Governor Arnold Palacios of the Northern Mariana Islands died on July 23 at age 69 after suffering a sudden “medical incident,” just months after announcing a decisive shift away from Chinese influence in favor of stronger ties with the United States. Palacios collapsed in his Saipan office and was airlifted to Guam, where he died hours later.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing on Thursday, strongly urging the European Union to avoid diversifying supply chains away from China. In remarks carried by the state-controlled Xinhua agency, Xi insisted Europe should not “build walls or barriers” to shield itself from Chinese dominance, warning that decoupling would only lead to “self-isolation.”
A new report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) detailed that China controls more than 80% of the materials needed to make batteries used in the defense industry, serving as a significant threat to the United States.
A Chinese dual citizen, Chenguang Gong, pleaded guilty to stealing trade secret technology developed for the United States government for nuclear missile launches, tracking missiles, and allowing fighter planes to evade missiles.
Wang Ning, founder of Pop Mart, the creative force behind the trendy “Labubu” plush toy, praised China’s manufacturing strength, inclusive culture, and expansive market in an interview published Monday by the Communist Party’s People’s Daily. The feature formed part of a series spotlighting business leaders aligned with President Xi Jinping’s call for “self-improvement in terms of patriotism.”
Microsoft has announced it will no longer allow engineers based in China to support U.S. defense clients using its Azure cloud services. The decision follows an investigation that raised serious national security concerns over Chinese nationals handling Pentagon-linked systems.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday that Wells Fargo executive Mao Chenyue is being prohibited from leaving China pending a criminal investigation. Authorities say Mao is “involved in a criminal case” and is required to cooperate, though no formal charges have been announced.
