Chinese Technology

The State of Michigan is Building Momentum Against Banning Contracts with the PRC

Posted on by China Tech Threat
In March of 2023, more than 100 residents in rural Michigan revolted against a decision to allow Chinese-owned firms to build a battery plant in the area, wanting to protect their land from the threats of the PRC. The revolt made it clear Michigan residents do not want ties to China within the state. One way Michigan leaders can heed the concerns of residents is by ending contracts with government restricted Chinese technology companies.  In our recent report, China Tech Threat revealed  that the state of Michigan spent $3,428 on restricted Chinese technology from Lenovo, that the state does not provide any details on which departments use the technology, (see our Michigan fact sheet here). This dangerous Chinese government-owned technology… Read More

Oregon’s Spending on Restricted Chinese Technology Leaves Sensitive State Data Vulnerable

Posted on by China Tech Threat
In March 2023, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley joined other senators in introducing the Transnational Repression Policy Act, looking to counter transnational repression as a foreign policy priority. Also a policy priority is ending Oregon’s purchasing of restricted Chinese technology making its data vulnerable to Chinese technology aggression. In a recent report, China Tech Threat (CTT) discovered the state of Oregon spent $69,705 on restricted Chinese technology from Lenovo. Our fact sheet reveals that these risky technologies are in various state agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Legislative Administration Committee, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Department of Education. Lenovo has been banned by U.S. military and intelligence agencies due to its connection to the Chinese government and… Read More

Risky Chinese Technology Purchases Put California Data At Risk

Posted on by China Tech Threat
On May 6, a San Bernardino man was arrested on allegations he stole sensitive information from his Southern California employers intended to aid China. The event is an ominous reminder of the need to remain vigilant to protect sensitive information, and why California needs to take action to stop the purchase of dangerous Chinese technology.  China Tech Threat’s (CTT) recent research uncovered that the state of California spent $2,910,769 on restricted Chinese technology from Lenovo and Lexmark between 2019 and 2022. The technology has been deployed by the state legislature, Office of the Governor, and the Department of Natural Resources, as detailed by CTT’s fact sheet. Key legislative, state resources, and government data held by these agencies is vulnerable to… Read More

CTT Releases No Weak Links Paper Offering Solutions for Keeping U.S. Defense Supply Chains Free of Dangerous Chinese Technologies

Posted on by China Tech Threat
[Read the full white paper here.] One of America’s greatest security vulnerabilities is the U.S. Government’s lack of knowledge of the exact components that go into the weapons and systems American military personnel depend on. Today many items used by the federal government – e.g. smartphones, batteries, vehicles, and weapons systems – contain components with backdoor surveillance capabilities that retrieve sensitive U.S. Government information, or “kill switches” that could enable a foreign adversary to disable equipment while in use or tamper with the device remotely. With the Chinese Communist Party committed to military superiority over the United States, it’s a realistic scenario that the CCP could exploit these vulnerabilities in both peacetime and wartime. Little has been written on this… Read More

Washington State Spending More than $11 Million on Dangerous Chinese Technology Puts Security at Risk

Posted on by China Tech Threat
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s latest comments about the threats posed by Chinese technology companies are yet another reminder that these threats are real.  Now more than ever it is important for states to take action, especially in Washington where the Office of the Secretary of State is one of many agencies spending millions on dangerous Chinese technology.   China Tech Threat’s (CTT) recent report revealed that the state of Washington spent $11,131,168 on restricted Chinese technology from Lexmark and Lenovo between 2016 and 2023. Our Washington fact sheet shows the Joint Legislative Systems Committee, the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Department of Revenue, and the Office of the Secretary of State are all departments that have purchased this technology,… Read More

What Did Your State Spend on Restricted Chinese Technology? Find Out on May 17.

Posted on by China Tech Threat
In 2020, China Tech Threat authored an original report detailing how 40 state governments purchased millions of dollars worth of technology from two Chinese government-owned companies Lenovo and Lexmark, which are restricted by the Pentagon Inspector General. While the federal government has taken steps to curtail spending on dangerous tech products and services, states have no collective security evaluation and continue to inadvertently expose their data through the purchase and deployment of tech products from these companies. In February 2023, we released an update to the original 2020 report with spending data for 28 states which showed they have cumulatively spent more than $230 million on Lexmark and Lenovo technology.  (See www.StatesStopChinaTech.com.) We are pleased to announce that on May… Read More

Nebraskans at Risk of Sensitive Data being Leaked to the PRC

Posted on by China Tech Threat
Reports of a Chinese “police station” in Nebraska should concern residents and lawmakers in the state and serve as a warning to bolster state defenses to protect sensitive data and infrastructure. This is especially concerning as a new report shows the Nebraska State Patrol has purchased Chinese technology that has been banned by U.S. military agencies due to connections to the Chinese government and military. China Tech Threat (CTT) recently revealed in a report that the state of Nebraska spent $206,797 on restricted Chinese technology from Lenovo. Our fact sheet shows that the Attorney General, Nebraska State Patrol, University of Nebraska are at risk of sensitive information being put in jeopardy because of the use of these risky technologies. State… Read More

Indiana Is 4th State in 2023 to Enact a Law Prohibiting Dangerous Chinese Tech

Posted on by China Tech Threat
On May 1, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed a law to prohibit the purchase of dangerous Chinese technology that could put the state and its sensitive data at risk of intrusion by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In doing so, Indiana joins the growing list of states that have enacted similar bills in recent weeks, including Idaho, South Dakota and Arkansas. Introduced by State Senator Justin Busch, Senate Bill 477 prohibits the “purchase of equipment or services produced or provided by certain prohibited persons determined to be a national security threat to communications networks or supply chains,” including China. The new law prohibits companies from bidding on contracts if the company: “would be able to directly or remotely access… Read More

Legislation Banning Chinese Technology is Necessary to Protect Hawaiian Information

Posted on by China Tech Threat
In late February, it was reported that China is likely behind the unidentified green lights that were seen in the skies over Hawaii. The concern and uncertainty this caused among Hawaiians is warranted and also a reminder that they need to be addressing state vulnerabilities as reports show the PRC is increasingly targeting states as tensions with Washington escalate. The fact that Hawaii spent $15,904,416 on Chinese government-owned technology manufacturers that have already been banned by U.S. military and intelligence agencies is a problem that has a solution. In a recent report, China Tech Threat discovered that the state of Hawaii spent $15,904,416 on restricted Chinese technology between 2015 and 2023. Our Hawaii fact sheet shows the Department of Human… Read More