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CHINA IS RECRUITING RUSSIANS – FSB
In an eight-page internal planning document that appears to have been written in late 2023 or early 2024, Russia's domestic security agency, the FSB, refers to China as "the enemy." The document describes a "tense and dynamically developing" intelligence battle in the shadows between the two outwardly friendly countries. PRC intelligence agents are recruiting Russian officials, experts, scientists, journalists and businesspeople in Moscow. Chinese agents are also spying on the Russian military's operations in Ukraine. To "prevent the transfer of important strategic information to the Chinese," FSB officers are warning Russian citizens who work with China to be wary, the document says. (New York Times, June 7, 2025)
PRC HACKERS EXPLOIT GOOGLE CALENDAR
China-based hackers have used Google Calendar in a new cyber-espionage campaign targeting foreign governments. Google discovered the malware, called ToughProgress, in October 2024 after it was found spreading from a compromised government website. Google attributed the campaign to APT41, the PRC state-affiliated cyber group. The group's primary targets include foreign governments and sectors such as logistics, media, cars and tech. The attack began with spear phishing emails that directed victims to a hijacked government website that contained the file. Once opened, the malware began operating in the device's memory to evade detection. It created a Google Calendar event dated May 30, 2023, and embedded stolen, encrypted data into its description. The hackers uploaded calendar entries on other dates containing encrypted instructions. (Live Mint, May 30, 2025)
TAIWAN-BASED GROUP HACKS CHINA'S SENSITIVE INFRASTRUCTURE
According to the Guangzhou police, Taiwan-based hackers have carried out a cyberattack on a local technology company and are targeting sensitive infrastructure across China. The hackers targeted more than 1000 key networks in over 10 Chinese provinces, including military, energy, transportation and government systems. Police described the attacks as "malicious sabotage" involving large-scale espionage using phishing emails, exploitation of software vulnerabilities and brute-force password attacks. To obscure their origin, the hackers used VPNs, foreign cloud services, and compromised devices across multiple countries. (The Record, May 27, 2025)
INTERNET CENSORSHIP IN HENAN IS EVEN TIGHTER
Henan has its own enhanced version of China's internet censorship system, which is even tighter than in the rest of the country. Between November 2023 and March 2025, the average internet user in Henan was denied access to five times more websites than the typical Chinese internet user. The Henan firewall blocked nearly 4.2 million domains, compared to the 741,500 domains blocked by the national censors. It is unclear if the enhanced controls are imposed by authorities in Henan or the central government. The Ministry of Public Security can now monitor people who use virtual private networks (VNPs) to circumvent the firewall. (The Guardian, May 24, 2025)
[EDITOR'S NOTE: China has the world's most sophisticated and extensive internet censorship regime, known as the "great firewall." Internet users cannot access most western news websites or social media platforms, including services provided by Google, Wikipedia and Meta. Within the country, online content is monitored and censored by a mixture of government authorities and private companies complying with laws that require them to delete any content that goes against Beijing's official narrative.]
CHINA LAUNCHES NEW RAILWAY TO IRAN TO BYPASS U.S. SANCTIONS
China and Iran have officially launched a new commercial rail route connecting Xian, Shaanxi and the Aprin dry port near Tehran. The new railway allows freight trains to travel from Shanghai to Tehran in 15 days, as compared to 30 days via the corresponding maritime route. The rail line between the two countries facilitates Iranian oil exports to China while allowing Chinese consumer goods to reach Europe without U.S. naval interference. On May 12, railway officials from Iran, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkey met in Tehran to agree on competitive tariffs and operational standards to streamline regional trade connectivity via the new transcontinental link. (The Cradle, May 26, 2025)
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