Chinese, Russian Software Found in U.S. Military Apps | China in Focus

Welcome to China In Focus, I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story, a new security concern for U.S. troops. Computer code from Chinese and Russian companies were found in apps made for people serving in the U.S. military. What the researchers found could put sensitive information and people's safety at risk. A call to resist pressure from communist China. Taiwanese President Lai Qingde urged members of his party to oppose the red terror We must work together and absolutely never allow democratic Taiwan to turn back and become China's Taiwan. A diplomatic setback for Taiwan as the Pacific island nation Papua New Guinea closes its representative office under pressure from Beijing. As China threats grow, Taiwan's new drone coalition is moving fast in order to secure critical supply lines with international allies. And today marks the 27th anniversary of China's brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Lawmakers are commemorating this day alongside millions of Falun Gong practitioners around the world. Hidden foreign code inside military apps. A new security study released Monday is raising concerns about apps marketed to U.S. service members. Researchers found that more than one in eight contain software developed by companies tied to China or Russia. The findings are raising new questions about whether sensitive military data could be exposed. Researchers from universities including Purdue and West Point examined more than 220 apps designed for military users from banking and study tools to National Guard apps. They found some apps included software from the Chinese company Huawei while others contain code linked to the Russian advertising platform Yandex. The researchers say they found no evidence that data was being sent to Chinese or Russian service. But they warned that third-party software can't be updated remotely, meaning code that does nothing today could do something different later. The concern is that these software components can collect information like user behavior and location data. Security experts say that kind of information could reveal where service members live, work or deploy. The study also found there's no easy way to tell if an app contains software from countries the Pentagon considers cyber adversaries. Researchers say the findings highlight a need for greater transparency and stricter oversight of software used in apps marketed to U.S. military personnel. Taiwan's president is calling for unity to protect the island's democracy and resist pressure from China. President Lai Ching-de urged members of his party Sunday to oppose the red terror coming from Beijing. We must work together to protect our democratic and free way of life and absolutely never allow democratic Taiwan to turn back and become China's Taiwan. Speaking at the party's annual convention, Lai called for unity among members to jointly oppose the threat posed by China's red terror to Taiwanese society. He added that Taiwan's future must be decided jointly by the 23 million people of Taiwan, regardless of ethnic backgrounds and when they arrived on the democratically ruled island. Lai was elected president two years ago and is also his party's chairman. He spoke of Taiwan's strength as a democracy under the DPP government through the past decade and praised the island for not backing down despite what he called authoritarian expansion, disinformation campaigns, military threats and diplomatic pressure. Just last week, Taiwan suffered a diplomatic setback under Beijing's pressure. Papua New Guinea announced it would close Taiwan's representative office. Taiwan's vice president says China is suppressing Taiwan everywhere, limiting the island's international space as it fights to maintain its diplomatic presence. Papua New Guinea on Thursday called the move an administrative step to strengthen ties with Beijing. China welcomed the decision, saying it would deepen relations with Papua New Guinea. Taiwan says the decision was made without prior consultation and that it's seeking international support. New Zealand says it's looking into the decision as Pacific nations remain a key diplomatic battleground between China and Taiwan. The Chinese regime claims Taiwan as its own territory despite never having ruled the island. Taiwan rejects those sovereignty claims. Only 12 countries still officially recognize Taiwan, with just three of them in the Pacific. A new push for Taiwan's drone diplomacy. Taiwanese officials and experts met with the Ukrainian Japan Chamber of Commerce in Tokyo. The goal is to help Ukraine build a secure supply chain free of Beijing's influence. Taiwan's drone diplomacy task force met with the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce last week, along with Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute and several Taiwanese drone companies. The two sides aim to build a non-red supply chain, an industry network designed to reduce dependence on suppliers linked to China. Taiwan launched its drone diplomacy task force in late 2025 as part of a broader effort to expand cooperation with democratic partners on drone technology, manufacturing, training and international standards. Ukraine has essentially become a real-world drone laboratory since Russia's invasion. While U.S. tech leads in innovation, Taiwan can offer vast production capacity for drone components and advanced information and communications technology. The drone alliance push comes as Taiwan faces escalating pressure from Beijing. Taiwan is reporting a sharp rise in Chinese Coast Guard and research vessel activity around the island. Official data show 55 sightings in June, compared with 30 in May. That marks an 83 percent increase. That's also up 120 percent from 25 sightings in June last year. Taiwanese officials warn that Beijing is increasingly using its Coast Guard for lawfare efforts to create a legal basis for Chinese actions around the island. And they believe China is practicing a naval blockade to sever Taiwan-specific supply lines. In response, Taiwan's Coast Guard says they are conducting live drills with the Navy to keep those critical lifelines open. Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed from the U.S. for the Philippines on Sunday. He will attend meetings with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, discussing issues with senior government officials from across the region. China is expected to be among the top topics of discussion. We'll also have meetings with the Quad of India, Australia, and the South. We'll also have a trilateral meeting with South Korea and Japan, which is another forum we'll pursue. I think we'll have an opportunity potentially to meet with the foreign minister of Vietnam and a couple other countries. Obviously, we'll also have a chance to visit the president there in the Philippines. The State Department says Rubio's visit advances a clear U.S. priority, a free and open Indo-Pacific that delivers safety, security, and prosperity for the region and for the American people. The Department also says Rubio will use this trip to demonstrate the tangible results of U.S.-Asian partnership and to deepen the United States' comprehensive partnership with the Philippines. Rubio is also expected to meet with China's foreign minister to help prepare for a possible September summit between President Trump and Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping. Meanwhile, another confrontation in the South China Sea. The Philippines is condemning what it calls a violent attack by the Chinese Coast Guard near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippine military says Chinese personnel struck a Filipino sailor in the head with a wooden baton. The incident happened while they were maneuvering near the Sierra Madre, a grounded Philippine Navy ship that serves as a military outpost. Officials say the injured sailor was being evaluated to determine whether he needed medical evacuation. China continues to claim the Shoal and most of the South China Sea, despite an international ruling rejecting those claims. Today marks the 27th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party's brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Lawmakers from the U.S. House and Senate are commemorating the solemn day alongside millions of Falun Gong practitioners around the world. NTD's Melina Weisskopf reports. As we mark the 27th anniversary of the peaceful Falun Gong protest, we're reminded of the CCP's brutal persecution, child slavery, forced organ harvesting, and ongoing human rights abuses. Senator Rick Scott, a longtime China hawk and advocate of religious freedom, has reintroduced the Falun Gong Protection Act in the U.S. Senate. The bill would punish CCP officials who engage in forced organ harvesting, a crime in which the main victims are Falun Gong practitioners. The bill passed through the House with unanimous consent, and a similar bill advanced through Senate committee awaiting a final vote on the Senate floor. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver wrote in a statement, to be arrested, detained, or killed because of your beliefs, peaceful practices, or relationship to spirituality is unacceptable. To stand up for humanity requires standing against persecution. He and several other lawmakers applauded Falun Gong practitioners for continuing to peacefully raise awareness. But I would say to these particular protesters, stand strong. You have truth on your side, and truth is the only thing that matters. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is rooted in the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Millions around the world practice the discipline in meditation today, leaving the CCP's decades-long effort to eradicate the practice in vain. I use the example of this is putting wheat on the Kansas soil. It just grows because it's so indigenous. It's so native. It's something they fear more than anything else, and fear more than our aircraft carriers, more than our nuclear weapons. It is a free people. Chairman Emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul wrote, Today, on the 27th anniversary of the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong, I strongly condemn the CCP's ongoing oppression of these peaceful practitioners and vow to stand with all victims of the CCP's tyranny. The persecution is not limited to China. The CCP has deployed a systematic approach to suppress Falun Gong abroad through intimidation tactics, lawfare, and disinformation campaigns. Congressman Gus Bilirakis called the transnational repression unacceptable and said we must never become indifferent to such injustice. He told Falun Gong practitioners, Your commitment to truth, compassion, and perseverance serves as a powerful reminder that tyranny can never extinguish the human spirit. That is tremendous courage because they have a lot. They have, as we call it, a vested interest more than if their loved ones are in danger. That's very hard to stand. Washington, D.C. will be filled with thousands of demonstrators this week, gathering to raise awareness and call for an end to the decades-long genocide. Congresswoman Kat Kimmick sends this message. I know it is hard. I know it is tough. But people who step up and speak up and speak out, they're the courageous ones fighting against these atrocious human rights violations. And I know that in the end, good will prevail. It always does. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weiskopf, NTD News. On Sunday, Falun Gong practitioners from New York and nearby regions held a parade through New York's Chinatown. NTD's Niku Bani has the story. Right here you can see practitioners marching through the streets of New York City's Chinatown displaying banners saying truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, marking 27 years since the Chinese Communist Party started its persecution of the practice. The principles of the practice, truth, compassion, tolerance, it matters to everyone in the whole world. So the fact that that's being persecuted really affects the whole world. Spectators stopped to watch the parade, with many expressing support for the group's message. And I love that this is happening and people are standing up for what they believe. The commemoration will conclude with a march and rally through the nation's capital this Thursday. Niku Bani, NTD News, New York. And next, let's go to London, where another parade over the weekend commemorated the lives lost in the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Here's more from NTD's Jane Werrell. This is a beautiful practice. They shouldn't be killed just because of their faith in China. It's just, it's horrific. It's a human rights crisis that we're trying to raise awareness about. At a seminar in Parliament, British lawmakers recently put the focus on the Chinese regime's large-scale forced organ harvesting trade in China, where people's organs are extracted and sold for profit. The China Tribunal found in 2019 the main victim group are practitioners of Falun Gong, and there's mounting evidence that the crime has expanded to target Uyghur Muslims. What the Chinese Communist Party is doing to Falun Gong in China is genocide. They're eradicating millions of Falun Gong practitioners just because of their faith. This shouldn't be allowed in today's world. A marching band fills the streets with music here in London. Many of the marching band members are Chinese, and all of them are practitioners of the Buddhist school practice at Falun Dafa. Musicians from across Europe came here to perform. Passers-by were moved by the music and by the effort to stop the ongoing persecution, including through petitions calling for an end to forced organ harvesting in China. I noticed this beautiful band here and the Falun Dafa, the Falun Gong signage, something I'd heard about many, many years ago, maybe 27 years ago, and was horrified at what I understood was occurring to the very spiritual people. A poignant message behind the music, with many here hoping that one day, people in China will again have the chance to freely practice their faith. Jane Wuerl, NTD News. Coming up, a new Chinese AI model is shaking up the tech world and raising alarms in Washington over America's lead in the race for artificial intelligence. And Beijing's persecution of the Falun Gong has extended to the U.S. We look into a report with a researcher of Falun Dafa Info Center, Mark Yang. More on that at the break here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. A new Chinese artificial intelligence model is raising concerns in Washington and on Wall Street. Critics say it could threaten America's lead in AI and give Beijing more influence over the future of the technology. Chinese company Moonshot recently released its Kimi K3 model, an AI system that supposedly rivals some of the most advanced tools from U.S. companies. The biggest concern is that the technology is open source, meaning the code can be accessed and modified by users around the world. Dean Ball, a senior executive at OpenAI, says China's strategy of giving away its AI code could reshape the global race for the technology. He posted on X saying it could lead to what he called full AI communism. The release has also rattled investors who worry cheaper Chinese AI models could threaten major U.S. firms and the billions already invested in AI development. Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts are warning powerful AI tools could be misused if they spread without strong safeguards. The launch comes as China pushes to expand its AI influence globally, including in developing countries. The development adds another challenge for the Trump administration as it works to keep the U.S. ahead in the global AI race. The key voice in combating the persecution of Falun Dafa is the New York-based Falun Dafa Information Center. It draws on first-hand accounts from people who've escaped China, plus a vast network inside China and investigative journalism to piece together the true story of what's happening at the hands of the Chinese regime. For insights into the center's latest report on how the persecution has extended to American soil, NTD's Stefania Cox spoke with the report's author, Mark Young. This persecution of Falun Gong continues today, but many people may not realize the extent of it. Tell us about the key findings in your report. Thanks for having me, Steph. Well, I think in this report, we're really telling a very important story because we have received over 1,000 respondents from across 41 U.S. states, and the majority of them are American citizens. And close to 50% of the respondents really said they have encountered at least one case of transnational repression in the past four years. So that is a pretty significant scale. And at the same time, from these responses, we have documented over 600 instances of transnational repression from the year 2020 to 2025. And when we do compare the number of instances per year, we have found that, hey, when you compare the 2020 and 2025 numbers, there's a tenfold increase. So that is a pretty significant escalation in just a short five years. So when you put it together, we are seeing transnational repression is happening on a large scale and is drastically escalating. And as I understand it, the CCP uses a broad range of tactics, a kind of mosaic approach to undermine its targets. What's an example of those tactics? For sure. In our report, we really documented many forms of tactics because transnational repression really happens in many different shapes and forms. And this could be physical violence, violence threats, reprisals against family members, etc., etc. And I think a great example of this is how the CCP is targeting shame in performing arts. So shame performing arts was started by Falun Gong practitioners in New York. And its mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture before communism and also to raise awareness about the persecution that is happening inside China on a global stage. And as you can see, the CCP is not a huge fan of the message. And so since its founding in 2006, the CCP has been targeting shame in performing arts. And we do see that as being reflected in our survey too, because nearly a quarter of this, you know, over 600 cases were related to shame in performing arts. And one example of this is how, you know, Washington DC Kennedy Center received a case of bomb threat right before Shane's performance last year. And a respondent was at the venue at the time trying to volunteer for the show. And she was forced to evacuate after standing in the cold for many hours and to wait for the police and canines to clear the venue. And that was a really particularly a stressful moment for her. And, you know, we have to make it clear that while there were no traces of bomb or mass shooting threats, you know, that have ever occurred whenever these theaters receive a case of this. However, they do place significant amount of mental stress on the performers and also on the broader Falun Gong community as a whole. And how does an issue like this persecution directly affect Americans here in the U.S. and why do you think they should be concerned about it? For sure. Because, well, you can see that we really tell a story that every American should care about, especially if you are concerned about our civil liberties, about our religious freedom, and about the integrity of our U.S. institutions. Because what we are seeing is not just a foreign, distant human rights concern. This is something that is happening right here on our home turf, happening to our neighbors, happening to American citizens right now in 30 states. And so when we are talking about transnational repression, there are significant infringements upon our national sovereignty, national security, and also our American way of life. So what is being done to the Falun Gong practitioners right now? You can really see that as a playbook because the CCP is constantly learning. And what is being successful right now, they can employ the same exact mechanisms towards any entity or group that they decide to target next. So it is really a test for the United States about whether we can push back against the CCP's aggressions and to really protect our freedoms and our citizens. And folks, you can learn more and read the report that we've been speaking about at faluninfo.net. Mark, it's great to speak with you. I know there's a lot of bipartisan support for human rights amidst this persecution within China. And looking forward to learning more through your research about the developments on that front as well. Mark Yang, thank you so much. Thank you, Steph. That's all for today's China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. If you have any feedback on the show or have something you'd like to see us cover, send us an email at chinainfocus at NTD.com. We'd love to hear from you. For on the clock original news coverage, visit us at NTD.com or download our NTD app. Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow.