Tag Archives: foreign policy

Hong Kong Semi-Autonomy

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Here’s another hint. In the ongoing dispute between the US and the People’s Republic of China—the latest example of which is the lack of US visa renewals for PRC journalists—Hu Xijin, Editor-in-Chief of Chinese and English editions of the PRC State organ Global Times, had this:

From what I know, given that the US side hasn’t renewed visa of Chinese journalists, Chinese side has prepared for the worst scenario that all Chinese journalists have to leave the US. If that’s the case, Chinese side will retaliate, including targeting US journalists based in HK[]

Including targeting US journalists based in HK.  So much for Hong Kong’s semi-autonomy. It’s plainly a fully absorbed satrap of the PRC.

Internet Security

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There is a move afoot—and it’s making significant progress—to develop and deploy a quantum computing Internet.

A group led by the US Department of Energy and the University of Chicago plans to develop a nationwide quantum internet that could be functional in about a decade and with the potential to securely transmit sensitive information related to national security and financial services.
“What we’re moving forward on is building out quantum networks [to] someday…turn into a full second internet, a parallel internet to the digital internet,” said Paul Dabbar, the Energy Department’s Under Secretary for Science.

That would be terrific if it actually comes to fruition. Especially this part:

“Literally anything that would be transmitted encrypted today would be suitable for the quantum internet in the future,” Mr [JPMorgan Chase & Co’s Managing Director, Head of Research and Engineering, Marco] Pistoia said in an email.

Of course, that includes the personal and business correspondence of US citizens.

A problem I have with such a development, though, is this:

“A quantum network, because of physics, is by definition completely secure,” Mr Dabbar said.

No. A quantum network is not the network to end all networks. Such a network is not because of physics…by definition completely secure.

A quantum network is completely secure because of physics as we understand physics today. Security is, and always will be, an arms race between the cryptographers and their evolutions on the one hand, and the hackers and their evolutions on the other.

The biggest threat to security is just this sort of complacency.

There are other problems, and they are not unique to quantum networks, either. One such is a basic denial of service attack, where the hacker doesn’t care a single bit about encryption—at least not directly—but only in denying user access to the network or any node on it. The motive for that denial may be petty vandalism, “protest,” extortion—give me that document you’ve got encrypted on your quantum subnet (so much for quantum encryption)—to any number of other not yet imagined reasons.

Another is the phishing expedition wherein an employee is suckered into taking some action that grants the hacker access to the network.

Then there’s that personal communication secrecy—a citizen’s wish to keep his private communications private, including from the prying eyes of Government. Quantum network use would extend the tension between a citizen’s right to keep private things private and Government’s often entirely legitimate, even urgent, need to know. That, though, is just part of the noise of republican democracy.

By all means, develop and deploy the quantum Internet; it would be a huge step forward in data protection. Sooner is better.

But don’t be complacent about its security. And don’t let up on the need to protect against other forms of attack.

The Space Force Logo

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The logo is pretty cool, but because I like to pick nits, I have one here.

The text is hard to read, so here are the four explanations, clockwise from the upper left.

The silver outer border of the Delta symbol signifies defense and protection from all adversaries and threats from the space domain. The black area inside embodies the vast darkness of deep space.

Inside the delta, the two spires represent the action of a rocket launching into the outer atmosphere in support of the central role of the Space Force in defending the space domain.

In the center of the delta is the star Polaris, which symbolizes how the core values guide the Space Force mission.

The four beveled elements symbolize the joint armed forces supporting the space mission: Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines.

My nit is this. Rockets don’t launch into the outer atmosphere in support of the Space Force mission. They launch through the entire atmosphere into the emptiness of space, which is where the mission is executed/executed from.

We’re Nice Guys

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We’re not hostile, at all. You’d better stop saying otherwise, and you’d better stop interfering with us. So says the People’s Republic of China’s Ambassador to Great Britain, Liu Xiaoming.

Those who see China as systematic rival or as a potentially hostile state have got it all wrong—they have chosen the wrong target and they are heading in the wrong direction.
…
Stop interferring in Hong Kong’s affairs

The People’s Republic of China is not hostile and doesn’t threaten other nations.

Let’s see….

  • Routinely threatens the Republic of China, interferes (or tries to) in its elections, threatens it with military exercises in the Taiwan Strait that practice amphibious invasion
  • Canceled Hong Kong’s semi-autonomous status, interferes in that city’s internal elections
  • Seized and occupied the South China Sea and islands therein, waters that are variously international or owned by other nations (even if disputed among them), islands that are owned by other nations (even if disputed among them)
  • Attempted invasions of Bhutan, India within last year
  • Attempted invasion of Vietnam post-Vietnam War
  • Occupies Tibet
  • Imprisons in concentration camps millions of Uighurs
  • Routinely steals other nations’—especially ours—technology, intellectual property
  • Routinely engages in cyberattacks on other nations’—especially ours—computer networks

No, the PRC isn’t a hostile nation.

Market Performance

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Great Britain has decided to bar the People’s Republic of China’s telecom company, Huawei, from participating in the British build-out of their 5G network.

The PRC isn’t happy. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian:

Whether the UK will provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese businesses offers a telling clue to how the post-Brexit British market will perform and how secure China’s investment will be in that country. So, we will be closely following the situation.

I certainly hope it’s a telling clue, given that PRC companies are extensions of that government’s intelligence gathering facility.

Besides, diversity in 5G network buildout and operation, which will be facilitated by avoiding Huawei participation and domination, will only enhance the communications market; enhancing national security in the several nations is a happy additional outcome.