Lotus Blooms, Tesla Panics, and Nukes Get Awkward: Why Notepad Just Started World War 3 cover art

Lotus Blooms, Tesla Panics, and Nukes Get Awkward: Why Notepad Just Started World War 3

Lotus Blooms, Tesla Panics, and Nukes Get Awkward: Why Notepad Just Started World War 3

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 This is your Beijing Bytes: US-China Tech War Updates podcast.

Hey listeners, Ting here, your go-to gal for all things China cyber chaos and tech tussles. Buckle up, because the US-China tech war just hit warp speed these past two weeks—think nuclear saber-rattling, car hacks on wheels, and supply chain sneak attacks that'd make a hacker blush.

First off, cybersecurity's a dumpster fire. Rapid7 nailed it: a Chinese-linked crew called Lotus Blossom hijacked Notepad++ updates via a compromised Hostinger server, targeting devs since June 2025. Don Ho, the app's creator, spilled that hackers rerouted traffic till December, slipping malware to Southeast Asia and Central America govs, telecoms, even aviation. CISA's scrambling, probing US gov exposure. Then there's DKnife, a slick Linux toolkit from China-nexus actors since 2019, hijacking CentOS routers for espionage on WeChat users and email—man-in-the-middle style, pure AitM gold. Oh, and CISA's BOD 26-02? Federal agencies gotta ditch EOL edge devices like ancient firewalls in 12 months, 'cause China and Russia state hackers love 'em unpatched.

Flip to autos: Times of India reports US Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security drops the hammer March 17—no Chinese software in connected cars. Cameras, mics, GPS? Foreign adversary nightmares. Tesla's already ditched China suppliers for US builds; Pirelli's sweating Sinochem stakes in smart tires. Experts like Finite State's Matt Wyckhouse say suppliers are reshoring teams, but Volvo's Håkan Samuelsson warns: "No data to China, ever." Charles Parton, ex-UK diplomat, calls cellular modules a scarier China dependency than rare earths.

Policy shifts? Trump's nixing New START extension, per The Star, demanding a fresh US-Russia-China nuclear pact. Marco Rubio echoes: China's 600 warheads balloon to 1,500 by 2035—bye-bye no-first-strike doctrine. Under Secretary Thomas DiNanno accused Beijing of secret Lop Nur tests since 2020, decoupling seismic signals to dodge CTBT. Retired Admiral Charles Richard testified: "China's growing at breathtaking pace—build up now!" Xi's betting big on hypersonics, fast-breeders, fusion. Space? Tiangong vs. Artemis standoffs had Chinese TV calling US satellite moves "heavenly provocations."

Industry hurts: Trump's pressuring TSMC to shift fabs stateside, per Cheng Chi-sheng—tariff plundering, ally or not. Critical minerals? New US trade zone to kneecap China's dominance, pumping billions into MP Materials and Lithium Americas.

Strategically? Arms race 2.0, says Acton—US build-up spirals Russia-China ties, like shared early-warning tech and South China Sea bomber drills. AI? China's drafting rules on emotional companion bots to curb addiction, while evworld pushes "cooperation without illusions"—reciprocal data shares, no zero-sum sprint.

Forecast: Decoupling accelerates, but exemptions loom for autos. China rejects trilateral talks till parity; expect more tests, router raids. US onshores, but agile Beijing's fusion edge bites back. Witty wager: by summer, we'll see AI nuclear no-go pacts—or moon base skirmishes.

Thanks for tuning in, listeners—subscribe for more Beijing Bytes! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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