China Watch: PRC Activity Tracker

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Detroit Field Division seized about 8.5 million doses of fentanyl, 142 guns, and recovered $2.6 million in assets during an operation that led to 176 arrests. The effort continues the fight against fentanyl trafficking in Detroit and across the region ahead of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison is seeking over $1.5 billion in damages from Panama after the country seized two ports, Balboa and Cristobal, due to U.S.-China tensions. CK Hutchison initiated new arbitration proceedings, alleging that Panama breached an investment protection treaty through sovereign acts against its assets.

The Pentagon has ordered 30 universities to conduct an audit of their partnerships, especially those with institutions in China. Failure to complete this audit could result in a total loss of federal funding for these academic institutions.

The Department of Defense ordered 30 U.S. universities to audit their partnerships with foreign institutions, particularly Chinese universities and military training facilities, under threat of losing funding if problems are not resolved within two weeks. The stated goal is protecting taxpayer-funded research from theft and exploitation. These security inquiries also include investigations into China’s activities in the Americas and whether Harvard University allows scholarships that exclude American students.

A spear-phishing campaign, originating from a Chinese-nexus group linked to FamousSparrow, threatens Central Asian organizations with RATs. This activity provides insights into geopolitical, technical, and strategic global movements conducted by China's APTs.

A report warns that Cuba's relationships with Russia, China, and Iran provide a strategic national security threat just 90 miles from Florida. The America First Policy Institute argues these partnerships enable intelligence collection, military cooperation, and cyber operations near the U.S. homeland. Concerns are raised regarding Chinese intelligence facilities on the island and deepening diplomatic ties between Cuba and Russia.

Chinese AI firms are reportedly bypassing banned restrictions on Nvidia chips by utilizing data centers located in Southeast Asia. Current U.S. export controls address physical chip sales but fail to regulate remote cloud access, leaving a potential gap that legislation has yet to close.

The U.S. previously banned Nvidia's best chips from going to China and is now attempting to close a crucial loophole regarding these controls. Reports indicate that Chinese AI firms have accessed advanced Nvidia computing power overseas, thereby testing U.S. export controls. Consequently, lawmakers are considering efforts to close the cloud-access gap.

A Chinese-language operator used a complex AI framework in an attack targeting government agencies within a nation-state. This incident, described as the first purported "near-autonomous" event, utilized advanced AI capabilities and was likely aimed at Taiwan.

During July, CBP officers at San Diego border ports seized 553 pounds of illegal drugs worth $67 million across 144 smuggling attempts. The recovered substances included fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

DHS reported that CBP officers seized illegal drugs valued at $67 million in San Diego border ports. The seizure included 553 pounds of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine found during 144 smuggling attempts in July.

Jianfei Lu, a 31-year-old Chinese man, has been sentenced to over a decade in prison for his role in a multi-million-dollar money laundering organization. He was involved in the scheme that laundered over $92 million in drug trafficking proceeds. According to the Department of Justice, Lu served as a "prolific" courier for the Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO).

Newly declassified documents detail FBI interviews with former Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, wherein he told investigators that he "hooked up" with an alleged Chinese spy. The heavily redacted records were released by the White House Transparency Task Force.

Unitree Robotics developed its highly successful robot dogs using innovations funded by the U.S. military, including breakthroughs financed by DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory programs. According to researchers, the dimensions of Unitree's popular Go series were nearly identical to groundbreaking robots developed within US-funded consortia. The episode highlights concerns about the United States’ ability to compete with China’s state-directed manufacturing sector in high-tech strategic industries.

Eric Swalwell told FBI investigators that he had physical relations with a suspected Chinese spy, according to newly declassified documents. These documents were released by the White House Transparency Task Force. Swalwell stated he met Christine Fang, who is identified in the text as a suspected Chinese spy.

The Department of Defense ordered 30 U.S. universities to audit their partnerships with foreign institutions. These partnerships primarily involve Chinese universities and military training institutions as President Donald Trump's administration scrutinizes the country’s growing global influence.

The Department of Defense has ordered 30 U.S. universities to audit their partnerships with foreign institutions, primarily Chinese schools, under scrutiny regarding national security risks. Universities must review and terminate any problematic arrangements within two weeks or risk losing federal funding. The Pentagon stated this action aims to protect taxpayer-funded research from theft and exploitation.

The Department of Defense ordered 30 U.S. universities to audit partnerships with foreign institutions, mostly Chinese universities and military training facilities, to protect taxpayer-funded research from theft. If these schools do not complete a review and terminate problematic arrangements within two weeks, they face losing funding. The inquiry comes amid concerns over China's global influence and follows the Pentagon releasing an updated list of 130 foreign institutions.

The U.S. government faces a debate over whether advanced AI model weights should be publicly released, weighing faster development against fears of misuse. Historically, American strategy has focused on controlling technological chokepoints to preserve leadership. However, China’s open-weight models are spreading globally and building new industry standards, which challenges the effectiveness of existing U.S. export controls.

Newly declassified FBI records reveal that former Rep. Eric Swalwell admitted to FBI agents having "physical relations" with Christine "Fang Fang" Fang. He stated these encounters happened on a "handful of occasions." The documentation further describes Ms. Fang as a suspected Chinese intelligence operative.