DEFUNDING RFA AND VOA CREATES INFORMATION VOID IN TIBET
As China expands its global media influence, the Trump administration's decision to defund Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA) has created an information void in Tibet, warns Penpa Tsering, head of the Tibetan government-in-exile. Speaking recently in Washington, Tsering said the two U.S. broadcasters had long provided Tibetans with reliable news, exposure to democratic values, and revealed China's repression of Tibetans. RFA halted broadcasts in late October, citing funding delays. (The Straits Times, October 30, 2025)
THREE PRC NATIONALS ARRESTED IN TBILISI FOR TRYING TO BUY URANIUM...
Georgia's State Security Service has arrested three Chinese citizens in the nation's capital, Tbilisi, for attempting to illegally purchase two kg of "nuclear material" uranium. The deputy head of the agency said the suspects planned to buy the uranium for $400,000 and transport it back to China via Russia. The uranium was "nuclear material," though no motive was disclosed. The men face charges carrying penalties of up to 10 years in prison. Security of leftover Soviet-era nuclear materials has been a major concern since the USSR's 1991 collapse. (Reuters, October 25, 2025)
...AND THREE OTHERS BUSTED FOR SMUGGLING BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
Two PRC nationals, Xu Bai, 27, and Fengfan Zhang, 28, are now facing federal charges of conspiracy to smuggle biological materials, and a third is charged with making false statements to authorities. Back in March, a package from Chengxuan Han, 28, to Xu Bai in Ann Arbor was intercepted by U.S. Customs. Other packages were sent to Fengfan Zhang in Ann Arbor. One intercepted package included eight petri dishes of "Caenorhabditis elegans with genetic modifications," a.k.a "roundworms," which are a small, primitive organism commonly used in some types of biological research. In June, Chengxuan Han, 28, was arrested at Detroit Metro Airport, and in September she was sentenced to time served and deported after pleading no contest to smuggling charges and making false statements. The three men named in the new complaint "each refused to participate" in a University of Michigan internal investigation "and were terminated by UM." On October 16, they were booked on a flight to China from New York's JFK airport, but were met there by Customs and Border Patrol officials and arrested. (CBS, November 5, 2025)
CHINESE-MADE BUSES CAN BE STOPPED REMOTELY – NORWAY
Tests on Norway's new electric buses showed that the Chinese manufacturer could remotely turn them off. Bus maker Yutong Group can control the buses' software updates as well as the diagnostic systems that control the vehicle's battery. "The manufacturer has direct digital access to each individual bus for software updates and diagnostics," said Ruter, the firm which operates half of Norway's public transportation, including in Oslo. "In theory, this could be exploited to affect the bus," Ruters said, which "can be stopped or rendered inoperable by the manufacturer." In response, the Norwegian company has adopted tougher procurement security rules, developing firewalls that ensure local control and prevent hacking, and working with authorities on "clear cybersecurity requirements." The company will also delay inbound signals, "so that we can gain insight into the updates being sent before they reach the bus." (Associated Press, November 5, 2025)
XI COMMISSIONS CHINA'S FIRST SUPERCARRIER
The PLA Navy has commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, into active service. Xi Jinping and other top CPC officials attended the ceremony at Sanya Naval Base in Hainan. The Fujian, the largest vessel in the Chinese navy, will operate under the PLA Southern Theater. It conducted its first sea trial in May 2024. Since then, the ship has undertaken eight more sea trials, culminating with its arrival at Sanya in September. Initially known as "Type 003," the Fujian is China's third operational aircraft carrier, after the Liaoning and Shandong, which entered service in 2012 and 2019 respectively. Exceeding 80,000 metric tons, the Fujian is China's first supercarrier and the first to be equipped with electromagnetic catapults. It will spend the next several years working up to full operational capability and perfecting its weapons systems and fuel supply procedures. (NavalNews, November 7, 2025)