President Donald Trump recently announced a trade deal with the European Union that will be a major victory for America.
While the deal was rightly widely celebrated, one of the key pillars with massive economic implications was largely overlooked in the media’s coverage: addressing “unjustified digital trade barriers.”
Europe is deliberately siphoning revenue from American tech and telecommunication companies while shielding its own firms from meaningful competition. They are also turning these tech platforms into <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/22/state-department-attacks-europe-free-speech-00468916" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tools of censorship</a> that punish their own constituents and undermine our shared belief in the open exchange of ideas.
My colleagues and I exposed Europe’s attack on the American digital services industry in a new <a href="https://publicpolicysolutionsusa.org/new-report-public-policy-solutions-exposes-europes-attack-on-the-american-digital-services-industry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>. We examined the tools the EU and its constituent countries have used to build a web of protectionist policies and targeted regulations and fees to tip the scales in favor of European business and attempt to end American leadership of the digital economy.
While our open market allows competition among competitors, this European system is curtailing American companies’ growth in Europe. As we write in the report: “Despite the fact that American companies are by far the biggest players in this sector globally, EU digital service exports to the U.S. rose by more than $8 billion from 2013-2023, while the U.S. digital services exports to the EU rose by only $5 billion in the same time period.”
Addressing these targeted fees was a significant, hard-fought win for the Trump administration. When American tech and telecom companies are unfairly targeted with exorbitant fees — in some cases more than double than fees assessed to Chinese competitors — it crushes their ability to be leaders in innovation and creates uncertainty that is bad for business and consumers.
That’s why for months <a href="https://x.com/WarMachineRR/status/1938657885870837898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Trump</a>, Treasury Secretary <a href="https://x.com/WarMachineRR/status/1932878263048941779" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott Bessent</a>, Commerce Secretary <a href="https://x.com/howardlutnick/status/1939640588883861625" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Howard Lutnick</a>, National Economic Council Director <a href="https://x.com/WarMachineRR/status/1939700859052405063" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Hasset</a>, and more members of the administration have called our allies to the carpet for their unfair treatment of American tech and telecom companies. The administration said addressing this egregious non-tariff barrier would be part of any trade deal and they delivered on that promise.
But even after President Trump declared victory on the issue, commentators <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/07/28/scant-details-on-digital-service-tax-in-u-s-eu-trade-deal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised questions</a> about the details of how the deal would address the Europeans’ predatory digital tax and regulatory regime. In fact, unnamed EU officials have <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/trade-deal-us-attacks-eu-tech-rules-donald-trump-digital-competition-ai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asserted</a> that their digital regulation scheme was not sacrificed.
In his first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/a6h6nTPoKTk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public appearance</a> after the trade deal was announced, Bessent doubled down on the Trump administration’s strong stance against the EU regulatory regime.
“They [Europeans] have just given up. It is a regulatory morass,” he said. “The EU internally taxes themselves 100% on services and 50% on goods. The EU was supposed get rid of economic friction, whether it is in finance, whether it is in technology, whether it was in energy. All the EU wants to do is overregulate.” 
At the same time, Lutnick hammered home President Trump’s position reiterating that the EU’s “attack on our tech companies” was “going to be on the table.”
The unnamed EU officials claiming they’d made “absolutely no commitment on digital regulation, nor on digital taxes” might want to check back with their bosses. Ditto those EU constituent countries already looking for backdoors to impose network usage fees on American companies — explicitly taken off the table in the trade deal — through new and creative regulatory schemes.
But President Trump has made clear his expectations, and he maintains significant leverage. After Canada announced it was putting a digital service tax on American technologies, President Trump proclaimed on <a href="https://x.com/WarMachineRR/status/1938657885870837898/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Truth Social</a>, &#8220;They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us.&#8221;
At his promise of reciprocal tariffs, Canada quickly reversed course.
While the EU tries to muddy the waters and cast doubt on President Trump’s deal, one thing that is not in doubt is the president’s negotiating prowess. Whether through their own firsthand experience or the short-lived episode with Canada, the EU would be wise not to backtrack or try to weasel out of commitments to end the targeting of American companies.
President Trump has made it clear he is fighting for a fair relationship that no longer punishes American innovation, emboldens Chinese influence, or weakens America’s relationship with Europe. Our European allies must stick to their end of the deal.
Joe Grogan served as Assistant to President Donald Trump for Domestic Policy from 2019-2020 and Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2017-2019.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

FILE PHOTO: European Union leaders summit in Brussels

Europe Should Think Twice About Trade Deal Backpedaling

China

Donald Trump

European Union

Trade War

The following is an edited excerpt from a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-250810-member-exclusive?elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Morning+Wire&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">Morning Wire Weekend Edition interview</a> where Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley sat down with U.S. Navy retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. They discussed his recent trip to Taiwan, where he had meetings with senior officials, including the president and senior military leadership. Here are five key takeaways. 

* * *
<h3>1. America Is Taiwan’s Primary Key Ally</h3>
First, they&#8217;re very appreciative of the United States. They understand the United States is their key ally and they make that very clear. No one else sells them weapons. No one else stands by them when they&#8217;re threatened by the Chinese. That doesn&#8217;t mean they don&#8217;t get some rhetorical support from the Australians or the Japanese on occasion or from European countries. But when it comes to ship movements, aircraft movements, it&#8217;s us. So number one, they get that.
<h3>2. Taiwan Will Increase Defense Spending — But Only Buys From America</h3>
Number two, Taiwan understands that we expect them to spend more on their defense. So they&#8217;re taking their defense spending from about 2.5% this year to 3% next year. Then, I think, they&#8217;ll go to 4% and eventually 5%. The irony is, to get the spending up that high, they can only buy the weapons from us. We&#8217;re the only country who sells to them.
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-threats-we-face-how-we-win/id1576594336?i=1000721366067" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h3>3. America’s Foreign Military Sales Program Is A “Dumpster Fire”</h3>
I say this gently, our foreign military sales program is a dumpster fire. As a result, it takes seven years to get them javelin missiles; eight years to get them stinger, man-portable air missiles. These should take two, three years. So, part of the problem is U.S. foreign military sales and delivery. But the Taiwanese are going to do everything they can to get themselves to three, four, and eventually 5% [Defense spending] by the end of the Trump administration. So that&#8217;s a big deal. 
<h3>4. It Could Take Nine Years For American Weapons To Arrive In Taiwan</h3>
Our foreign military sales overseas are hampered by a bureaucratic process inside the Department of Defense and Department of State. They have to work together. They don&#8217;t do a great job. It&#8217;s also hampered by how we integrate with the weapons providers, like Raytheon or Lockheed Martin, and the back and forth with the host country. For example, we recently did a harpoon sale with Taiwan, an anti-ship cruise missile that&#8217;s really critical to the fight. The sale was locked and first approved in 2020. And I&#8217;d say the delivery is going to be completed by 2029, if we&#8217;re lucky. That should take two, three, four years max — not nine years. So, for military sales, we have a backed up docket with Taiwan alone of $12 billion – it was $18 billion just four years ago. This is way too much. Countries cannot rely on us for timely delivery of weapons if it takes five, seven, or nine years to get weapons.
<div id="attachment_960047" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-960047" class="size-large wp-image-960047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-864x576.jpg" alt="KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN - JULY 14: Taiwan President, Lai Ching-te, inspects the Han Kuang 41 exercise - Naval defensive mine-laying drill on July 14, 2025 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Taiwan. Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercise kicked off July 9 as the island steps up preparations against a potential invasion by China. Touted as the largest and longest iteration to date, this year’s drill will span around 10 days—roughly double the length of last year’s exercise. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Annabelle Chih/Getty Images</div>
<h3>5. Taiwan Must Prepare For Non-Military Attacks</h3>
Taiwan really understands that, in addition to preparing for the most likely, most dangerous scenario of a cross-strait invasion, they also have to prepare for another most likely scenario  — China attacking their societal resilience, their financial systems, their communication systems, their energy systems with diplomatic, economic, cyber and influence operations, not military attacks. While the CCP would hope to break the societal resilience of Taiwan. Taiwan has to fight that. They need to make a lot of investments in that kind of domestic resilience. And then the United States can help as well.
* * *
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-250810-member-exclusive?elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Morning+Wire&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">Catch the full interview with retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery on Morning Wire.</a></h3>

Taiwan Holds Defense Drills

‘Nine Years To Get Weapons’: An American Admiral On Defending Taiwan From China

'Nine Years To Get Weapons': An American Admiral On Defending Taiwan From China

interview

Military Weapons

Morning Wire

Pentagon

Taiwan

U.S. Military

U.S. Navy

A class of synthetic opioids called nitazenes, made in secret Chinese laboratories and 43 times more deadly than fentanyl, is now killing young Americans, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
After two young Texas men died this year from ingesting pills laced with nitazenes, their mothers have launched a campaign to get the U.S. government to focus more on the problem.
“Lucci Reyes-McCallister, 22, died January 26 near Houston, Texas, after taking a pill labeled as Xanax that was actually laced with N-Pyrrolidino Protonitazene, an emerging form of nitazene. &#8230; Hunter Clement, 21. died on April 10 after taking a nitazene-laced pill branded to look like a Percocet,” the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/11/us-news/little-known-synthetic-opioid-nitazene-is-up-to-43-times-more-deadly-than-fentanyl-resistant-to-narcan-and-killing-young-americans/">reported</a>.
“Sometimes I get mad because I couldn’t save my own son, but I do want to save other people, even if it’s just one person in honor of him,” Hunter Clement’s mother, Ruthi, told The Post.
Former acting DEA administrator Derek Maltz said the deaths were part of China’s “ongoing attack against America &#8230; As America is just now really starting to talk about fentanyl, we have now seen all these other substances that are popping up everywhere, and they’re coming out of these labs in China.”
In 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration <a href="https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/NDTA_2024.pdf">reported</a> on the “dangerous shift from plant-based drugs to synthetic drugs,” adding:
This shift has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced. These synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, are responsible for nearly all of the fatal drug poisonings in our nation.
“The Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels are at the heart of this crisis,” continued. “These two Cartels are global criminal enterprises that have developed global supply chain networks. They rely on chemical companies and pill press companies in China to supply the precursor chemicals and pill presses needed to manufacture the drugs. They operate clandestine labs in Mexico where they manufacture these drugs, and then utilize their vast distribution networks to transport the drugs into the United States.”
“Nitazenes are sold by China-based chemical suppliers through online marketplaces, the Mexican cartels could easily use their existing relationships with those suppliers to obtain nitazenes,” the report stated.
Nitazene analogues were connected to at least five deaths in Philadelphia, “and a dozen more deaths may be attributed to the deadly drugs,” The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/drug-40-times-stronger-than-fentanyl-plagues-philadelphia">reported</a> in April 2024. “The health department suspects that a nitazene analogue known as N-desethyl isotonitazene was present in 12 overdose deaths in Philadelphia between November and December 2022,” the Philadelphia Inquirer <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/health/opioid-addiction/nitazenes-philadelphia-drug-overdoses-opioids-20240409.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.inquirer.com/health/opioid-addiction/nitazenes-philadelphia-drug-overdoses-opioids-20240409.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712761220662000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0RLaCGzkDdLL2Bhk8u9NaE">reported</a>. Two other nitazene analogues were identified in an overdose victim who died in June 2023.”
Although the drug naloxone can be used to reverse the effects of fentanyl,  the normal dose of naloxone may not be enough to combat the effects of nitazenes.
“Customs <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/frontline/buyer-beware-bad-actors-exploit-de-minimis-shipments">officers at JFK are seeing the drug</a> coming through the airport ‘at least a few times a week in quantities ranging from just a few grams to upwards of a pound or more,’ Andrew Renna, Assistant Port Director for Cargo Operations at the airport, said in May,” The Post noted.

Alex Krotulski, 32, associate director and forensic toxicologis

Chinese-Made Opioid Deadlier Than Fentanyl Now Killing Young Americans

Mothers Whose Sons Died From Opioid Far More Lethal Than Fentanyl Alerting Others Of Lurking Menace

Drug Cartels

Fentanyl

Mexico

Nitazenes

Most people who engage with AI do so in a fun and marginal way. But there is a very serious political side to it that the Trump administration understands.
In an attempt to actually push artificial intelligence forward, the federal government is pushing for vast energy exploration, which is a very good thing.
AI requires extraordinary energy consumption. China right now is vastly out-producing us on an energy level. They have no environmental regulations, so they&#8217;re ramming through huge energy projects that are designed in order to foster their AI system.
The United States, under President Trump, is opening up the energy sector, which is absolutely necessary. The United States is also deregulating a lot of the tech economy, which is excellent. It means that there will be more capital that flows into the AI race, and that matters for both reasons, military and technological.
American companies are still leading this race. Yesterday, ChatGPT released GPT-5, which is their new flagship AI model. “OpenAI executives called GPT-5 a “major upgrade” over the systems that previously powered ChatGPT, saying the new technology was faster, more accurate and less likely to ‘hallucinate,’ or make stuff up,” The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/technology/openai-chatgpt-gpt-5.html">reported</a>. “OpenAI has consistently improved the technology that underpins its chatbot. &#8230; OpenAI’s many rivals, including Google, Meta, the start-up Anthropic and China’s DeepSeek, have released similar technologies. This is the first time that OpenAI has used a so-called reasoning model to power the free version of ChatGPT. Unlike the previous technologies, a reasoning model can spend time ‘thinking’ through complex problems before settling on an answer.” 
So, instead of AI being a predictive text mechanism, it basically checks its own work to prevent errors. All of this is indeed transformative, and the U.S. federal workforce is apparently going to be provided access to ChatGPT at essentially no cost. It&#8217;s going to filter through to the federal workforce, which is good.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2256-the-ben-shapiro-show?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
But this does raise the question of what we do with China, because it is a race between the United States and China.
There is some conflicting thinking among people on the Right about what to do with China. Some believe that China should be provided access to everything except the H100 from Nvidia, because if we get China dependent on American silicon, they will have to build on our platforms, and that&#8217;s better than them developing their own industry in microchips domestically.
And then there is the side which I tend toward, which is: No, don&#8217;t give China anything. Make them steal it.
The Trump administration seems rather split on this; you&#8217;ll see the Trump administration say China is cheating. President Trump even went after the Intel CEO for having too many close ties to China. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas had called them out, pointing out that the deep relationship meant that Intel chips were probably getting into China illegally. Cotton wrote an open letter to Intel’s board with questions about the chipmaker’s new CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s ties to Chinese firms. 
I agree with that.
On the other hand, the administration is also opening up the possibility of Nvidia shipping H20s to the Chinese government.
So, a policy must be settled on with regard to how to view China and developments in AI. Are we going to be in an open competition with China? Is it going to be a “frenemy” situation with China?
That remains utterly unclear.
The answer may well determine the future of the United States.

WAIC World Artificial Intelligent Coference

​​​​Battling China Over AI And America’s Future

​​​​Battling China Over AI And America's Future

Artificial Intelligence

Ben Shapiro

Energy

Silicon Valley

Technology

President Donald Trump on Thursday called for Intel’s CEO to resign as the tech company battles falling fortunes and criticism from the nation’s capital.
“The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114987288040725570">posted</a> on Truth Social.
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s past business dealings with Chinese companies and government-linked entities have fueled distrust among top Republicans, who argue that his close ties to Beijing pose a risk to America&#8217;s chip industry—a sector the White House deems critical to national security in the AI race against China. The Silicon Valley-based company is best known as one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers, producing microchips that power computers and other devices.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the top Republican and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, outlined his concerns in a <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-to-intel-ceos-ties-to-china-are-concerning">letter</a> to Intel earlier this week.
“Mr. Tan reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms. At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army,” Cotton wrote.
“Mr. Tan was most recently the CEO of Cadence Design Systems, a company that makes electronic design automation (EDA) technology, which is a key enabler of advanced chip design. Last week, Cadence pleaded guilty to illegally selling its products to a Chinese military university and transferring its technology to an associated Chinese semiconductor company without obtaining licenses. These illegal activities occurred under Mr. Tan’s tenure,” Cotton added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senator Tom Cotton is not wrong here. Sharing an infographic from <a href="https://twitter.com/thewirechina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thewirechina</a>, a news magazine founded by Pulitzer Prize winner and former China correspondent David Barboza, mapping the Intel head Lip-Bu Tan&#8217;s venture capital firm Walden and its ties to Chinese companies: <a href="https://t.co/u2cfJRkf4L">https://t.co/u2cfJRkf4L</a> <a href="https://t.co/O5bi2lWB97">pic.twitter.com/O5bi2lWB97</a>
— Melissa Chan (@melissakchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/melissakchan/status/1953536377150476303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In a companywide email on Thursday, Tan, who is from Malaysia, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intel-ceo-lip-bu-tan-trump-resignation-call-response-2025-8">reportedly</a> denied any wrongdoing, insisting he has always held &#8220;the highest legal and ethical standards.&#8221;
&#8220;The United States has been my home for more than 40 years,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Leading Intel at this critical moment is not just a job &#8211; it&#8217;s a privilege.&#8221;
Tan founded the venture capital firm Walden International, through which Tan has participated in billions of dollars worth of investment deals with Chinese companies, some of which fall on U.S. government watch lists.
Intel received the largest grant awarded to a single company under the CHIPS and Science Act signed by President Joe Biden in 2022: nearly $8 billion. Tan’s deep web of business ties across China has thrown that grant into question and added more instability on top of Intel’s already turbulent business.
“Intel, the Board of Directors, and Lip-Bu Tan are deeply committed to advancing U.S. national and economic security interests and are making significant investments aligned with the president’s America First agenda,” the company said in a <a href="https://x.com/PatrickMoorhead/status/1953573020565668054">statement</a> after Trump’s call for Tan to step down.
The tech company, once a leader in the tech industry, has struggled in recent years, and the backlash from political leaders has worsened its position. The company’s share price fell 3% on Thursday after the salvo from Trump. Since the start of last year, Intel’s share price has fallen roughly 60%, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/trump-intel-ceo-lip-bu-tan-resign-china-ties-cotton-ce111513">The Wall Street Journal</a>.

Lip-Bu Tan

Trump Demands Intel CEO Quit Over China Ties: ‘Highly Conflicted’

Business

Executive

Tom Cotton

World

NASA is working on a fast-track plan to build a small nuclear reactor on the moon in a race to secure space dominance over China and Russia.
The space agency believes it can launch a nuclear reactor to the moon&#8217;s surface by 2030, according to a directive sent by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is also serving as NASA&#8217;s acting administrator, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/05/nasa-under-trump-aims-to-build-nuclear-reactor-on-moon-before-china-and-russia.html">reported</a>. The plan was first reported by <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/04/nasa-china-space-station-duffy-directives-00492172">POLITICO</a> and then confirmed on Tuesday by Duffy.
A nuclear reactor on the moon would provide a reliable power source for NASA&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/">Artemis campaign</a>, which focuses on &#8220;exploring the Moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars.&#8221; Duffy also warned that if China and Russia achieve their goal to power a lunar base with a nuclear reactor by the mid-2030s, the countries &#8220;could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first.&#8221;
The U.S. lunar reactor would generate at least 100 kilowatts of power, enough to power around 80 American homes. To get the reactor to the moon, the United States would send it aboard a heavy-class lander, a type of spacecraft capable of handling large cargo.
“We’re in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy. And some of the key locations on the moon, we’re going to get solar power, but this vision technology is critically important, and so we’ve spent hundreds of million [of] dollars studying,” Duffy <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/space/5436864-nasa-moon-nuclear-reactor-plan/">said</a> at a press conference.
&#8220;If we’re going to be able to sustain life on the moon, to then go to Mars, this technology is critically important,&#8221; he added. And I would just note that … we’re behind, right? If we’re going to engage in the race to the moon and the race to Mars, we have to get our act together. We have to marshal all of our resources, all of our focus on going to the moon, which is what we’re going to do.”
Duffy&#8217;s directive seeks to find companies that would be able to launch a nuclear reactor to the moon by 2030. The directive marked the first major announcement from Duffy as head of NASA since he took over as acting administrator last month after Trump pulled the nomination of Jared Isaacman, a friend of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, following a public feud with Musk.

Full Moon

NASA Plans To Build Nuclear Reactor On The Moon In Race Against China, Russia

Moon

NASA

Russia

Sean Duffy

U.S.

With amazement, we saw how Ukraine and Israel embedded drones inside enemy territories, lying in wait until the time was right to turn them into weapons of war — all controlled remotely. This very strategic foundation is being laid throughout rooftops across America’s cities.
Drones are proliferating around the world for every imaginable use, from public safety, infrastructure inspection, delivery services, and, of course, for warfare. Cameras are getting better, flight times are increasing, and costs are coming down. These alluring trends are not slowing. Technological breakthroughs hold great promise for Americans to grow our economy and protect our nation.
While technological breakthroughs are typically created for the betterment of mankind, nefarious ideas often follow. The Wright brothers never imagined that their creation would one day be used to fly into buildings and intentionally kill over 3,000 people in one morning.
Most of the drones used in the United States are made by companies serving our main geopolitical rival, the People&#8217;s Republic of China. About <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2025/06/15/could-this-made-in-the-usa-drone-company-beat-dji/?msockid=2a1c322aee106f4a0b782763ef026e1a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-quarters of the American drone market</a> is dominated by Chinese-made drones, meaning there are roughly <a href="https://www.faa.gov/node/54496" target="_blank" rel="noopener">700,000 Chinese drones</a> flying over our country already. As the number of Chinese drones in our airspace continues to increase by the day, the potential threat to our safety and our privacy is only growing. It’s not just Chinese drones in our skies; it’s Chinese-made drone docks on our public and private rooftops, continually networked, albeit sold and installed by American companies.
<div id="attachment_955795" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-955795" class="wp-image-955795 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202-864x576.jpg" alt="A SZ DJI Technology Co. drone inside the company's Dock 2 on display during the Shanghai International Low-Altitude Economy &amp; UAV System Technology Expo in Shanghai, China, on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. The expo runs through Nov. 30. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2186590202.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images.</div>
If anyone thinks that this is paranoid or excessive, remember that in China, there is effectively no such thing as a private sector. Chinese drone companies — like all other Chinese companies — are ultimately answerable to the Chinese Communist Party.
Across American cities, many drone docking stations are made by the Chinese company Shenzhen Da-Jiang Innovations Sciences and Technologies Ltd, commonly known as DJI. These <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwUwgpqgcMA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DJI docks</a> are being installed at our public safety departments as &#8216;Drone as First Responder&#8217; (DFR) programs. These drone stations connect online 24/7 and can launch autonomously, thus offering real-time video surveillance. While DFR is a powerful and promising innovation in public safety, concern arises when it’s implemented using DJI systems — technology the Department of Defense classifies as Chinese military hardware. Because these systems require persistent connectivity, unlike manually flown drones, they create the perfect vector for foreign surveillance or disruption. In fact, there is evidence, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security, that the Chinese government is already using drones to spy on us.
The first responder programs, when done right, expedite emergency reactions and enhance safety, however, when performed by adversarial military hardware, it amounts to a foreign surveillance on our communities. Unfortunately, a growing number of our public safety departments are adopting drone programs that include DJI military hardware docking stations.
China has already been caught deploying unlisted technologies capable of surveilling Americans within Chinese-made <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solar panels</a>. It is not farfetched to imagine them using their drone dominance to do the same thing — and on a massive scale. With <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chinas-buildup-of-the-surveillance-state-intelligence-matters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400 million cameras</a>, China also dominates the world’s <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50348861" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surveillance camera market</a>. The idea of our country’s main rival cornering both markets within our own country has been alarming for leaders in Congress and the Pentagon alike.
Recognizing the security risks associated with Chinese drones, President Trump issued a significant Executive Order (EO) advancing American leadership in drone technology. His EO is aimed at “unleashing American drone dominance” and “restoring American airspace sovereignty.” For similar national security concerns, in May of 2019, President Trump prohibited U.S. companies from doing business with Huawei, a Chinese surveillance camera company, without government approval.
Following President Trump’s lead, State and local governments have the authority to prohibit the purchase of new Chinese-manufactured drones and docks. American-made alternatives are a clear national security priority. Our modern emergency response systems should not be an intelligence gatherer or a potential saboteur for our main adversary.
This is not about fear as much as it is about foresight. Replacing Chinese drone docks with American systems is a matter of basic sovereignty, security, and common sense. Our skies should serve us, not the Chinese Communist Party.
* * *
Brad Wenstrup is a former six-term republican congressman from Ohio who served on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees. A doctor of podiatric medicine, Wenstrup also served as a U.S. Army Reserve officer and is a recipient of the Bronze Star.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Group of drones against sunset sky

Enemy Overhead: How Chinese Drones Are Quietly Claiming American Airspace

Congress

Drones

Espionage

National Security

Surveillance

China is reportedly using a “dark fleet” to conduct secret ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil in an effort to evade U.S. sanctions on Tehran’s tankers.
<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-iran-us-sanctions-dark-fleet/">CBS News</a> sent a crew to scout an area roughly 80 nautical miles from Singapore and found four ship-to-ship transfers occurring; all the “dark fleet” tankers had their transponders switched off, and “clearly do not want to be identified,” the outlet reported.
“Both ships have a net or something, a tarp, deployed over the stern, covering the name and identification number — it’s obvious deceptive practice,” Charlie Brown, senior adviser with United Against Nuclear Iran and advisor to the Trump administration, who has been studying the “dark fleet” for years, stated.
“This is ‘dark fleet’ parking central,” he commented, calling one ship, the Tifani, “a well-known ‘dark fleet’ tanker.”
“The tankers, full of oil, sail from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Malacca to the Riau archipelago,” CBS News noted. “There, they transfer the crude to ships bound for China, which buys 90% of Iran’s oil. &#8230; According to a congressional report last year, this trade generated as much as $70 billion for Iran, propping up the regime and its nuclear weapons program. &#8230; By the end of the day, 12 ship-to-ship transfers were recorded in the Riau archipelago — an unprecedented number and a clear indication Iran and China are only ramping up this illicit activity.”
On Wednesday, in its most significant Iran-related action since 2018, the Treasury Department imposed <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0215">new sanctions</a> on more than 50 individuals and entities and identified more than 50 vessels that are part of the vast shipping empire controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani (Hossein). Hossein is the son of Ali Shamkhani, a top political advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran.
“The Shamkhani family’s shipping empire highlights how the Iranian regime elites leverage their positions to accrue massive wealth and fund the regime’s dangerous behavior,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent stated. “The over 115 sanctions issued today are the largest to-date since the Trump Administration implemented our campaign of maximum pressure on Iran. These actions put America first by targeting regime elites that profit while Tehran threatens the safety of the United States.”
“Hossein’s network exerts control over a significant portion of Iran’s crude oil exports, the proceeds of which substantially benefit his family and the Iranian regime,” the Treasury Department declared. “His father, Ali Shamkhani was <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm870">previously sanctioned by the U.S. in 2020</a>.”
“Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani’s (Hossein) network comprises a vast fleet of vessels, ship management firms, and front companies—some posing as legitimate financial services firms—that launder billions in profits from global sales of Iranian and Russian crude oil and other petroleum products, most often to buyers in China,” the Treasury Department added. “The network employs significant measures to disguise its operations and obfuscate its ties to the Shamkhani family, Iran, and Russia.”

Imported Crude Oil Tanker

Secret Transfers: China’s ‘Dark Fleet’ Helps Iran Sneak Oil Past U.S. Sanctions

Iran

Oil and Gas

Sanctions

Imagine leaving your front door unlocked with a note that reads, “Back in 15. Please don’t steal the silverware.” That, in essence, is what the United States government — yes, including the Pentagon — may have unwittingly done through its long-standing relationship with Microsoft and the tech giant’s disturbingly lax attitude toward cybersecurity oversight.
Microsoft’s China-linked engineers should be setting off DEFCON-level alarms in Washington. Instead, we’ve mostly gotten silence, shrugs, and vague murmurs. According <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-tech-support-government-cybersecurity-china-doj-treasury">to reports</a>, Microsoft gave foreign nationals access to parts of the software that power critical U.S. military infrastructure.
You read that right. Engineers based in China, working for a U.S. tech behemoth under no formal federal contract, had proximity to the digital equivalent of the Pentagon’s control room.
Even worse? Microsoft allegedly failed to tell the Pentagon about it.
This is no small &#8220;oopsie.&#8221; We’re talking about a company that provides essential software infrastructure to every arm of the U.S. government — military included — quietly hiring engineers from a geopolitical rival with a track record of industrial espionage, cyber warfare, and digital sabotage. If you think China wouldn’t exploit this access, you haven’t been paying attention.
Microsoft has since responded to the report from <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/defense-department-pentagon-microsoft-digital-escort-china">ProPublica</a> that exposed the issue. “In response to concerns raised earlier this week about US-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for US Government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DoD Government cloud and related services,” stated Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s chief communications officer.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), however, is now asking some <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/chairman-cotton-to-hegseth-current-dod-agreements-and-practices-fail-to-account-for-threat-of-china">very pointed</a> questions, and rightly so. Why was this program not disclosed? Why were Chinese nationals permitted to work on products used by the Department of Defense? And who, exactly, at Microsoft thought this was a good idea?
<div id="attachment_954433" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-954433" class="size-large wp-image-954433" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719-864x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 14: U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) questions U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Hegseth, an Army veteran and the former host of “FOX &amp; Friends Weekend” on FOX News will be the first of the incoming Trump administration’s nominees to face questions from Senators. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2193887719.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</div>
The problem isn&#8217;t just Microsoft&#8217;s apparent blind spot for national security. The deeper issue is how cavalier we&#8217;ve become with <a href="https://www.spyhunter.com/shm/why-is-endpoint-protection-important/">endpoint protection </a>— that last line of defense between a secure network and total compromise. Whether it&#8217;s a government agency or a private company, relying on outdated firewalls and blind trust in tech titans is like wearing a screen door for armor.
This is the same Microsoft, mind you, that in just the last year alone has racked up a staggering number of <a href="https://www.enigmasoftware.com/cve202553770zerodayvulnerability-removal/">Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs)</a>. These aren’t minor bugs; these are gaping holes in the digital fabric — many of which can be exploited with a single click. One CVE alone allowed hackers to access Outlook inboxes without requiring the user to even open an email. Just receiving it was enough. That’s not an email; that’s a digital landmine.
Add in the explosion of <a href="https://www.spywareremove.com/remove-fake-virus.html">tech support scams</a>, the thousands of reported of <a href="https://www.enigmasoftware.com/verificationfailedemailscam-removal/">phishing schemes</a>, and malware attacks that install silently with a <a href="https://www.cyclonis.com/remove-oneclik-malware/">single mistimed click</a>, and we’ve got ourselves a cyber hygiene crisis. Criminals and state-backed hackers alike have figured out that Americans are highly advanced at building systems, but dangerously naive at guarding them.
Want another cherry on this data breach sundae? Microsoft’s move to hire foreign engineers coincided with its transition to a &#8220;cloud-first&#8221; infrastructure. Translation: the very people with questionable loyalties were potentially helping build and maintain systems that store terabytes of sensitive U.S. government data — offsite, off-premises, and off the radar of traditional defense monitoring.
Here’s a scary thought: if you were a Chinese intelligence officer dreaming of getting into Pentagon systems, would you rather recruit a spy, build a malware strain, or just… get hired by Microsoft?
You can’t blame China for trying. The blame lies with Microsoft for leaving the vault open and pretending it’s a broom closet.
The solution isn’t to boycott Microsoft (though the pressure to modernize and secure their systems needs to be immediate and non-negotiable). The real fix lies in overhauling our government’s relationship with Big Tech. We need rigorous vetting of foreign hires working on national security products. We need independent audits of source code, vulnerability testing, and real-time threat modeling. And we absolutely need to build up our domestic cybersecurity talent pool so that we’re not outsourcing our digital sovereignty to countries with conflicting interests.
Most importantly, endpoint security must become as ubiquitous in government as badge scanners and background checks. Every workstation, laptop, mobile device, and cloud node must be locked down with zero-trust architecture, real-time behavioral analytics, and automatic quarantine capabilities. Anything less is an open invitation to espionage.
This isn’t just a Microsoft problem or a Pentagon problem. It’s an American problem. We’re letting convenience and tech monopolies override prudence and national defense. The same way we wouldn’t allow a Chinese company to handle nuclear launch codes, we shouldn’t let their engineers code the operating systems that support those platforms.
Let’s not forget: the Chinese Communist Party plays a long game. They don’t need to hack into Fort Knox if we’re leaving the digital vault open with a &#8220;Welcome&#8221; sign in Mandarin. And Microsoft, by cozying up to foreign nationals while serving American defense clients, has done exactly that.
President Trump built his first administration on the promise of draining the swamp and putting America First. That promise must now extend to cybersecurity. Our digital borders are every bit as vital as our physical ones. It’s time to hold tech giants accountable and ensure our software backbone isn’t quietly being rewritten by our adversaries.
Because when the dragon’s inside the network, it’s already too late to “build” a firewall.
* * *
Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, cybersecurity researcher, founder of <a href="https://www.itfunk.org/">ItFunk.Org</a>, and a political commentator and columnist. His writing, which is focused on cybersecurity and politics, is regularly published by many of the largest news organizations in the world.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Microsoft  Zizhu Campus In Shanghai

Why Microsoft Must Be Held Responsible For Its Pentagon Security Breach

Big Tech

Cybersecurity

Microsoft

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said he warned Chinese officials that continued purchases of sanctioned Russian oil would lead to big tariffs due to legislation in Congress, but was told that Beijing would protect its energy sovereignty.
Wrapping up two days of U.S.-China trade talks in Stockholm, Bessent said he also expressed U.S. displeasure at China&#8217;s continued purchases of sanctioned Iranian oil, and its sales of over $15 billion worth of dual-use technology goods to Russia that have bolstered Moscow&#8217;s war against Ukraine.
Bessent said legislation in the U.S. Congress authorizing Trump to levy tariffs up to 500% on countries that purchase sanctioned Russian oil would draw U.S. allies into taking similar steps to cut off Russia&#8217;s energy revenues.
Trump on Monday shortened a deadline for Moscow to make progress toward a Ukraine war peace deal or see its oil customers slapped with secondary tariffs of 100% in 10 to 12 days, reflecting his growing frustration with Russia&#8217;s actions.
&#8220;So I think anyone who buys sanctioned Russian oil should be ready for this,&#8221; Bessent told a news conference.
Chinese officials responded by saying China was a sovereign nation with energy needs, and oil purchases would be based on the country&#8217;s internal policies, Bessent said.
&#8220;The Chinese take their sovereignty very seriously. We don&#8217;t want to impede on their sovereignty, so they&#8217;d like to pay a 100% tariff,&#8221; Bessent said.
China remains the largest buyer of Russian oil, at about 2 million barrels per day, followed by India and Turkey.
Bessent said he also has warned his counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, that China&#8217;s continued sales of goods to Russia that wind up in weapons will hurt its efforts to boost trade ties with Europe.
&#8220;I pointed out to them that it is very much hurting their public perception in Europe that they are contributing to the war on the European border,&#8221; Bessent said.
(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Daniel Wallis)

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Greer attend a press conference at government quarters Rosenbad

Bessent Warns China On Russian Oil Purchases That Could Bring 100% Tariffs

Scott Bessent

Tariffs

Trump Administration

Ukraine-Russia War

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sent a letter Monday to Attorney General Pam Bondi calling for an investigation into a Chinese firm suspected of engaging in &#8220;climate lawfare.&#8221;
Kobach wrote to Bondi that Energy Foundation China&#8217;s &#8220;environmental lawfare poses a growing challenge for American industry and the American consumer because it drives up energy costs. … It also weakens our national security and places us at a strategic disadvantage with our adversaries in China.&#8221;
The Kansas attorney general recently testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ted-cruz-exposes-chinas-plot-to-undermine-american-energy-a-coordinated-assault" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hearing</a> on the same topic, alleging that Energy Foundation China — a San Francisco-based climate activist group with ties to the Chinese Communist Party — funnels money to American climate groups to drown American firms in climate-related lawsuits.
&#8220;It is evident that China&#8217;s asymmetric warfare against the United States extends to our nation&#8217;s courtrooms and state legislatures,&#8221; Kobach said in his <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/29618a0d-bcc1-b75b-d41b-439177ef3902/2025-06-25%20PM%20-%20Testimony%20-%20Kobach%20-%20updated.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> before the committee. &#8220;The CCP plainly has a strategy of driving the United States away from domestic energy sources and increasing U.S. dependence on sources that rely on a Chinese supply of solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and other technologies.&#8221;
The committee hearing, &#8220;Enter The Dragon– China and the Left&#8217;s Lawfare Against American Energy Dominance,&#8221; focused on the ways the CCP may be interfering with the American energy sector, which was detailed in a <a href="https://statearmor.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/State-Armor-Who-is-Energy-Foundation-China-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by State Armor, a research group aimed at exposing CCP activity in the United States.
While the CCP develops green technologies like solar panels and windmills, it advocates for climate legislation in America through Energy Foundation China, hoping to make America dependent on imported Chinese-produced technology, according to the report.
Subcommittee Chairman Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) also noted in the hearing that another group is reportedly training judges to sway in favor of those pursuing restrictive climate policies.
Cruz noted that the Climate Judiciary Project, which claims to be impartial and uninvolved in litigation, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/climate-justice-group-deep-ties-judges-experts-involved-litigation-claims-impartiality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> trains and supports judges who preside over cases of climate litigation in ways that heavily influence their decisions in favor of the climate agenda.
Kobach wrote in his letter that, &#8220;The Senate hearing exposed that China&#8217;s ongoing asymmetric campaign against the United States extends to our nation&#8217;s courtrooms and state legislatures, and that the EFC plays a central role in that campaign.&#8221;
&#8220;This three-pronged strategy — foreign funding, mass litigation, and judicial indoctrination — is a full-spectrum assault on American energy independence,&#8221; Cruz said. &#8220;And while China drills and digs, we sue and shut down.&#8221;
&#8220;Every day, Communist China is waging a war on American energy to make us more reliant on technology that is built and controlled by the CCP,&#8221; State Armor founder and CEO Michael Lucci said in a statement to The Daily Wire. &#8220;As part of their strategy to control our energy grid and supply chains, they control non-profits and co-opt left-wing environmental groups to drive the CCP&#8217;s agenda through our own court systems and universities.&#8221;
Kobach concluded his letter to Bondi by calling for an investigation into Energy Foundation China&#8217;s deep-rooted connection to the CCP and its involvement in changing American climate legislation.
&#8220;I respectfully urge the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the actions of the EFC in America, including its ties to climate lawfare in the courts,&#8221; Kobach wrote. &#8220;It is important to learn the full extent of the CCP&#8217;s reach into the ongoing campaign of environmental lawfare in our state and federal courts.&#8221;
Lucci supported Kobach&#8217;s call for an investigation, adding that, &#8220;No sane country would allow its strategic adversary to severely damage its national security, control its energy supply chains, and insert kill switches into its energy grid, all driven through united front influence operations.&#8221;
&#8220;The evidence is clear,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;EFC should be permanently shut down.&#8221;

US-NEWS-WILL-ELECTION-CONSPIRACY-THEORIES-CAUSE-7-KC

‘Climate Lawfare:’ Kansas AG Asks Justice Department To Investigate Chinese Climate Firm

Climate Change

Pam Bondi

A new show imagines how a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would transpire — and what consequences it would have.
“Zero Day Attack” —  a 10-part series that draws its <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/zero_day_attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">name</a> from a cyber attack that takes advantage of an unknown system vulnerability — premieres in Taiwan this week. The show, which is funded in part by the Taiwan Ministry of Culture, highlights <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/with-future-at-risk-taiwan-prepares-citizens-to-resist-potential-chinese-invasion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing concerns</a> that the country is not prepared for a war with China.
Some hope it will serve as a wake-up call to the Taiwanese public.
“Presenting such a situation (of conflict) can lead to more discussion about what we should do if it really turns into reality one day,” said Blair Yeh, a 35-year-old engineer, after watching the first episode at the Taipei premier last week.
The show’s 17-minute <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAnZdVG041Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preview</a>, which was released last year, depicts a multi-staged hybrid attack by China. It begins when the disappearance of a Chinese plane over Taiwanese waters prompts the People’s Liberation Army to blockade the island.
Stock markets crash, and foreign governments start to evacuate their citizens. Small-scale civil war breaks out as citizens disagree on whether to fight or accede to annexation by China. China pressures jails into releasing criminals and recruits them to serve as a “fifth column.” Utter chaos follows before Chinese troops finally land on the island, formally beginning a war.
Taiwanese producers were long unwilling to tackle the subject, fearing retaliation and boycotts from China. And apprehensions remain: more than half of the show’s crew opted to remain anonymous, and some, including a director, pulled out at the last minute.
Producer Cheng Hsin-mei told the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/nightmares-of-a-chinese-invasion-inspire-taboo-breaking-entertainment-in-taiwan-d67764d9?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street Journal</a> that she conceived “Zero Day” years ago, but felt the social climate wasn’t right at the time. She says the war in Ukraine pushed her to bring the show to air.
“On the surface, Taiwanese people may not seem to feel the threat, but in reality, that fear exists,” she said of a shift in the public psyche.
The premiere comes as China sends increased signals that it is preparing to attack the island, which it considers its own territory. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth <a href="https://theweek.com/news/world-news/asia-pacific/954343/what-would-happen-china-attempt-invade-taiwan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the 2025 Shangri-la Dialogue Defense Summit that a Chinese invasion of the island “could be imminent.”
Per the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the United States is committed to providing arms for Taiwan to defend itself against possible attacks from China. However, it does not require the United States to use force on Taiwan’s behalf.
Nevertheless, the United States and 19 allied countries are conducting joint <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/papering-over-strains-us-allies-prep-taiwan-war-2025-07-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">military exercises</a> in the Pacific to build military readiness and to serve as a deterrent for Chinese aggression, in what are “the largest and most sophisticated military drills held in the Pacific since the end of World War Two.”
Speaking at the summit, Hegseth <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c071xm4x7g7o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affirmed</a> that “We do not seek to dominate or strangle China, to encircle or provoke. We do not seek regime change… but we must ensure that China cannot dominate us or our allies and partners.”
“We will not be pushed out of this critical region,” he added.
“Zero Day Attack” will begin streaming for American audiences on Amazon Prime on August 15, the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.

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Europe Should Think Twice About Trade Deal Backpedaling

‘Nine Years To Get Weapons’: An American Admiral On Defending Taiwan From China

Chinese-Made Opioid Deadlier Than Fentanyl Now Killing Young Americans

​​​​Battling China Over AI And America’s Future

Trump Demands Intel CEO Quit Over China Ties: ‘Highly Conflicted’

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