FBI Opens New Cyber Investigation against China Every 10 Hours as Tensions Rise Over Military Drills and Naval Passages

Fox News contributor Dan Hoffman commented on the FBI director’s statement that the bureau opens a new investigation into China every 10 hours during a segment on ‘Your World.’ Meanwhile, China’s military criticized a recent US Navy destroyer’s passage through the Taiwan Strait, less than two weeks before the island’s new president takes office. The US Navy’s 7th Fleet confirmed that the USS Halsey conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit, passing through a corridor beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state. China’s military spokesperson accused the US of publicly hyping the transit, a practice that has become standard when Beijing views such announcements as a means of challenging its claim to some control over who can pass freely through the strait. The US Navy stated that the transit demonstrated its commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations. The last such passage occurred on April 17, following talks between US and Chinese defense chiefs aimed at reducing regional tensions. However, military-to-military contacts stalled in August 2022 after China suspended all such communication following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The critical strait, which is 100 miles wide and separates China from Taiwan, is vital to global trade, but China views the passage of warships from the US, UK, and other countries as a challenge to its sovereignty. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported detecting 23 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships around the island in the previous 24 hours, with eight planes crossing the median line in the strait and entering Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. This resulted in Taiwan deploying fighter jets and putting coastal missile batteries and naval craft on alert. In addition to these activities, the US Navy also conducts freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, sailing and flying near Chinese-held features, which China claims virtually in its entirety. These actions provoke strong responses from China, which views them as destabilizing the region. The US asserts its right under international law to sail in the area, and a U.N.-backed arbitration panel has rejected China’s claims; however, Beijing continues to ignore it.