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Chinese ‘Kill Switches’ Found Hidden in U.S. Solar Farms

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Chinese “kill switches” that could allow Beijing to cripple power grids and trigger blackouts across the West have been found in equipment at US solar farms.

The rogue devices, including cellular radios, were discovered in Chinese-made power inverters that are used to connect solar panels and wind turbines to electricity grids across the world, including the UK.

The hidden communications equipment could be deployed remotely to switch off inverters with potentially catastrophic results.

The discovery, reported by Reuters, will heighten concerns that China has installed covert malware in critical energy infrastructure throughout the US and Europe. The kill switches could be deployed at any time in the event of a confrontation between China and the West.

Over the past nine months, the suspect devices were found in inverters and batteries from multiple Chinese suppliers by US experts who strip down equipment to check for security issues before they are connected to power grids. (Read more from “Chinese ‘Kill Switches’ Found Hidden in U.S. Solar Farms” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Judge Says Tariffs Are Authorized by Emergency Powers Act in Win for Trump

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You can buy a set of three pads of legal paper, “proudly made in the U.S.A.” by TOPS, for $16.64 (that is, $5.55 per pad). Or go to Simplified and get an imported two-pad set, currently marked down to $22 ($11 a pad).

Simplified is not confident customers are willing to pay much more for its products, so when President Donald Trump put tariffs on China, it went to court to object.

The case was filed in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division, on April 3 by Emily Ley Paper, Inc., an upscale stationery website doing business under the name Simplified.

The Trump administration asked to move the case to the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT). The outcome of that request could make this case an easy win for Trump once the CIT reviews the transfer order.

Fentanyl from China

The case was triggered by Trump’s effort to stem the flow of drugs coming into the U.S. On Jan. 20, Trump signed a proclamation declaring a national emergency exists at the U.S. southern border, based in part on the many Americans who have died from overdosing on drugs smuggled into the country. Among those drugs were fentanyl and other synthetic opioids made in China. Drugs also enter the U.S. hidden in shipping containers. (Read more from “Judge Says Tariffs Are Authorized by Emergency Powers Act in Win for Trump” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

US and China Agree to Slash Tariffs Temporarily After Trade Talks

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The United States and China agreed Monday to a 90-day truce in their raging trade war — with each agreeing for now to slash reciprocal tariffs by more than 100 percentage points, bringing China’s duty rate down to just 10%.

Under the agreement, the US will drop its 145% tariff rate on most Chinese goods to 30%, while China will lower its rate to 10% from 125%, officials said.

The agreement also includes a mechanism for talks toward a permanent deal to continue — and the two sides spoke about how they will both address the flow of fentanyl from China to the US, a White House readout of the agreement read.

“The relationship is very, very good. I’ll speak with President Xi [Jinping] maybe at the end of the week,” Trump told reporters, adding that “to me, the biggest thing that came out of that meeting is they’ve agreed — now we have to get it papered — but they’ve agreed to open up China.”

The president also warned that if China doesn’t agree to a final deal in 90 days, the US tariff rate would raise to “substantially higher” than the current 30%.

“I think they’re going to follow,” Trump predicted. “I think they want [a deal] very badly.” (Read more from “US and China Agree to Slash Tariffs Temporarily After Trade Talks” HERE)

How Chinese Operatives Are Laundering Mexican Drug Money In Broad Daylight

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Mexican drug cartels are partnering with Chinese money laundering networks to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars in drug proceeds to Chinese nationals in the United States, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

The Sinaloa Cartel — formerly headed by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán — is allegedly working with Chinese groups based in the U.S. to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars in cartel cash through American banks and ultimately into the hands of Chinese nationals living in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The scheme often begins in Mexico, where cartels make billions of dollars selling cheap drugs into the United States.

Chinese nationals in the U.S. travel to Mexico to pick up large amounts of cash directly from the cartels. They then deposit the cash into a network of accounts held at major American banks before selling it to wealthy Chinese clients who pay using Chinese yuan, according to the Journal. The money laundering groups then purchase low-cost goods from China, which are shipped to Mexico, and sold under the cover of legitimate trade. The proceeds — in pesos — are returned to the cartels.

Chinese laundering groups in the U.S. have grown in prominence in recent years, partly due to financial restrictions imposed by the Chinese government, added the Journal’s report. Beijing prohibits individuals from moving more than $50,000 out of the country in foreign currency, and many wealthy Chinese nationals also face sanctions, creating strong incentives to bypass legal channels. To purchase homes in America or pay for their child’s tuition at an American university, wealthy Chinese buyers have to find cash somewhere else. (Read more from “How Chinese Operatives Are Laundering Mexican Drug Money In Broad Daylight” HERE)

Dow Jumps Nearly 1,000 and S&P 500 Climbs 2.6% Following a 90-Day Truce in the US-China Trade War

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U.S. stocks are leaping Monday after China and the United States announced a 90-day truce in their trade war. They agreed to take down most of their tariffs that economists warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.

The S&P 500 was 2.6% higher in early trading and back within 5.5% of its all-time high set in February. Since falling nearly 20% below that mark last month, the index has been roaring higher on hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs after reaching trade deals with other countries. The index, which sits at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, is back above where it was on April 2, Trump’s “Liberation Day,” when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs that caused worries to spike about a potentially self-inflicted recession. . .

It wasn’t just stocks surging following what one analyst called a “best case scenario” for US-China tariff talks. Crude oil prices jumped more than 3% because a global economy less weakened by tariffs would be hungrier for fuel. The value of the dollar climbed against everything from the euro to the Japanese yen to the Swiss franc. And Treasury yields jumped on expectations that the Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates so deeply this year in order to protect the economy from the damage of tariffs. (Read more from “Dow Jumps Nearly 1,000 and S&P 500 Climbs 2.6% Following a 90-Day Truce in the US-China Trade War” HERE)

White House Says Trade Deal Struck With China

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The White House announced Sunday that the United States had reached a trade deal with China but said details wouldn’t be released until Monday.

The breakthrough was announced after two days of talks between U.S. and Chinese negotiators in Geneva.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer emerged from the talks saying “substantial progress” had been made toward de-escalating an all-out trade war between the two economic superpowers.

“The United States has a massive $1.2 billion trade deficit. So the president declared a national emergency and imposed tariffs,” Mr. Greer said. “We are confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us to work toward resolving that national emergency.”

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng told reporters that negotiators had agreed to establish a “trade consultation mechanism.” He said the two sides “have taken important steps to resolve differences through equal dialogue and consultation,” according to state news agency Xinhua. (Read more from “White House Says Trade Deal Struck With China” HERE)

Inside China’s Massive Tariff-Dodging Scheme That Kills Its Competition

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In 2016, the U.S.-China trade war forced Beijing to negotiate. Tariffs crippled Chinese factories, major U.S. retailers like Walmart and Costco halted orders, and container shipments stalled. China conceded. But in 2025, when the U.S. imposed a 145 percent tariff expecting similar results, Beijing didn’t flinch. There was no panic, no economic distress, no concessions. Why? Because China had a secret card this time.

Over the past decade, China has built a decentralized export machine: more than 1 million cross-border e-commerce companies shipping directly to U.S. consumers via platforms like Amazon, Temu, and Shein. This army bypasses traditional retail channels, pays no income taxes, evades tariffs, and undercuts American businesses. Here’s how they do it — and why tariffs alone can’t stop them.

How They Game the System

Unlike in 2016, Chinese sellers no longer rely on U.S. retailers’ purchase orders. They ship container loads of goods directly to consumers, systematically undervaluing them on customs declarations.

Chinese e-commerce companies exploit U.S. customs through sophisticated tactics centered on non-resident importer (NRI) structures and delivered duty paid (DDP) clearance. These methods, often facilitated by logistics firms and customs brokers, shield sellers’ identities and minimize duties.

Here’s how it works: Brokers register NRI entities and post bonds for Chinese sellers, clearing goods and delivering them to Amazon fulfillment warehouses. They declare low container values to avoid scrutiny and sometimes misclassify goods as other items to secure a lower tariff rate. Many brokers are Amazon-affiliated (SPN, Send, Ship Track). Platforms like AMZ123.com list hundreds of such providers. Large sellers register multiple NRIs, splitting shipments among them. If one NRI is flagged, only that bond is lost — a minor business expense. (Read more from “Inside China’s Massive Tariff-Dodging Scheme That Kills Its Competition” HERE)

Cardinal Tarnished by Secret Chinese Pact Emerges as Front-Runner for Pope

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An Italian cardinal once tainted by a secret deal with China over the appointment of Catholic bishops has emerged as the favorite to be elected pope.

Pietro Parolin, 70, is a seasoned diplomat who served under Pope Francis as secretary of state – effectively the prime minister of the Vatican City State.

The odds of him being elected as the successor to the late pope when 133 cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday at the start of the conclave are now at 9/4, according to British bookmaker William Hill. . .

Catholics in China are split into two camps – those who are members of an underground church that is loyal to Rome and the pope, and those who belong to a state-sanctioned church that refuses to accept the authority of the pontiff.

Under the deal, struck in 2018 and since renewed several times, Chinese officials were given some input into bishops who are appointed by the Vatican. Critics said the agreement sold out those Catholics who are loyal to Rome and represented a capitulation to Beijing. (Read more from “Cardinal Tarnished by Secret Chinese Pact Emerges as Front-Runner for Pope” HERE)

‘What the Machine Uprising Might Look Like’: Video Shows Robot ‘Going Berserk’

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A video has appeared online of a malfunction of a robot at a China factory.

“Malfunction,” however, might not be the most accurate term.

“This is what the machine uprising might look like: a video is going viral online showing a robot going berserk during testing,” explained NEXTA, a large Eastern European media concern, which posted the video.

One response on social media tried to explain it away: “Clearly unbalanced, then tried using algorithms to rebalance, but the algorithms were not tuned which led to wild oscillations, furthering the imbalance. This is ‘not’ an “attack.”

That might not be reassuring to two workers, near the robot when it powered up, who then jumped out of reach of the flaying robot arms, then circled around to try to stabilize the stand to which robot was attached.

The robot has become so violent it was moving the stand across the floor. (Read more from “‘What the Machine Uprising Might Look Like’: Video Shows Robot ‘Going Berserk’” HERE)

Tough-Talking China Could Be Opening the Door to Tariff Talks

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China may be warming to the possibility of holding talks with the U.S. on tariffs, following a statement from the Chinese Commerce Ministry on Friday.

“The U.S. has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China,” the ministry statement translated by Reuters said, adding that Beijing was “evaluating this.”

What observers are calling a “shift in tone” may present an off ramp for the world’s two largest economies to avoid an ongoing trade war that has impacted markets worldwide.

However, the ministry also warned that “attempting to use talks as a pretext to engage in coercion and extortion would not work.”

President Donald Trump’s decision to single Beijing out for import duties of 145 percent comes at a particularly difficult time for China, which is struggling with deflation due to sluggish economic growth and a prolonged property crisis, analysts say. (Read more from “Tough-Talking China Could Be Opening the Door to Tariff Talks” HERE)