Chinese ‘kill switches’ found hidden in US solar farms

[Surrealistik]

A) because I can read simple words
B) there is no mention of the kill switch as indicated in the OP
C) Trumplicans are incapable of individual thought and only listen to their moronic leaders and approved information sources.
D) the pure lack of common sense and simple reasoning by Trump ass kissers is ****ing hilarious

Then you would understand that 'kill switch' refers to the capacity of those undocumented and unauthorized cellular radios to control and turn off the solar panel inverters.

And for the record, I have nothing but contempt for Trump which is pretty easy to intuit if you had read my commentary in the OP.

 

[pragmatic]

Evidence they are seems to be lacking

Color me a little skeptical, also.

The story is certainly sensational. Has images of doom and despair.

But have done a brief search of both New York Times and Washington Post. Not seeing any mention of the event. Dunno, maybe i missed something. Or maybe the major newspapers are just asleep at the wheel. But for now am waiting for a few more concrete details before getting too excited.

..

 

[Surrealistik]

Color me a little skeptical, also.

The story is certainly sensational. Has images of doom and despair.

But have done a brief search of both New York Times and Washington Post. Not seeing any mention of the event. Dunno, maybe i missed something. Or maybe the major newspapers are just asleep at the wheel. But for now am waiting for a few more concrete details before getting too excited.

..

It was originally reported on by Reuters; a publication I (and most) would consider to be at least as high quality as NYT and WP: https://www.reuters.com/sustainabil...n-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/

 

[SMTA]

Then you would understand that 'kill switch' refers to the capacity of those undocumented and unauthorized cellular radios to control and turn off the solar panel inverters.

And for the record, I have nothing but contempt for Trump which is pretty easy to intuit if you had read my commentary in the OP.

The OP was solely dependent on a Murdoch company, which publishes bullshit.

 

[Surrealistik]

The OP was solely dependent on a Murdoch company, which publishes bullshit.

Sure, but the claims in that specific article were not incorrect; at worst, the wording used was a bit sensational, but the fundamental facts of it were correct.

 

[snakestretcher]

I don't think its unfair at all

Why?

 

[snakestretcher]

It was originally reported on by Reuters; a publication I (and most) would consider to be at least as high quality as NYT and WP: https://www.reuters.com/sustainabil...n-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/

Reuters, like any news agency, can only report what their correspondents have been told. Can they guarantee the veracity of those reports? "Trust but verify".

 

[Metric Mouse]

Reuters, like any news agency, can only report what their correspondents have been told. Can they guarantee the veracity of those reports? "Trust but verify".

Certainly Reuters has an anti China bent.

 

[hecatmoggie]

Why?

China isn't our friends
China does not allow foreigners to own land outright

2 very good reasons to not allow them to buy land here

 

[snakestretcher]

China isn't our friends
China does not allow foreigners to own land outright

2 very good reasons to not allow them to buy land here

Pathetic; like two children fighting.

 

[Manc Skipper]

The source/root article is Reuters which does excellent work and is about as high credibility/factuality as it comes; it can be found here:

Rogue communication devices found in Chinese solar power inverters

U.S. energy officials are reassessing the risk posed by Chinese-made devices that play a critical role in renewable energy infrastructure after unexplained communication equipment was found inside some of them, two people familiar with the matter said.

www.reuters.com

They appear to be sourcing this direct from the people who are actually doing the work of security reviews/stripdowns.

And who are they subservient to?

 

[hecatmoggie]

Pathetic; like two children fighting.

"chinese-‘kill-switches’-found-hidden-in-us-solar-farms"

just like kids .....

 

[Surrealistik]

And who are they subservient to?

Are you implying that it's a fabricated leak, and that Reuters wasn't provided with verification of the allegations? I suppose the former is possible, but Reuters almost certainly would mention the latter if it was just two whistleblowers coming to them without any proof whatsoever (on that basis, I find it highly unlikely that they would publish).

I will note that, according to their article, one major detail they appear to lack confirmation of is the quantity/scope of the problem per their own admission.

 

[Surrealistik]

China isn't our friends
China does not allow foreigners to own land outright

2 very good reasons to not allow them to buy land here

Yeah, the sheer amount of bitching China does when other countries impose even a fraction of the limitations and protectionist elements it applies to foreign entities is unreal.

As an example, American social media isn't allowed to set even a single foot in the Chinese market, yet they howl and bawl when a ban on Tiktok is even entertained.

In my view, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

 

[snakestretcher]

Yeah, the sheer amount of bitching China does when other countries impose even a fraction of the limitations and protectionist elements it applies to foreign entities is unreal.

As an example, American social media isn't allowed to set even a single foot in the Chinese market, yet they howl and bawl when a ban on Tiktok is even entertained.

In my view, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

I don't hear any 'bitching' from China over Trump's tariff stunt; just quiet laughter and dignified restraint-unlike Trump's boorish bellowing. Let's not forget it isn't only China which is impacted by Trump's stupidity, but Europe, Asia, Australasia-oh, and you, about to enjoy massive price hikes on any import.

China says Trump’s trade war ‘will end in failure’ as Beijing tariffs take effect

China’s 84% tariffs on US products come into force amid market relief after Trump pauses steep tariffs elsewhere

www.theguardian.com

 

[snakestretcher]

Certainly Reuters has an anti China bent.

I don't know about that-but I never accept news reports unquestioned without solid evidence of what they report on.

 

[snakestretcher]

And we want an AF1 from Qatar???

No, Trump wants to take it home when he's done playing at 'president'.

 

[snakestretcher]

Why allow that possibility (potential?) to exist?

There is both possibility and potential for nuclear war to exist. I'd love to know how that can be disallowed-barring complete, bi-lateral, nuclear disarmament-and that won't ever happen.

 

[ttwtt78640]

There is both possibility and potential for nuclear war to exist. I'd love to know how that can be disallowed-barring complete, bi-lateral, nuclear disarmament-and that won't ever happen.

That (lame attempt at an) analogy would be to allow foreign (potential target) nations to control the missiles used to deliver them.

 

[snakestretcher]

That (lame attempt at an) analogy would be to allow foreign (potential target) nations to control the missiles used to deliver them.

It's a very apt analogy. Possibility and potential exists for any human activity. There's a possibility I could get run down by a truck tomorrow. Neither 'possibility' nor 'potential' are absolutes.

 

[eohrnberger]

Chinese ‘kill switches’ found hidden in US solar farms

Hidden cellular radios could be activated remotely with switches to cripple power grids in the event of a confrontation between the West and China

www.thetimes.com

Paywall removed here: https://archive.ph/3syeO



Not remotely surprising; China was already caught seeding heavily state subsidized, even dumped, telecommunications infrastructure per Huawei among other Chinese companies with exploitable backdoors and vulnerabilities per multiple reports, thus resulting in sweeping security motivated bans against their products in the West and among close allies such as Japan.

Indeed. From what I recall a number of large companies had to replace a large number of server motherboards because it could access not only the OS the HW was running, but also the virtual servers running on them, and exfiltrate it.

The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies​

The attack by Chinese spies reached almost 30 U.S. companies, including Amazon and Apple, by compromising America’s technology supply chain, according to extensive interviews with government and corporate sources.​

China Used a Tiny Chip in a Hack That Infiltrated U.S. Companies

The attack by Chinese spies reached almost 30 U.S. companies by compromising America's technology supply chain.

www.bloomberg.com

October 4, 2018​

Appears that China hasn't changed their ways either:

Supermicro spy chips, the sequel: It really, really happened, and with bad BIOS and more, insists Bloomberg

Server maker says latest article is 'a mishmash of disparate allegations'

www.theregister.com

Fri 12 Feb 2021​

Such a great business partner the Chinese are. </sarcasm>
We should rely more on them, and buy more fro them. </sarcasm>

China is a global threat, and they need to start being treated as such.

While Trump's thoughtless and clumsy approach towards China and these issues leaves a great deal to be desired, this sort of thing underscores just how important it is to avoid and otherwise minimize dependency on our #1 geopolitical foe and rival for our strategic/critical goods and infrastructure.

 

[snakestretcher]

Indeed. From what I recall a number of large companies had to replace a large number of server motherboards because it could access not only the OS the HW was running, but also the virtual servers running on them, and exfiltrate it.

The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies​

The attack by Chinese spies reached almost 30 U.S. companies, including Amazon and Apple, by compromising America’s technology supply chain, according to extensive interviews with government and corporate sources.​

China Used a Tiny Chip in a Hack That Infiltrated U.S. Companies

The attack by Chinese spies reached almost 30 U.S. companies by compromising America's technology supply chain.

www.bloomberg.com

October 4, 2018​

Appears that China hasn't changed their ways either:

Supermicro spy chips, the sequel: It really, really happened, and with bad BIOS and more, insists Bloomberg

Server maker says latest article is 'a mishmash of disparate allegations'

www.theregister.com

Fri 12 Feb 2021​

Such a great business partner the Chinese are. </sarcasm>
We should rely more on them, and buy more fro them. </sarcasm>

China is a global threat, and they need to start being treated as such.

And naturally the pristine, morally un-corruptible and always honest United States would never stoop so low as to spy on China. Right? Works both ways mate, so save the outrage.

 

[eohrnberger]

China doesn't own land in the US....Chinese nationals with status here likely do...but since they aren't the Chinese government it is extremely unfair to say no you have to rent, you cannot own anything.

Ahhh, no, not really.

In 2021, a Chinese company bought land near an Air Force base in Grand Forks, N.D., sending lawmakers into a frenzy.​

​

Lawmakers feared that China, which many policymakers view as a strategic adversary even though it's the country's top trading partner outside North America, could gain control over the U.S. food and energy supply, as well as a hold on markets and critical infrastructure.​

​

Although Chinese-owned land is a tiny fraction of all foreign-owned land in the U.S., its purchases have raised fears that the Chinese government could have control, through the Chinese corporations, over U.S. assets or gain access to U.S.-based information. Indeed, during the past four decades, Chinese companies and investors have bought up land in the U.S. as well as purchased major food companies like Smithfield Foods, the United States' largest pork processor. Corporations own the majority of that land. Now legislation in Congress would restrict Chinese ownership of U.S. land.​

​

Chinese companies are just a front for CCP. I'd suspect that 'Chinese nationals with status here' are the same.
Consider how thoroughly the CCP has compromised higher education and its government funded research. In the last year to 3 years there have been arrested of Chinese spies which have embedded themselves in higher education for purposes of espionage.

In this new Cold War, China isn't going to be sitting on the side lines like they did in the last one, apparently.

 

[snakestretcher]

Ahhh, no, not really.

In 2021, a Chinese company bought land near an Air Force base in Grand Forks, N.D., sending lawmakers into a frenzy.​

​

Lawmakers feared that China, which many policymakers view as a strategic adversary even though it's the country's top trading partner outside North America, could gain control over the U.S. food and energy supply, as well as a hold on markets and critical infrastructure.​

​

Although Chinese-owned land is a tiny fraction of all foreign-owned land in the U.S., its purchases have raised fears that the Chinese government could have control, through the Chinese corporations, over U.S. assets or gain access to U.S.-based information. Indeed, during the past four decades, Chinese companies and investors have bought up land in the U.S. as well as purchased major food companies like Smithfield Foods, the United States' largest pork processor. Corporations own the majority of that land. Now legislation in Congress would restrict Chinese ownership of U.S. land.​

​

Chinese companies are just a front for CCP. I'd suspect that 'Chinese nationals with status here' are the same.
Consider how thoroughly the CCP has compromised higher education and its government funded research. In the last year to 3 years there have been arrested of Chinese spies which have embedded themselves in higher education for purposes of espionage.

In this new Cold War, China isn't going to be sitting on the side lines like they did in the last one, apparently.

Buying Property in China as a Foreigner

Property and house buying guide to China. What costs are involved? How complex is the buying process? A step-by-step house buying guide.

www.globalpropertyguide.com

Buying property in China as a foreigner (2024): The complete guide

Buying property in China? Our guide covers legal, financial, and cultural aspects. Explore tips and insights for a successful real estate investment.

wise.com

Setting Up a Company in China: A Complete Guide - ARC Group

China has been active in lifting restrictions on foreign investments in the past years, with a goal to make the market more attractive. One example is the Negative List, a list of industry sectors that prohibit foreign investments, which had 117 items in 2022, down from 151 items in 2018. The...

arc-group.com

 

[Surrealistik]

I don't hear any 'bitching' from China over Trump's tariff stunt; just quiet laughter and dignified restraint-unlike Trump's boorish bellowing. Let's not forget it isn't only China which is impacted by Trump's stupidity, but Europe, Asia, Australasia-oh, and you, about to enjoy massive price hikes on any import.

China says Trump’s trade war ‘will end in failure’ as Beijing tariffs take effect

China’s 84% tariffs on US products come into force amid market relief after Trump pauses steep tariffs elsewhere

www.theguardian.com

Dual citizen, but I live in Canada, so I'm not quite sure how massive they'll ultimately be.

And I can't say that China hasn't responded with anger or protest to Trump's tariffs, not that I support them in the first place.

It is factually true though that China features completely unfair, asymmetrical and protectionist trade practices, and it is the height of hypocrisy for it to get upset over foreign countries doing the same or similar to Chinese companies and business interests (though this is not what Trump's tariffs are about).