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HK01: Canada Ordered Chinese Surveillance Giant Hikvision to Terminate Operations

Popular Hong Kong new online media HK01 Network recently reported that the Canadian government has ordered Chinese surveillance and telecommunications equipment manufacturer Hikvision to cease all operations in Canada. Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly said the order was based on national security considerations.

Melanie Joly indicated that following a national security review under the Investment Canada Act, the Canadian government ordered Hikvision Canada to shut down its business in Canada. The government has determined that Hikvision Canada’s continued operations in Canada will undermine Canada’s national security. In addition, the Canadian government has banned government departments, institutions and state-owned enterprises from purchasing or using Hikvision products. The Canadian government is further reviewing existing equipment to ensure that Hikvision products will not be used in the future. The decision was made after multiple rounds of review of information provided by Canadian security and intelligence agencies. In September 2024, the Canadian government started reviewing an application to impose sanctions on four Chinese surveillance equipment companies, including Hikvision.

In response, China said that the Canadian government’s order to shut down Hikvision Canada seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and interfered with and disrupted normal economic and trade cooperation between China and Canada. China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to this.

Source: HK01, June 28, 2025
https://tinyurl.com/fch6zxhx
https://tinyurl.com/4xsuvush

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

CNA: Huawei’s Latest Laptops Use Outdated Chip Technology

Taiwan’s primary news agency, Central News Agency (CNA), recently reported that Canadian research firm TechInsights revealed Huawei’s latest laptop, the MateBook Fold, uses legacy chip technology from China’s SMIC. This highlights how U.S. export controls continue to hinder China’s semiconductor industry.

Market expectations had been that Huawei would use SMIC’s latest 5-nanometer N+3 process for the MateBook Fold. However, the Kirin X90 chip inside the laptop still relies on the 7-nanometer N+2 process, first launched by SMIC in August 2023. This same chip, which appeared earlier in Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro smartphone, reportedly caught U.S. export control officials by surprise. Meanwhile, industry leader TSMC plans to begin mass production of 2nm chips later this year – three generations ahead of SMIC’s 7nm technology.

Huawei’s use of older chip technology suggests that SMIC has yet to achieve mass production at the 5nm node. Additionally, the MateBook Fold was launched with Huawei’s own operating system, as Microsoft’s Windows license for Huawei has expired.

Source: CNA, June 24, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202506240126.aspx

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology US-China Relations

CNA: Chinese Factories Operated by TSMC, Samsung, and Hynix’s will No Longer Be Exempted from US Technology Restrictions

Primary Taiwanese news agency Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that, sources familiar with the matter revealed U.S. officials have informed global leading semiconductor companies that the United States plans to cancel exemptions that allow them to use U.S. technology in China.

Jeffrey Kessler, U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Industry and Security just notified TSMC, Samsung and Hynix on the decision. Shares of U.S. chip equipment manufacturers (such as Applied Materials) that supply China fell after the news broke.

“Chip manufacturers can still operate in China,” a U.S. Commerce Department spokesman said in a statement. “The new chip enforcement rule is similar to the permit requirements for other semiconductor companies exporting to China.”

Source: CNA, June 21, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202506210004.aspx

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology US-China Relations

People’s Daily: Huawei Launches First HarmonyOS PC, Marking New Era in China’s OS Development

Recently, Huawei launched two HarmonyOS-based computers, including its first foldable HarmonyOS laptop. HarmonyOS is a mobile operating system designed to compete with Western operating systems such as iOS, Android, and ChromeOS, while complying with and allowing for surveillance and control by the CCP. People’s Daily published an article praising the release as a move that “marks a new step forward for China in the field of computer operating systems.”

“With this launch, HarmonyOS PCs achieve full-stack autonomy and control, from the kernel to the application ecosystem, in the computer operating system domain. Until now, HarmonyOS has primarily been used in mobile terminals such as smartphones, tablets, and vehicles. The introduction of HarmonyOS PCs extends Huawei’s mobile user base and product strengths into the consumer PC market. It also lays the foundation for seamless integration among phones, computers, tablets, and in-car systems, enhancing the overall user experience.

“Huawei has been building the ecosystem for the HarmonyOS. So far, more than 300 apps have completed compatibility updates with the HarmonyOS and over 150 PC applications are accelerating their compatibility adjustment. By the end of this year, HarmonyOS PCs are expected to support over 2,000 integrated apps, covering key user scenarios such as office productivity, creative design, utility tools, finance, entertainment, education, and gaming.

“As of now, the total number of HarmonyOS-enabled devices, including the new PCs, has exceeded 1 billion units.”

Source: People’s Daily, June 8, 2025
http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2025/0608/c1004-40496337.html

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

4 Billion Records Leaked from Centralized Chinese Data Hub, Including Data on Taiwan

According to Cybernews, a Chinese database containing up to 4 billion records and totaling 631GB was exposed in a data leak on May 19. This database was meticulously collected and maintained, with files reportedly covering behavioral, economic, and social activities of Chinese citizens, including WeChat messages and Alipay data. This strongly suggests the data is likely to be from a centralized data aggregation point, possibly used for surveillance, analysis, or data collection purposes.

The Cybernews reviewed 16 leaked data sets:

  • The largest was named “wechatid_db,” containing over 805 million records, likely to be WeChat user data.
  • The second-largest dataset, “address_db”, held more than 780 million records, including residential information with geolocation tags.
  • The third-largest dataset, “bank,” contained over 630 million financial records, with data such as payment card numbers, birthdates, names, and phone numbers.
  • A dataset, titled in Mandarin and roughly translated as “Three-Factor Verification,” included more than 610 million records, likely involving IDs, phone numbers, and usernames.
  • A dataset named “wechatinfo” held nearly 577 million records, possibly including WeChat communication logs or even user conversations.
  • A dataset “zfbkt_db” contained 300 million records, including Alipay card and token information.
  • More than 353 million records were distributed across nine other datasets, covering a wide range of topics such as gambling activity, vehicle registration, employment information, pensions, and insurance.
  • There is also a dataset named “tw_db,” with information related to Taiwan.

Source: Epoch Times, June 9, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/6/9/n14527844.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics Information/Technology

Xinhua: China Releases First International Standard on Predictive Maintenance

Xinhua News Agency reported on May 21 that according to information from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the first international standard for predictive maintenance, led by Chinese experts, has been officially released. “This marks a significant step in enhancing China’s international influence in the field of intelligent manufacturing technology standards,” Xinhua wrote.

The released standard, titled “Predictive Maintenance for Industrial Automation Equipment and Systems – Part 1: General Requirements”, was developed under the coordination and support of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology by a team organized by the National Technical Committee for Standardization of Industrial Process Measurement, Control, and Automation. It is currently the world’s only international standard that specifies the implementation process and technical requirements for predictive maintenance.

The standard models the common technical elements of predictive maintenance, defining the full process requirements for data collection, feature extraction, model building, and decision optimization. It also introduces indicators such as fault prediction confidence thresholds and maintenance response times, providing strong support and assurance for the safe and efficient operation of equipment. At present, hardware and software products developed based on this series of standards have been widely applied in intelligent manufacturing-related fields such as aerospace, shipbuilding, automotive, instrumentation, petrochemicals, and metallurgy.

Going forward, the team of Chinese experts will continue to promote the development of a series of international standards, aiming to build a predictive maintenance standard system composed of “General Requirements – Algorithm Evaluation – Performance Assessment,” providing key technical support for the in-depth advancement of intelligent manufacturing in China.

Source: Xinhua, May 21, 2025
https://app.xinhuanet.com/news/article.html?articleId=1cb077e72bbbe863924a5357df11da00

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Information/Technology

Turkey Arrests Seven Chinese Nationals in Espionage Case Targeting Uyghur Exiles

In early May, Turkey’s intelligence agency announced the on-the-spot arrest of seven Chinese nationals suspected of engaging in espionage activities.

According to the agency, some members of the group entered Turkey in March. The ringleader, identified by the initials Z.L., arrived in Turkey five years ago and began reconnaissance and preparations, including setting up shell companies in logistics and import-export sectors, and learning the Turkish language.

The suspects were found in possession of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers in their vehicle. These devices mimic the signal of legitimate cell towers. When a target phone comes within 50 meters of the active “ghost base station,” it will mistakenly connects to it, thinking it is a normal tower. The catcher then collects data from the phone, including call logs, conversations, location coordinates, and other information. The intercepted data were transmitted directly to a contact inside China, whom the suspects referred to as “the boss.”

Turkey is home to a large population of Uyghurs who have fled China. This espionage group’s main targets were Chinese Uyghurs living in exile in Turkey. They also reportedly targeted Turkish government officials, attempting to identify those with ties to Uyghur individuals or groups, and gathering other sensitive information.

Source: Epoch Times, May 22, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/25/5/22/n14515781.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

LTN: Breakthroughs by 3 Taiwanese Manufacturers to Boost NVIDIA Production Significantly

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that Taiwanese manufacturers Foxconn, Inventec, and Vitronix have achieved a series of manufacturing technological breakthroughs. These suppliers are responsible for manufacturing the NVIDIA Blackwell AI server racks. The resolution of the technical obstacles will significantly speed up the production of the NVIDIA GB200 products.

Shipments of the cutting-edge NVIDIA GB200 were delayed due to manufacturing issues that arose late last year, resulting in production interruptions. NVIDIA’s Taiwanese partners just announced that the “GB200 production capacity is rapidly expanding.” It took the manufacturing partners a few months to resolve issues like overheating and leakage in the Liquid Cooling System, as well as software and inter-chip connectivity errors due to the complexity of synchronizing a large number of processors.

Analysts explained that, with high demand, NVIDIA did not give the supply chain enough time to prepare adequately. [As a result of these technological advancements], the GB200 inventory risk will ease in the second half of this year.

Source: LTN, May 29, 2025
https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/5057769

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology