Former U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested for Allegedly Training Chinese Military Pilots
Voice of America reports that U.S. authorities have arrested former U.S. Air Force pilot Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. on charges related to providing unauthorized training to Chinese military pilots. According to the United States Department of Justice, Brown was taken into custody in Indiana in February 2026 after returning to the United States from China. Prosecutors allege that he conspired with others to provide combat aviation training to pilots from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force without obtaining the required authorization from the U.S. government.
Brown served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 24 years. During his career, he was involved in sensitive nuclear weapons delivery missions and served as an instructor pilot on multiple aircraft platforms, including the F-4, F-15, F-16, A-10, and F-35 fighter jets.
The Justice Department alleges that Brown began negotiating in 2023 to train Chinese military pilots and later traveled to China in December 2023 to provide such training. U.S. law requires American citizens to obtain a license from the State Department before offering military training or defense services to foreign armed forces under the Arms Export Control Act. Authorities say Brown failed to obtain the necessary authorization. The case highlights growing concerns in Washington that China has sought to recruit former Western military pilots to help enhance its air combat capabilities. Similar investigations in recent years have involved retired military aviators accused of training Chinese pilots through overseas flight schools or private contracts.
Source: VOA, February 27, 2026
https://www.voachinese.com/a/us-arrests-former-air-force-pilot-for-allegedly-training-chinese-military-pilots-20260226/8117849.html
LTN: China Banned the Export of Gasoline and Diesel
Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that, due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, the Chinese government has ordered the country’s largest oil refinery to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline.
Officials from China’s National Development and Reform Commission met with oil refinery executives and ordered an immediate halt to refined oil exports. The companies were instructed to stop signing new contracts and negotiate with buyers to cancel shipments. Aviation kerosene and marine fuel oil stored in bonded warehouses, as well as fuel destined for Hong Kong and Macau, were exempt from this restriction.
China has a massive oil refining industry, with most of its production used to meet domestic demand, thus it is not a key source of supply for the Asian market. However, as the Middle East crisis intensifies, Beijing’s preventative restrictive measures reflect the efforts of the entire import-dependent region to prioritize domestic needs. Nearly half of China’s oil imports come from the Gulf region, including almost all of Iran’s oil shipments.
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), Sinochem Group, and Zhejiang Petrochemical Corporation regularly receive fuel export quotas from the Chinese government. None of these five companies responded to the aforementioned news.
Source: LTN, March 5, 2026
https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/5360359
The Iran war: China Once Again Gives the Impression of “Too Little Action and Too Late Response”
Radio France Internationale (RFI) recently summarized, in Chinese, a commentary by Le Monde, the most widely read paid national daily newspaper in France. The commentary said that China, a supporter of the Iranian regime and the largest buyer of Iranian oil, expressed anger following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. However, China once again gives the impression of “acting too little and reacting too late”.
Despite Western sanctions against Iran, China continues to support the Iranian economy by purchasing oil. China also provides Iran with technical support in population surveillance and internet control. China has provided ongoing diplomatic support to Tehran, pushing for its accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. The Chinese military regularly conducts joint military exercises with Iran and Russia as well.
However, when Iran encounters national security problems, they cannot truly rely on China as a “backer.” China does not see itself as obligated to intervene. China is once again giving the impression of “acting too little and reacting too late,” just as it did in June 2025.
In the meantime, Tehran has not fully heeded Beijing’s advice. China has criticized Tehran’s inefficiency in developing its economy and creating a favorable business environment, and has long criticized Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. In a sense, Iran is also a burden on China.
Source: RFI, March 3, 2026
https://tinyurl.com/56pmedzc
Chinese State Media Highlight U.S. Anti-War Protests; Some Organizers Linked to CCP-Connected Donor Network
A report by Voice of America states that Chinese state media have extensively highlighted anti-war demonstrations in the United States following U.S. strikes against Iran. Major outlets such as Xinhua News Agency, China Central Television, People’s Daily, and the Global Times (Huanqiu Times) reported on protests in multiple American cities and emphasized calls from activists urging Washington to halt military action. Their coverage portrayed the demonstrations as evidence of significant domestic opposition within the United States to the conflict with Iran and framed the protests as reflecting growing public dissatisfaction with U.S. foreign policy and military involvement abroad.
The article notes that some U.S. media outlets and analysts have raised questions about the organizations involved in organizing the protests. Groups such as the ANSWER Coalition, The People’s Forum, and Code Pink were identified as key organizers of the demonstrations. Previous investigative reporting by The New York Times indicated that several of these groups have financial or organizational links to a funding network associated with businessman Neville Roy Singham, who has lived in Shanghai and supported initiatives promoting narratives favorable to China. According to the report, these connections have drawn increasing scrutiny in Washington, where policymakers and analysts are concerned about potential foreign influence networks that may amplify political messaging aligned with the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.
Source: VOA, March 5, 2026
https://www.voachinese.com/a/chinese-state-media-promotes-anti-war-demonstrations-in-the-us-us-media-protest-organizers-linked-to-a-donor-with-ties-to-ccp-20260304/8121283.html
China’s Solar Industry Battles Severe Overcapacity Amid Calls for Structural Reform
China’s solar energy sector is grappling with one of the most acute cases of “involution” — the term used to describe destructive, low-return competition — in the country’s economy today. While global annual demand for new solar capacity stands at approximately 700 gigawatts (GW), China’s domestic production capacity has ballooned to around 1,400 GW, roughly double what the world needs each year.
During China’s annual “Two Sessions” legislative meetings, Zhong Baoshen, chairman of leading solar manufacturer LONGi Green Energy and a delegate to the National People’s Congress, called for the establishment of a capacity exit mechanism to help the industry escape its current downward spiral. He warned that after China’s newly installed solar capacity peaks at over 300 GW in 2025, installations could face a cyclical decline in 2026, with the structural imbalance between supply and demand still unresolved.
Zhong proposed using efficiency standards as a benchmark — specifically photovoltaic conversion rates — to guide the retirement of outdated production capacity and align industry-wide output with actual market demand. He also criticized companies that lack genuine innovation, relying instead on poaching talent for quick capacity expansion while using non-competitive resources to undercut prices, ultimately squeezing out firms that invest in real technological advancement.
In a notable policy parallel, Zhong urged regulators to apply a framework similar to the real estate sector’s “three red lines” — a set of financial thresholds introduced to curb excessive borrowing among property developers. He recommended monitoring solar companies’ debt-to-asset ratios, net debt levels, and short-term repayment ability, imposing financing restrictions on non-compliant firms and encouraging industry consolidation.
On the policy front, China’s Ministry of Finance has already announced the elimination of VAT export tax rebates for solar products, effective April 1, a measure industry experts view as a signal against cutthroat, low-price competition in overseas markets.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), March 4, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202603040248.aspx
China’s Belt and Road Initiative Investments in Africa Hit Record Highs Amid Global Trade Tensions
Africa emerged as the top destination for Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investment in 2025, marking what analysts describe as the most active year for the initiative since its launch in 2013. According to a joint report released on January 18 by Griffith University’s Asia Institute and Fudan University’s Green Finance and Development Center, China’s total investment and construction contracts in Africa surged to $61.2 billion in 2025, a staggering 283 percent year-on-year increase, pushing Africa ahead of the Middle East as the initiative’s largest recipient region.
The report attributes the growth primarily to large-scale infrastructure projects financed through Chinese policy banks, including the Export-Import Bank and the China Development Bank. Unlike earlier BRI investments focused narrowly on roads and bridges, 2025’s projects are more deeply integrated with industrial parks and local resource development, aligning with African nations’ demands for domestic value chain upgrades.
The year was described as both the “dirtiest and greenest” for Chinese energy engagement in Africa. Fossil fuels remained central, with a $23 billion (approximately $23 billion USD) investment agreement in the Republic of Congo aimed at boosting oil output, and a $20 billion (approximately $20 billion USD) natural gas industrial park deal in Nigeria. At the same time, investment in copper, cobalt, and other critical minerals reached a record $32.6 billion, while green energy projects, including solar, wind, and a major green hydrogen initiative in Nigeria led by LONGi Green Energy, saw significantly increased activity.
Africa is also serving as a strategic manufacturing hub for Chinese firms seeking to sidestep U.S. tariffs. Morocco, benefiting from a U.S. free trade agreement and facing only a 10 percent U.S. tariff rate, has attracted a wave of Chinese factory relocations, including Bowey Alloys’ $150 million special alloy materials plant and Hangzhou Radix Energy’s $30 million automotive bearing facility in Tangier.
From 2013 through end-2025, cumulative BRI construction contracts totaled $837 billion and non-financial investment reached $561 billion, bringing total engagement to $1.399 trillion. The report anticipates continued expansion in 2026, focused on energy, mining, and emerging technologies.
Source: Radio France International, February 27, 2026
https://rfi.my/CTr1
China’s Military Warns of Internal Espionage Threats Following Iran Strike
The assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by a joint U.S.-Israeli operation has sent shockwaves through Beijing, prompting China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to issue a series of stark warnings about the dangers of foreign infiltration and espionage.
On March 2, the PLA Daily‘s official commentary studio, “Junzhengping,” published a piece on Weibo titled “The Silent Shadow War: Everyone Must Stay Vigilant.” The commentary argued that as global competition intensifies, methods such as infiltration, intelligence theft, and subversion have become standard tools of “certain forces” seeking to sow instability from within. The piece drew a direct lesson from Iran’s downfall, stating that “the most fortified strongholds are often breached from the inside.”
The commentary warned Chinese citizens against complacency in everyday interactions, noting that casually mentioning sensitive information could hand adversaries the missing piece of an intelligence puzzle, accepting minor gifts or favors could open the door to manipulation, and taking seemingly friendly conversation at face value could allow bad actors to map out vulnerabilities.
China’s Ministry of State Security, the piece noted, publishes new cases of foreign espionage activity almost daily. The article urged every citizen to “stay alert, hold the line, and distinguish right from wrong,” so as to weave a security network that is “round-the-clock and without blind spots,” leaving no room for infiltration or subversion to take hold.
This followed an earlier PLA Daily commentary published on February 28, which called on “every Chinese son and daughter” to internalize the principle of never forgetting danger in times of peace. Only by “staying attuned to risk and preparing before the storm arrives,” it said, can China safeguard the hard-won stability it has achieved.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), March 3, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202603030295.aspx
Chinese Media’s Reports During the First Couple of Days of the U.S. Attack on Iran
Creaders.Net, a Chinese-language website based in the United States, collected screenshots of reports from several Chinese media outlets covering the first couple of days following the U.S. attack on Iran. Many of these reports echoed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) propaganda narrative, suggesting that the United States would find it difficult to win the conflict and that Iran was capable of effectively fighting back.
On February 28, some outlets reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had survived an assassination attempt. After his death was later confirmed, some media cited experts claiming that he had already transferred his authority beforehand and that his death would therefore have limited impact on Iran’s national decision-making.
Guancha Observer:
“Huang Jin (commentator): The United States has made very poor preparations for this war; the U.S. military is an army that lacks confidence the most among all armies.”
China Daily:
“A video published by foreign media on March 1 shows several fireballs flying across the night sky over Dubai, passing above brightly lit skyscrapers.”
Xi’an City’s Radio and Television:
“Iran Fights Back – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued its seventh statement declaring that Iran was carrying out retaliatory strikes.”
Dajiangkankan website:
“Photos from the scene: An Iranian missile broke through Israel’s defenses and struck Jerusalem. A building was directly hit, leaving a crater about 10 meters deep; people were screaming and running away.”
China Central Television (CCTV-4):
“Li Shaoxian, Honorary Dean of the Institute of Arab Studies at Ningxia University: Khamenei had already transferred his authority in advance, so his death would have only limited impact on Iran’s national decision-making.”
Beijing Times:
“Expert analysis: Khamenei may have already transferred his authority earlier, meaning his death would have only a limited effect on Iran’s decision-making.”
People’s Daily:
“Iranian Missile Hits Israel’s General Staff Headquarters.” “Images released by Iran show that the building housing Israel’s General Staff headquarters was struck early in the morning on March 1 and engulfed in flames.”
Direct News:
“Expert prediction: Khamenei survived the first assassination attempt; the United States and Israel will face a much more difficult situation moving forward.”
Shenzhen National Defense Channel:
“On February 28, Israel’s initial assessment suggested that the joint U.S.–Israeli attempt to assassinate Khamenei and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian had failed. Khamenei may have already relocated, and Iran’s intelligence operations have changed significantly since last year. He had already left his office.”
Observing Pupil Channel on Bilibili:
“Shen Yi, a professor of international politics at Fudan University, analyzed Israel’s assessment, saying that the assassination attempt against Khamenei and the Iranian president had failed.”
Zhihu:
Jin Canrong (CCP leaders’ policy advisor): “Trump may have made a strategic mistake this time. The assassination attempt by the United States and Israel failed, and Iran now has four possible ways to retaliate.”
Hubei Daily:
“On the evening of March 1, Iran reportedly launched another strike on a U.S. military base in Bahrain. Heavy smoke was seen over the capital Manama, and local media reported that the site on fire was the U.S. base.”
Source: Creaders.Net, March 3, 2026
https://news.creaders.net/china/2026/03/03/2977362.html