Information/Technology

A notice circulating on Chinese social media claims that state-owned enterprises in Shandong Province have been instructed to investigate employees’ use of Anthropic’s Claude Code and other foreign AI coding assistants and replace them with domestic alternatives. The notice alleges that Claude Code contains a hidden detection mechanism that identifies users in China’s time zone or those accessing the service through proxy servers and transmits related information back to Anthropic’s servers.

The directive reportedly originated from provincial cyberspace authorities and was distributed throughout Shandong’s state-owned enterprise system. It follows a July 8 advisory issued by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which warned that certain versions of Claude Code contained a potential “security backdoor” and recommended uninstalling or upgrading the affected software.

Chinese technology media reported that reverse engineering found Claude Code collected information such as users’ system time zones and proxy settings and attached hidden markers to certain network connections. However, a Chinese network engineer said such behavior does not necessarily indicate the existence of a backdoor, noting that many software products collect similar information for security and anti-abuse purposes. He argued that Beijing demands Chinese software to set up “backdoor” but warns about foreign software for “backdoor” activity, to reinforce public distrust of foreign technology.

Chinese technology media reported that reverse engineering found Claude Code collected information such as users’ system time zones and proxy settings and attached hidden markers to certain network connections. However, a Chinese network engineer said such behavior does not necessarily indicate the existence of a backdoor, noting that many software products collect similar information for security and anti-abuse purposes. He argued that while Beijing requires domestic software to incorporate “backdoors,” it simultaneously portrays similar data collection by foreign software as evidence of espionage or security risks, reinforcing public distrust of foreign technology.

Source: Epoch Times, July 18, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/26/7/17/n14811411.htm/amp

China announced on July 10 that it had successfully recovered an orbital-class rocket booster for the first time, marking a major milestone in its effort to develop reusable launch vehicle technology. According to state media, the booster from a Long March-10B launch vehicle separated from the upper stage about six minutes after liftoff, executed a controlled vertical descent, and was successfully captured by a recovery net mounted on an offshore platform. Chinese officials described the test as a major technological breakthrough.

Beijing has identified reusable rocket technology as a national priority and has relaxed financing rules to support the country’s commercial space sector. The technology is considered essential for reducing launch costs and enabling the rapid deployment of China’s planned satellite constellations, which are widely viewed as potential competitors to SpaceX’s Starlink network. The Long March-10B is also part of China’s crewed lunar program, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

Despite this milestone, China still trails the United States by a considerable margin in reusable launch capabilities. SpaceX has completed hundreds of successful booster recoveries and routinely reuses boosters at a rapid operational pace, while China has achieved only its first successful recovery and plans just a limited number of reuse demonstrations this year. How quickly China closes this technological gap is likely to influence the next phase of U.S.-China competition in space, as Beijing seeks to challenge U.S. leadership in the sector.

Source: VOA, July 11, 2026
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-claims-milestone-in-reusable-rockets-but-wide-gap-with-spacex-remains-20260701-/8170387.html

Chinese authorities announced that they are advancing plans for a national asteroid defense system as part of the country’s broader space security strategy. Officials described the initiative as consistent with China’s role as a “responsible major space power” and said it is intended to strengthen the country’s capability to detect, assess, and respond to potential asteroid threats.

According to the plan, the system will integrate ground- and space-based monitoring capabilities. On the ground, China intends to establish a geographically distributed network of large-aperture optical telescopes to provide long-range, wide-area, and high-precision observation. In space, authorities plan to deploy a constellation of monitoring satellites equipped with telescopes to overcome the limitations of atmospheric interference and the day-night cycle, with particular emphasis on detecting asteroids approaching from the direction of the Sun, which are more difficult to observe from Earth.

Chinese researchers said they have achieved initial breakthroughs in asteroid impact risk prediction models and algorithms and are developing an operational near-Earth asteroid early warning system. The integrated monitoring network is designed to enable continuous, around-the-clock observation and enhance China’s ability to detect, track, and assess potential asteroid impact risks.

Source: People’s Daily, July 6, 2026
https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202607/06/content_30166956.html

The United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations approved the world’s first Global Technical Regulation (GTR) for Automated Driving Systems (ADS) during its 199th session in Geneva from June 22–26. Jointly developed by China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Japan, the regulation establishes a common international safety framework for the deployment of automated driving technologies.

The regulation introduces the principle that an automated driving system should achieve a safety level at least equivalent to that of a competent and attentive human driver. It also establishes minimum safety requirements for key functions, including dynamic driving task (DDT) performance, minimum risk maneuvers (MRM), and human-machine interaction, underscoring a “safety first” regulatory approach.

Chinese authorities emphasized the country’s significant role in developing the regulation. Since 2019, China has served as vice chair of the UN Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles and co-chair of the Automated Driving Systems working group. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Chinese organizations led the drafting of several core provisions and submitted dozens of technical proposals covering dynamic driving tasks, human-machine interaction, and testing and validation methodologies.

Source: People’s Daily, July 3, 2026
http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2026/0703/c1004-40752892.html