September 28, 2026
Overview
Military
Classified F-35 Components Diverted to China
By Contributor Brendan Waldron
F-35s refueling midair after participating in a British Airshow in 2016 (USNI)
The Issue: A shipment of classified F-35 components en route from Australia to the United States was diverted to Hong Kong at some point early in the summer, though it was only reported on publicly in the last week. The Pentagon confirmed it was aware of the incident and is working on retrieving the shipment and investigating how the incident occurred. A canopy for the cockpit and a weapons bay door was included in the shipment, though the full list of parts is unkown. Since the F-35 is widely considered to be the most capable fighter jet in the world, it creates a real national security concern.
Significance: The F-35 is one of few true 5th generation fighter jets in the world and combines incredible firepower with unmatched stealth. By using radar absorbent coatings, along with key aerodynamic design features, the F-35 is able to reduce its Radar Cross Section (how big the aircraft appears on radar) to 0.005m2. For contrast, a bird shows up as two times the size of an F-35. The stealth technology is that good, and gives a critical advantage. You can’t shoot down what you can’t see. According to J.J. Gertler, a former House Armed Services Committee staff member and Congressional Research Service military aviation analyst, “China has been aggressively trying to get F-35 data through electronic espionage”. Current officials have noted China’s J-35A next generation stealth fighter has taken cues from the F-35. Electronic espionage and spying by other means are difficult, but have proven reasonably successful for China. The concern now becomes what happens if they get their hands on real components and are able to reverse engineer them, or at the very least get a better understanding of the technology.
Looming Questions: The shipment was being carried by UPS and ended up stopping in South Korea, where it was then diverted to Hong Kong. It is unclear how the mixup occurred, and raises concerns about how the United States and its allies are transporting highly classified materials. Beijing’s Foreign Ministry has since claimed they are “not aware of the situation,” and Lockheed Martin has also put out a statement saying that the components diverted are "unserviceable" and deemed “low risk for exploitation”. Even if the latter is true, the United States and Australia were careless in their transportation of the material. It remains to be seen what China will gain from the parts, and comes at an interesting time as President Xi has just completed his official state visit to D.C..
Diplomacy
From Sea Bass to Statecraft: Inside the Trump-Xi Summit
By Contributor Lily Rabb
On September 23, Xi Jinping arrived in Washington, DC at the invitation of Trump. This is Xi’s first visit to the U.S. in over a decade, with the two planning to discuss concerns over trade, Taiwan, and facilitating cross-cultural communications.
(From left) Peng Liyuan, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump and Melania Trump pose after exchanging greetings at the White House (via. The 4Guardian)
What Happened? Per Trump’s invitation, Xi has arrived in Washington, DC. This marks a significant mark in the two leaders' history, as it is Xi’s first time in the U.S in over a decade, and their second meeting after just months (Trump visited Beijing in May). Both are trying to manage prevalent political issues, such as concerns over trade, Taiwan and technology. The State dinner began with a toast of Schramsburg ‘Blanc De Noir’, simulating the ‘toast to peace’ shared by president Nixon and premier Zhou Enlai in 1972 - suggesting an air of optimism. Furthermore, during their opening remarks, Trump gleefully displayed their ‘truly great friendship’ while Xi stated that he and Trump have built a ‘personal rapport’ and work towards peaceful coexistence.
Trade: Currently, the U.S. imposes a 25% tariff on all manufactured goods, and products such as electric vehicles and semiconductors facing a 100% and 50% tariff respectively. This does great harm to both economies, with the effects falling onto the consumer. Additionally, 70,000 Chinese companies have locations in the U.S. and the U.S. has 84,000 companies in China, proving that effective two way trade is vital for both countries' success. Thus during the summit, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. and China have extended their trade truce for two more months, moving the date from November to January. The trade truce freezes existent tariffs and prevents escalation, which can help in stabilizing the global economy. Xi agreed to this, and stated that the joint agreement is ‘good news for the global economy’.
Taiwan: This was the most intensely debated topic during the summit. According to Xinhua news, Washington must match its stated commitment to the One-China Policy with direct actions. Currently, the U.S. retains a position of strategic ambiguity, meaning that Washington deliberately does not make it clear whether or not it would use its military to defend Taiwan. During the summit, Xi laid out terms to avoid U.S.-China military conflict, Xi warned that any missteps on Taiwan could push their two countries into a conflict, yet balanced this with insisting that the U.S. and China could manage the relationship.
Culture: Back in 2023, Xi proposed inviting 50,000 young Americans to China over 5 years to study and participate in cross-cultural exchanges. This year he states that, given the success of the previous initiative, he wants to increase this number to around 100,000. This funding would go to scholarships, programs and activities that could have a positive impact on U.S. - China relations.
In conclusion: Overall, while the summit did mark historical significance, ultimately it can be argued as more of a show of pageantry rather than concrete commitments. There was no solution made for trade concerns, and the topic of Taiwan, while debated, remained the same status quo as before. Maintaining diplomatic communication is important though, and with both leaders planning to meet later in the year, the relationship will be sustained.
Hong Kong
Joshua Wong Pleads Guilty to Foreign Collusion Charge
By Contributor Tsz Leung Yiu
Image via The New York Times
Guilty: On 2 September 2026, Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. Prosecutors accused Wong of working with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and others between 1 July 2020 and 23 November 2020 to seek international sanctions and other action against the Hong Kong SAR and Chinese governments. Wong has been in custody for more than 2,100 days. Besides the latest charge, he has been involved in several other cases, including one related to the 2019 siege of the Hong Kong Police Headquarters and the Hong Kong 47 case. He had been expected to complete his sentence and be released in January 2027, but following his guilty plea to the latest charge, the length of his imprisonment is now uncertain.
Collusion: The National Security Law criminalizes certain forms of “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements.” Prosecutors said that Wong and other activists attempted to lobby foreign governments and encourage international action against the Hong Kong and Chinese governments. Before his arrest, Wong was one of Hong Kong’s most internationally recognized pro-democracy activists. He traveled to the United States, where he met then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other US government officials. In 2019 and 2020, Wong urged Western politicians to impose sanctions and other measures against the Hong Kong and Beijing governments.Prosecutors said that his activities crossed the line from political advocacy into conduct prohibited by the National Security Law. Wong did not contest the charge in court and chose to plead guilty instead.
Extension: The new conviction is expected to extend Wong’s imprisonment beyond his sentence in a separate case. In November 2024, Wong was sentenced to four years and eight months for conspiracy to commit subversion in the Hong Kong 47 case, which involved an unofficial 2020 primary election organized by opposition politicians and activists. He had been expected to complete that sentence around January 2027. The latest charge carries a potential sentence of three to 10 years in prison, or up to life imprisonment if the offense is deemed to be of a grave nature. The court has not yet decided Wong’s punishment. Hong Kong authorities maintain that national security prosecutions target conduct that threatens national security rather than political beliefs, while critics have raised concerns about the law’s impact on political activity and freedom of expression.
Tech
Huawei on Trial: Crime, Competition, and the U.S.-China Tech Rivalry
By Contributor Jamie Liu
Huawei’s company（Via.Bloomberg )
Huawei: Chinese tech giant Huawei is currently facing a criminal trial in US New York Brooklyn federal court. The trial began September 9, and is expected to last for about three months. The US federal prosecutor accused Huawei of criminal acts over the past two decades, including racketeering conspiracy, stealing trade secrets, wire fraud, money laundrying, and violating US sanctions against Iran. The prosecutor accused Huawei of stealing Cisco router technology, and the tech robot arms used by T-mobile to test phones. Additionally, the prosecutors alleged Huawei of concealing its business activities in Iran, allowing US-dollar transactions to move through the US financial system. Huawei has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
2019: This trial actually stemmed from a U.S. investigation that began a few years ago. In 2019, the DOJ brought criminal charges against Huawei, partial subsidiaries, and its CFO, Meng Wenzhou, of financial crimes including wire and bank fraud. The U.S. government accused Huawei of concealing the fact Skycom is actually controlled by Huawei, as well as Huawei’s business activities in Iran. Later in 2020, DOJ filed a broader superseding indictment, adding RICO racketeering and conspiracy to steal trade secrets. Meng was arrested in Canada in 2018, triggering diplomatic tension between China, Canada, and the U.S. In 2021, Meng and the DOJ reached a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), she agreed to the accuracy of a statement of facts, which included admitted admission that she made a false statement to a financial institution regarding Huawei’s business activities. In June 2026, a U.S. judge ruled that the admission in the statement could be used as evidence in Huawei’s current trial.
Rivalry: The importance of this trial goes far beyond Huawei, as it’s taking place in a broader U.S.-China technology and economics rivalry. Since 2019 the U.S. has limited Huawei to U.S. technologies ,citing national security concerns. Some of the U.S. allies have also restricted Huawei involvement in their 5G network. At the same time, U.S.-China rivalry has expanded beyond 5G to advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence. In recent years, Huawei has continued to develop domestic AI chips and computing systems, making the company increasingly important to China’s push for technological self-reliance. The Chinese government has framed the case differently from the U.S. government. The China Foreign Ministry has expressed opposition to what it calls U.S. “ suppression and containment”of Chinese companies and has expressed support for Chinese companies in protecting their legitimate rights and interest. Huawei has also claimed that the case is politically motivated and aimed at weakening its competitiveness.
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