February 3rd, 2026

USCSSO @GWU
3 hours ago
5 min read

Overview

This week, we discuss criminal activity in Myanmar, a court ruling on two Panama Canal ports, and the conviction of a former Google engineer.

Domestic

Criminal Crackdown in Myanmar

By Editor Heewon Park

The Ming family, a Chinese criminal organization based in Myanmar’s Kokang region and involved in large-scale telecommunications fraud and violent crimes, has been dismantled through a joint crackdown led by Chinese authorities in cooperation with regional partners.

Picture of Myanmar criminals arriving in China (via 半岛网)

Inside the Ming Family Syndicate: The Ming family, based in Myanmar’s Kokang region, ran a sophisticated criminal empire for years. They used armed gangs to control territory, extorting millions from victims and forced many into scamming to make a living. Their wealth funded a lavish lifestyle, from luxury cars to extravagant homes. To expand operations, they recruited young workers from China and neighboring countries with false promises of high-paying jobs, then trapping them in scams under the threat of violence. China eventually struck back. Coordinating with regional authorities, key leaders were arrested, networks dismantled, and assets seized. Eleven members were sentenced to death, while others received long prison terms. The operation sent a powerful message that transnational crime will not be tolerated.

Precedented Cross-Border Criminal Activity in South Asia: Before the Ming family’s downfall, other Chinese-organized syndicates thrived across South and Southeast Asia. Notable examples include the Prince Holding Group in Cambodia and the Bai family in Myanmar’s Kokang region. These networks exploited border regions to run large-scale scams, gambling operations, and violent enforcement, generating billions in illicit revenue. Their prevalence highlighted how deeply transnational crime had become embedded, prompting the need for coordinated law enforcement efforts. China’s crackdown on these networks demonstrates its growing commitment to disrupting criminal activity beyond its borders.

Long-term Impact: By taking decisive action against the Ming family and similar syndicates, China has signaled that cross-border crime will face severe consequences. The crackdown not only protects Chinese citizens but also stabilizes border regions and strengthens regional security. It establishes a lasting legal precedent for how transnational crime is addressed and sends a stern warning to other criminal networks. At the same time, it reinforces domestic support, showing the government’s proactive role in safeguarding its people while asserting a strong presence in Southeast Asia.

Economics

CK Hutchinson’s Ports Declared Unconstitutional by Panama Supreme Court

By Newsletter Director Jason Holman

On Jan. 29th Panama’s Supreme Court declared the contracts on two Panama Canal ports unconstitutional.

The map indicates CK Hutchison’s two ports on the Panama Canal, the Port of Cristóbal and the Port of Balboa. (via. BBC)

Supreme Court: On Jan. 29th the Panama Supreme Court declared the extension on CK Huntchinson’s ownership of the Ports of Cristobal and Balboa in 2021 unconstitutional. The two ports are run by a subsidiary of the Hong Kong firm CK Hutchison founded by Li Ka-shing. On Jan. 30th the Panama Maritime Authority announced the two ports would be temporarily administered by the Danish firm Maersk. The ports will be Danish run in a transitional phase until a new concession bid can be awarded by Panama. CK Hutchison’s shares fell 4.6% in Hong Kong Trading and the Hang Seng Index dropped over 2%.

CK Hutchison: The two ports have been operated by CK Hutchison since 1997. In 2021 the contract was extended for another 25 year period. This contract was declared unconstitutional after findings from a 2025 audit of the company presented to the Panama Supreme Court on July 30th 2025. The audit alleged the company had unpaid payments, accounting errors, and “ghost” concessions operating since 2015. The audit estimated that the accounting errors had cost Panama’s government an estimated $1.2 billion since 1997. CK Hutchison and the government of Hong Kong have denied these allegations and rejected the ruling. With the Hong Kong government further discouraging Hong Kong companies from conducting business in Panama.

BlackRock: The move from Panama comes after continued pressure from the US government to limit the influence of Chinese companies over the Panama Canal. In response to these pressures in March 2025 CK Hutchison announced a potential deal to handover the ports to the US investment company BlackRock and to the Mediterranean Shipping Company. The plans began to stall and the company invited Chinese investors into the deal in July 2025. However, the deal is unlikely to occur now that the ports have been taken from the company. The move by Panama has been largely supported in Washington, and strongly opposed by Beijing and Hong Kong. With China’s foreign minister, Guo Juakun, declaring, “China will take all measures to protect Chinese firms.”

Tech

Former Google Engineer Found Guilty of AI-Related Espionage Charges

By Newsletter Director Lindsey Spain

A federal jury found a former Google engineer guilty of espionage and theft of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, marking the first conviction of AI-related espionage charges in the United States.

Pictured Above: Google headquarters campus in Mountain View, CA (via Getty Images)

Initial Charges: On the 29th of January, 2026, a federal jury in San Francisco found 38 year-old Linwei Ding guilty on seven counts of economic espionage, and seven counts of trade secret theft. Ding, a Chinese national, faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years in prison for each count of economic espionage, and 10 years for each count of trade secret theft, alongside a potential fine of $1 million. He was first indicted in March 2024, having been accused of stealing over 2000 pages of sensitive technical information and uploading them to a personal Google account. According to Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence’s (FBI’s) counterintelligence and espionage division, Ding’s verdict marked the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) first conviction on AI-related espionage charges.

Personal History: A software engineer, Ding was first hired by Google in 2019, gaining access through his position working with Google’s Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) to sensitive information regarding Google’s AI models used to power their servers. Between May 2022 and May 2023, he began uploading intellectual property (IP) relating to the TPU and Google’s SmartNIC network interface card to a personal Google account, accounting for more than 500 different files. In June of 2022, Ding was offered the role of CTO with an early-stage tech company based in China. He would go on to found his own tech company in May 2023 through a Chinese startup incubation program focused on accelerating machine learning workloads. According to the DOJ, Ding’s application to the program stated a desire to “help China to have computing power infrastructure capabilities that are on par with the international level.”

National Implications: A 2018 report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative states that yearly losses due to Chinese IP theft amount to between $225 billion and $600 billion annually. According to former FBI director Christopher Wray, there are an estimated 2000 active investigations relating to the Chinese government’s efforts to steal information across varied industrial sectors. However, China’s IP protection mechanisms have improved in recent years, with a report by China’s National Intellectual Property Administration showing that court-awarded damages in IP cases prosecuted in China amounted to $160 million in 2023, more than triple the previous year’s amount.