppliers in China over the past nine months. According to Reuters, the two sources explained that the rogue components discovered in the Chinese solar power inverters allow undocumented communication channels that could potentially be used to remotely bypass firewalls and cause significant harm. Rocky Cole, a former National Security Agency intelligence analyst, told Fox News that it was 'very conceivable that China was using the solar power inverters to secure access to America's infrastructure. READ MORE: China labels US, Japanese destroyers as 'enemy vessels' Cole told Fox News, 'It very much fits into the model of China implanting hardware in American critical infrastructure for the purpose of planning cyberattacks against the United States in the event of, say, a conflict with Taiwan or something along those lines.' While the sources did not tell Reuters which Chinese companies were responsible for the production of the solar power inverters or batteries discovered with communication devices, Fox News reported that Chinese companies are required by law to provide assistance to China's intelligence agencies when needed. 'There are communications devices in these really strategic places that you can imagine could theoretically be used to disrupt U.S. commerce in the event of some sort of conflict,' Cole stated. 'It's difficult not to view Chinese-made hardware in the realm of critical infrastructure as a national security threat in my mind.' In response to the allegations regarding the Chinese-produced equipment, Liu Pengyu, a Chinese Embassy spokesperson, told Fox News, 'The goal of China's pursuit of development is to enable its people to live a better life. We oppose the presumption of guilt under unclear facts, the generalization of the concept of national security, and the distortion and smear of China's achievements in the field of energy infrastructure.'
American Military News
12-05-2025
- Business
- American Military News
Video: Trump admin secures major trade deal with China
The United States and China announced on Monday that the two countries agreed to significantly reduce tariffs for a 90-day period following an initial trade deal between the U.S. and China that was secured by President Donald Trump's administration. In a joint statement released by the White House on Monday, the United States confirmed that the president's tariffs against China that were implemented on April 2 will be reduced by 24 percentage points 'for an initial period of 90 days.' The statement added that the United States will retain the 'remaining ad valorem rate of 10 percent.' The joint statement confirmed that China will reduce tariffs by the same amount as the United States and that the country will 'adopt all necessary administrative measures to suspend or remove the non-tariff countermeasures taken against the United States since April 2.' According to Fox Business, Monday's announcement came after U.S. and Chinese officials held trade negotiation discussions in Geneva, Switzerland. The outlet noted that U.S. and Chinese reciprocal tariffs will be reduced by 115% under the initial trade deal, with the United States temporarily reducing tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30% and China temporarily reducing tariffs on U.S. goods from 125% to 110%. In Monday's joint statement, U.S. and Chinese officials emphasized the 'importance of a sustainable, long-term, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship' and agreed to 'establish a mechanism to continue discussions about economic and trade relations.' READ MORE: Videos: Trump pledges major tax cuts, possible income tax elimination amid tariff plan The joint statement announced that additional negotiations will be led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. During a Monday morning interview on Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the trade deal between the United States and China as an 'extraordinary first step in the right direction.' Leavitt credited the 'strength' of the president, Bessent, and Greer for securing an 'initial deal with China.' 'China agreed to reduce their tariffs on the United States by 115%,' Leavitt said. 'They also agreed to continue having discussions about opening Chinese markets to American-made products and goods, and they also agreed to continue seriously discussing the grave impact that Chinese-produced fentanyl is having right here in the United States and our people.' The White House press secretary added, 'This is a great first step for the American public, and Secretary Bessent, Ambassador Greer, and, of course, President Trump will continue negotiations with China so we can hopefully inevitably get to a fair and comprehensive big trade deal.' "Thanks to the strength of President Trump, @SecScottBessent and @USTradeRep were able to cut this initial deal with China," says @PressSec. "China agreed to reduce their tariffs on the United States by 115%." — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 12, 2025
Epoch Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
The Failure of China Engagement Policies Justifies Trump Admin's New Approach
Commentary Opinions about President Donald Trump's efforts to rebalance international trade and isolate China are legion. Some characterize the resulting policy shift to isolate the communist country as One's point of view often depends on whose ox is being gored. Those who have long questioned the U.S. policy decisions over the years that facilitated China's rapid development and modernization—and the subsequent rise of Chinese mercantilism and the People's Liberation Army, America's growing dependency on Chinese-produced strategic minerals and pharmaceuticals, and the decline of U.S. manufacturing offshored to China—believe that a Chinese reset is essential and a U.S. national security imperative. On the other hand, those who have made careers out of (and benefited personally from) China engagement—whether diplomats, academics, politicians, or business people—believe that U.S.–China policy should return to that of engagement, or at least 'friendly competition.' These people have come to be categorized over the decades as 'China hands.' What has history taught? Let us examine the topic. China Hands In the first decades of the 20th century, U.S. involvement expanded on the political-military front, especially after Dec. 7, 1941. The United States and China formed an official wartime alliance in 1942, and the United States provided considerable material support to China throughout the war, including through an Throughout that time, members of the U.S. diplomatic corps in China, as well as journalists, missionaries, businessmen, and others with lengthy direct experience in China, came to be known as 'China hands.' They were the modern-day equivalent of experts who influenced U.S. policies through congressional testimony and public persuasion and helped steer U.S.–China policy. Related Stories 5/2/2025 4/29/2025 Some of those early China hands, such as the journalist Edgar Snow and scholar Owen Lattimore, were sympathetic to the new Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Captured by the siren song and the grandiose promises of communism before the genocides and purges became public knowledge, they admired the communists' early focus on land reforms, a complete societal restructuring, and 'fighting corruption' (a familiar refrain). Some believed that socialism would deliver everything its theoreticians promised, and that the Chinese regime would lead the way to that future. At least partially influenced by pro-China engagers, in 1972, Richard Nixon became the first U.S. president to visit China after the communists seized power in 1949. Most observers have concluded that his main purpose was to open a new front in the U.S.–Soviet Cold War that was raging at the time—the leveraging of communist China as a counterbalance against rising Soviet power and influence in Asia and elsewhere. Others had different agendas. Some believed that bringing China into the global community would expand trade opportunities for the United States, help 'democratize' China, and soften Maoism. Others believed that worldwide implementation of socialism with Chinese characteristics was the inevitable future of mankind and thus worked to psychologically promote and make that a reality. Others descended from the missionary strain of old China hands thought that 'opening China' would result in international pressure on the CCP to end the persecution and cultural genocide of minority groups while improving the basic human rights of average Chinese citizens. The Result of China Engagement Thanks to decades of engagement cheerleading from the U.S.–China Business Council and many other China hands, the West has been financing the CCP through the World Trade Organization and World Bank. In retrospect, China got the gold while the rest of the world got the shaft, as the promises of 'democratization' and tempering of CCP and PLA belligerence through free trade enticements did not materialize. The Chinese regime selectively embraced free-market principles and pursued a mercantilist agenda that exploited access to the WTO and Most-Favored Nation (MFN) status to its benefit while perfecting economic espionage and stealing up to an estimated $600 billion in intellectual property annually from the United States alone. Persecution of minorities continued apace, including forced organ harvesting, with Enter US Reciprocal Tariffs Trump recognized more than a decade ago that continuing the U.S.–China trajectory unchanged meant disaster for the United States over the long haul. During his first term as president, he negotiated a trade agreement in January 2020 aimed at rebalancing U.S.–China trade and resolving systemic problems in China's economic and trade regime. China failed to fully comply with its commitments, and the Peterson Institute for International Economics assessed that the 'phase one' trade deal was The big problem for China and much of the rest of the world is that most countries have implemented relatively high tariffs against U.S. goods, while the United States has generally promoted free trade and low tariffs against imported goods. For example, Chinese tariffs on most U.S. products in recent years have averaged around 20 percent (in violation of WTO provisions on free trade among MFN partners), while U.S. tariffs on China prior to 2016 averaged about 3.5 percent (consistent with the average MFN rate among all U.S. trade partners). Reciprocal tariffs are intended to fix that problem. Given that the engagement policies backed by China hands have clearly not worked—and indeed have subsidized and exacerbated the behavior that was to have been ameliorated by those policies!—one would expect cautious support for Trump's new approach to China or at least acknowledgment that the past policies have failed and a new approach is needed. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Body Armor Maker Sued for Mislabeling Plates Sold to Law Enforcement
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced a new lawsuit against body armor manufacturer ShotStop Ballistics from Stow, Ohio, for allegedly importing Chinese-produced plates and labeling them as 'made in Ohio' and compliant with standards from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Department of Justice's testing arm. The lawsuit stated that the alleged actions by ShotStop, its Vallmar Studios affiliate and owner Vall Iliev violated the Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA). Most Read on IEN: Trade War Could Put 'Christmas in Danger' IBM to Invest Billions in American Manufacturing Mack Trucks to Lay Off Up to 450, Cites Tariffs PODCAST: Tesla's Odometer Troubles; Mack Layoffs; Tariff Fallout Reports of the alleged scandal surfaced in May 2024 when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned the Akron Police Department that its SWAT officers were using counterfeit ballistic plates, according to Ohio television station WKYC. A police department spokesperson said it was his understanding that ShotStop was accused of providing the fake armor. ShotStop had filed for bankruptcy about a week before the report. Yost's lawsuit stems from a cross-agency investigation regarding the allegations. In February, the DOJ charged Iliev with smuggling the armor and selling it to customers that included law enforcement from around 2017 to October 2023. In May 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at a Washington port of entry stopped a Canadian-registered truck transporting over 200 ballistic body armor plates in boxes from China. The agents found the boxes pre-labeled and addressed to Vallmar Studios. Test results revealed that the plates did not meet NIJ standards for Level III protection, which can stop 7.62-millimeter FMJ lead core rifle ammunition. The company marketed the armor as Level III and IV. According to the DOJ release, Iliev allegedly collaborated with a Chinese broker company to find cheap manufacturers to make the body armor. The DOJ said Iliev would tell his employees to attach the false labels before selling the products. The agency noted that ShotStop's U.S. location had no means of producing the thousands of body armor plates that investigators found. Yost's lawsuit seeks restitution for consumers who purchased the defective bulletproof vests. The lawsuit noted that realizing the extent of consumer losses will require further legal discovery because of ShotStop's bankruptcy filing and the federal government's seizure of company records. Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Humiliation for Ed Miliband as he is forced into legal guarantee that solar panels made by slaves WON'T be used in Labour's Net Zero drive
Ed Miliband is set to perform a U-turn by issuing a legal guarantee that Britain's state-owned energy company won't use solar panels produced by Chinese slaves. The Energy Secretary will reportedly introduce an amendment to legislation forcing GB Energy to ensure 'slavery and human trafficking' is not part of its supply chain. According to The Times, it will ensure solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries must not contain materials suspected of being produced through slave labour. Campaigners warned the renewables sector is rife with Chinese slave labour. And the Tories said the Government faced 'serious questions' about whether it could still meet its green energy goals without Chinese-produced solar panels. China produces 80 per cent of the global supply of solar panels and the Xinjiang region produces up to 40 per cent of the world's polysilicon – a key component. Xinjiang is also where more than a million Uighurs have been detained, according to human rights groups. And there is evidence of Uighurs being used as forced labour. Mr Miliband's climbdown comes after the Government last month blocked measures seeking to stop taxpayers' cash being used to buy solar panels made by slaves. China produces 80 per cent of the global supply of solar panels and the Xinjiang region produces up to 40 per cent of the world's polysilicon – a key component Peers had sought to stop public funds from being used to purchase products from a company where there was 'credible evidence' of modern slavery in its supply chain. But the Government ordered Labour MPs to strip out a House of Lords amendment to the Great British Energy Bill, which drew a furious backlash. Some 92 Labour MPs abstained on the vote and a Government source admitted there had now been 'recognition of the strength of feeling' on the issue. Ministers are said to have been 'convinced that GB Energy needs to be an industry leader' in rooting out slavery from supply chains. Luke de Pulford, the executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), warned the use of slave labour extends throughout the renewables sector. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Unfortunately, there's a problem right the way throughout the renewables sector with state-imposed forced labour in China. 'They have labour transfer schemes where the government conscripts, very often ethnic minorities, and forces them to work against their will, and sadly, many such workers are placed within renewable industry in China.' Mr de Pulford was asked how difficult it will be for the Government to increase its use of renewables without using Chinese slave labour. He added: 'It's going to require a transition because China has such a dominance of the production of polysilicon and nearly 40 per cent of that comes from Xinjiang and is connected in some way to these labour transfer schemes, so we're going to have to diversify. 'But it's not impossible and companies are, I think, slowly inching towards a better place – we have to find a better way of doing it, that doesn't mean that we have a green transition reliant upon Uighur slavery.' Tory MP Andrew Bowie, the acting shadow energy secretary, said the Government's move would lead to a 'real slowdown in the deployment of solar in the UK'. He said: 'It's a belated realisation that the use of slave labour in the manufacturing of solar technology is real. 'But Labour really need to answer serious questions about whether their own self-imposed targets can be met without these solar panels, and what they're going to do to address this.' A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: 'No industry in the UK should rely on forced labour, and through Great British Energy we have a clear plan to build the supply chains needed to support a new era of clean homegrown power, bringing jobs and investment. 'We are working across Government to tackle the issue of forced labour in solar supply chains, and the relaunched solar taskforce is focusing on developing supply chains that are resilient, sustainable and free from forced labour. 'Having listened carefully to the views of MPs and peers, we are considering how we can go further to help ensure Great British Energy is a sector leader in this area and will provide an update shortly.'
