China Passes First Law Targeting Cross-Border Corruption, Expanding Oversight of Overseas Assets
China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee on Nov. 6 passed the country’s first law specifically targeting cross-border corruption. The legislation establishes a legal framework for preventing and punishing such activities, pursuing fugitives and recovering illicit assets overseas, and strengthening international law-enforcement and judicial cooperation.
The new law consists of six chapters and 47 articles and takes effect upon promulgation. It covers five types of conduct: bribery of foreign public officials by Chinese entities; bribery of Chinese officials or state entities by foreign entities; corruption committed by Chinese entities overseas; corruption carried out abroad but resulting in consequences in China; and the flight of corruption suspects and the cross-border transfer of illicit assets.
The law establishes an interagency coordination mechanism led by the National Commission of Supervision.
It prohibits foreign institutions, organizations, and individuals from conducting anti-corruption investigations independently in China without authorization from Chinese authorities. Chinese organizations and individuals are likewise prohibited from providing relevant evidence or investigative assistance to foreign parties without approval.
The legislation also applies to foreign-invested companies operating in China through branches or subsidiaries.
In addition, it strengthens oversight of public officials who improperly acquire foreign citizenship or overseas permanent residency, improves reporting requirements for overseas deposits and investments, and calls for early-warning and blocking mechanisms to prevent fugitives and illicit assets from leaving the country.
Emphasizing national security, the law requires officials to protect state secrets, work-related confidential information, commercial secrets, personal privacy, and personal information obtained during investigations.
Some scholars say the legislation could deter officials from transferring illicit wealth overseas and potentially trigger a major new wave of overseas fugitive pursuits and asset recovery.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, November 6, 2026
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20261106-9960821
Sichuan Ship’s First Drone Launch and Recovery Signals Dawn of the Drone Carrier Era
Xinhua reported that China’s first carrier-based stealth reconnaissance-strike drone, the Attack-21, has successfully taken off from and landed on the amphibious assault ship Sichuan for the first time. The milestone shows the PLA Navy can now operate fixed-wing stealth drones from a large sea-going platform, and arguably shifts the Sichuan’s role from a pure amphibious assault ship toward a drone carrier, a concept that has matured over decades.
The idea dates to the Vietnam War, when the U.S. Navy launched modified Firebee reconnaissance drones from the carrier Ranger using rocket boosters. The cumbersome process disrupted normal flight operations and was dropped. The U.S. later developed the X-47B stealth drone, which completed carrier launches and landings in 2013, and the MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone is now in small-batch production.
Turkey’s Anadolu became the first drone carrier almost by accident. After the United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program over its S-400 purchase, Ankara converted the ship to carry domestically built drones. Iran followed with converted merchant vessels, including the 42,000-ton Shahid Bagheri, which U.S. forces sank on March 5 of this year. Indonesia is expected to be next, having commissioned the Sriwijaya, a donated former Italian light carrier, on September 24, 2026, and it is negotiating with Turkey for drones.
There are three future models: conventional carriers with a few supporting drones, drone-centered carriers like the Sichuan, and fully unmanned carriers such as Hyundai Heavy Industries’ proposed HCX-23 Plus. It is suggested that a combination of drones and unmanned carrier ships may come to dominate naval warfare.
Source: The Paper, November 6, 2026
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34413980
Report: China Expands Overseas Surveillance and Influence Network Through 1,250 Chinese Community Groups in 91 Countries
A new report by Spain-based human rights organization Safeguard Defenders alleges that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is expanding its overseas surveillance and influence network through Chinese community associations, extending its domestic system of monitoring and control to Chinese communities abroad.
Titled A Formula for Repression: China’s Global Grid for Community Control, the report says Beijing did not abandon its overseas policing operations after alleged secret police stations were exposed in 2022. Instead, it has made the network more discreet while expanding its reach through community organizations.
Safeguard Defenders identified 1,247 overseas Chinese associations in 91 countries that allegedly served as liaison points for Chinese police and procuratorial authorities—nearly 12 times the number identified in its 2022 investigation, which found 100 suspected illegal police stations in more than 50 countries.
Laura Harth, the organization’s China director, told CTV News on Nov. 6 that the network is used to monitor overseas Chinese communities, including their activities and speech, effectively extending Chinese police control beyond China’s borders.
The report says the associations are operated by CCP personnel overseas and directed by the party’s United Front Work Department. Police departments in more than a dozen jurisdictions across five Chinese provinces allegedly use overseas Chinese federation offices to maintain the network.
Although these associations publicly promote cultural exchanges and business and tourism ties with China, the report identifies 80 local groups allegedly linked to Chinese law-enforcement agencies, compared with just four in 2022. Harth said Chinese authorities have become more cautious about publicly acknowledging their overseas partners since the earlier exposure. Source: Epoch Times, November 8, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/11/6/n14884831.htm
Taiwan Prosecutors Indict Legislator Kao Chin Su-mei Over Alleged CCP Funding and Influence Operations
Taiwanese prosecutors have indicted independent legislator Kao Chin Su-mei and three associates, accusing them of receiving approximately NT$170 million (US$5.3 million) in Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked funding to establish influence networks in Taiwan and shape legislative activities in accordance with Beijing’s directives. Prosecutors are seeking a 14-year prison sentence for Kao.
The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office announced the indictments on Nov. 6, charging the four with violating the National Security Act by developing an organization on behalf of Chinese government agencies and accepting bribes in connection with their official duties.
Prosecutors allege that between 2005 and 2016, the group consolidated Kao’s election and legislative teams into an organization that coordinated political activities and outreach to Indigenous communities. Funds were allegedly transferred into Taiwan through both publicly acknowledged donations for tribal development and covert channels involving relatives’ and associates’ bank accounts.
Kao is accused of following Beijing’s instructions on legislative matters, including opposing arms purchases, organizing a press conference against Japan, questioning Japan’s representative office over budget issues, and supporting revisions to Taiwan’s curriculum guidelines. Prosecutors allege that the funding supported her election campaigns and constituency operations in exchange for specific actions in the legislature.
Prosecutors are seeking 15 years in prison for aide Chang Chun-chieh, who is also accused of arranging political influence training in China and attempting to expand Beijing’s influence in Indigenous communities. Two other associates reportedly confessed during the investigation and returned their alleged criminal proceeds.
Kao has said she will present evidence to defend her innocence. The allegations remain subject to judicial determination.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), November 6, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/202611060104.aspx
Papua New Guinea Moves to Close Taiwan Representative Office; Beijing Welcomes Decision and Offers to Buy More LNG
Papua New Guinea (PNG) has renewed its efforts to close Taiwan’s representative office in its capital, Port Moresby, prompting Taiwan to withdraw its personnel, end technical assistance programs, and suspend liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases from the country. Beijing welcomed the move and expressed willingness to increase its LNG imports from PNG.
In July, PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko announced that his government had reaffirmed its “One China” policy and would close Taiwan’s representative office. Taiwan protested the unilateral decision and halted spot LNG purchases from PNG within a week. The U.S. State Department expressed deep concern, calling the move another example of Beijing’s global intimidation campaign against Taiwan and its supporters.
Despite the announcement, Taiwan appointed a new representative in September, and the office continued operating as Taipei sought support from like-minded countries to preserve its diplomatic presence.
On Nov. 6, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said PNG had again demanded that the office’s personnel leave within a specified timeframe and moved forward with plans to shut it down. Taiwan announced that it would immediately withdraw its staff and terminate technical and medical missions, scholarships, and personnel-training programs.
Taiwan had planned to purchase approximately 500,000 metric tons of PNG LNG in the first half of this year. Its purchases account for roughly one-third of PNG’s total LNG exports, making the suspension potentially significant for the country’s export revenues and foreign-exchange earnings.
On Nov. 9, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun praised PNG’s adherence to the “One China” principle and said Beijing was willing to expand LNG imports from the country and deepen bilateral economic cooperation.
Sources:
1. Lianhe Zaobao, November 7, 2026
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20261107-9962251
2. Xinhua, November 9, 2026
https://www.xinhuanet.com/20261109/db6ee4309ac84abab9c586f4b9681808/c.html
Germany’s “Hedging” Diplomacy Faces a Credibility Test
In late October, Germany’s president and chancellor traveled to Asia at the same time but headed in different directions. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited China, beginning in Anhui province with a tour of Volkswagen’s research center in Hefei, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Singapore, Japan and South Korea to deepen economic, technological and security cooperation.
The Paper published an article arguing the two trips reflect a single strategic anxiety in Berlin: it wants to keep sharing in the benefits of cooperation with China while reducing dependence by broadening its network of partners, an approach it calls “German-style hedging.”
The article stresses that the two trips do not signal two separate China policies. The President largely performs a representative role, while the federal government sets policy. Steinmeier himself said at Peking University that Germany does not seek decoupling, while also calling for a fix to trade imbalances.
China, the piece argues, is no longer merely a buyer of German goods but also a competitor, a supply chain partner and an innovation hub. Volkswagen, for example, now develops technology in China and plans to use it in other markets. German statistics show bilateral goods trade reached 251.8 billion euros in 2025, making China Germany’s largest trading partner again.
Diplomacy, the author contends, cannot substitute for industrial competitiveness, and protectionism may weaken the urgency to improve products. Merz also acknowledged that Singapore, Japan and South Korea voiced strong concern about possible protectionism in the EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act, exposing a tension in Berlin’s commitment to open trade.
Finally, the article warns that unclear policy boundaries create uncertainty for companies and erode Germany’s credibility. It concludes that hedging works only if it strengthens industrial capability, stabilizes cooperation and makes Germany’s commitment to openness believable.
The author is a researcher at the Institute of National Governance, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Source: The Paper, November 6, 2026
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34418761
Huawei Expands Its HarmonyOS PC Ecosystem With First Desktop Launch and Push Into Enterprise Market
HarmonyOS is Huawei’s homegrown operating system and a key part of China’s broader effort to build a domestically controlled technology ecosystem and reduce reliance on Western, particularly U.S.-developed, operating systems and software. The Chinese government has been aggressively replacing Windows-based systems with domestic alternatives in government offices as part of its push for technological self-reliance.
According to People’s Daily, Huawei has launched its first HarmonyOS-powered desktop computer, the Qingyun HM650 series, at a recent HarmonyOS Office Industry Summit. Alongside the new desktop, Huawei announced an upgraded enterprise operating system, HarmonyOS Enterprise Edition, and the second version of its Qingyun Hongtu partner program. Together, these initiatives are intended to expand Huawei’s proprietary operating system across government and enterprise workplaces.
Zhu Dongdong, President of Huawei’s Tablet and PC product line, said HarmonyOS computers have shipped more than 1 million units since their launch in 2025. The HM650 series is designed for fixed office workstations and features a 10-core, 20-thread Kirin X90 processor running HarmonyOS V1.0. It supports professional applications including ZWSOFT CAD, GstarCAD, and ZW3D. Huawei’s Xiaoyi Work assistant can also help users with document processing, presentation creation, and data analysis.
Huawei reported that the HarmonyOS PC ecosystem now includes more than 21,000 independent applications and has been deployed at scale across 13 industries.
Under the upgraded Qingyun Hongtu Partner Program 2.0, Huawei will provide hardware and operating system support through a “HarmonyOS Inside” model, allowing partner manufacturers to design and customize computers for specific industry needs. Huawei said its HarmonyOS motherboard cooperation program is ready, with the first partner-built computers expected to launch alongside the initiative.
Source: People’s Daily, November 5, 2026
http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1105/c1004-40828484.html
China Seeks to Move Humanoid Robots Beyond Basic Mobility, but Major Hurdles Remain
China is seeking to advance humanoid robots beyond basic movements such as walking and jumping toward more sophisticated real-world applications. However, industry leaders acknowledge that significant technical and infrastructure challenges must be overcome before robots can reliably perform complex tasks.
Speaking at a Nov. 5 forum on humanoid robotics and embodied artificial intelligence (AI) during the ninth Hongqiao International Economic Forum, Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said humanoid robots are moving toward broader applications in manufacturing, services, and everyday life.
Wang Xingxing, founder and chairman of Unitree Robotics, identified the gap between AI models and the physical world as a major obstacle. Although multimodal models have advanced in understanding and planning, they still struggle to translate digital instructions into precise physical actions. Wang noted that even errors of a few millimeters can create significant problems when robots interact with their physical surroundings.
Wang Dong, co-founder and executive president of Moore Threads, identified three additional bottlenecks: a shortage of real-world physical data, the high cost of computing infrastructure, and fragmented development processes that lead to accuracy losses. He observed that while large language models are advancing rapidly, embodied AI models have yet to keep pace.
Source: People’s Daily, November 7, 2026
http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1107/c1004-40829521.html