Etienne Soula
@etiennesoula.bsky.social
620 followers 270 following 30 posts
China-focused researcher at GMF, foreign authoritarian interference, disinformation, economic coercion, and more. It’s a brave new world out there.
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Reposted by Etienne Soula
sensehofstede.nl
According to Dutch newspaper NRC, Nexperia itself raised the alarm about the ‘mismanagement’ by Wingtech’s Zhang Xuezheng. NRC sources speak of the risk of Chinese persons being appointed to strategic positions. Events supposedly not related to the recent US and Chinese export control measures.
sensehofstede.nl
NRC: „Nexperia trok zelf aan de bel over het wanbestuur van [Zhang], maar wat hij precies verkeerd deed, wil het bedrijf niet zeggen. Volgens ingewijden die NRC sprak, is een van risico’s de benoeming van Chinese personen op strategische plekken. […] Een andere optie: […] belangenverstrengeling”
Waarom schoof Nederland de Chinese topman van chipmaker Nexperia opzij?
Voor het eerst grijpt de overheid in met de Wet beschikbaarheid goederen in de chipsector. Waarom is de Chinese topman van Nexperia aan de kant geschoven?
www.nrc.nl
Reposted by Etienne Soula
agreenberg.bsky.social
Researchers pointed a satellite dish at the sky for 3 years and monitored what unencrypted data it picked up. The results were shocking: They obtained thousands of T-Mobile users' phone calls and texts, military and law enforcement secrets, much more: www.wired.com/story/satell... 🧵👇
Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data
With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users’ calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypte...
www.wired.com
Reposted by Etienne Soula
fbermingham.bsky.social
A quiet bombshell in Europe’s tech world

The Dutch government seems to have effectively frozen operations of Nexperia, the Chinese-owned chipmaker, citing national security, according to corporate filing today - via @zichenwanghere
Dutch govt accused of freezing operations of Chinese semiconductor giant's chipmaker Nexperia
Wingtech, the Shanghai-listed parent, denounces what it essentially calls a boardroom coup involving the Dutch government and local executives
open.substack.com
Reposted by Etienne Soula
sensehofstede.nl
Chinese hackers said to target US law firms – The New York Times: ‘The hackers are suspected of breaching the networks of more than a dozen other law firms and technology companies in recent months.’
Chinese Hackers Said to Target U.S. Law Firms
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Etienne Soula
tbenner.bsky.social
„Rearm Europe“ will fail unless EU members come together to work with partners to do whatever it takes to break the dependence on China on critical raw materials.
If anyone had doubts about the urgency, Beijing dispelled those very effectively today.

www.reuters.com/world/china/...
Reposted by Etienne Soula
fbermingham.bsky.social
The US is demanding the EU water down its landmark supply chain law and parts of its green legislation just months after agreeing a tariff pact to avoid an all-out transatlantic trade war

on.ft.com/3VX93nT
Reposted by Etienne Soula
nickbouchet.bsky.social
"Putin’s deep suspicion toward non-Russians reflects his anxiety that the country’s regions...might one day follow the path of the former Soviet republics and break away. And yet, by russifying the leadership of his security services, Putin may be only weakening his most important tool of control."
Reposted by Etienne Soula
fbermingham.bsky.social
New: European Commission has unveiled sweeping measures to shield the EU’s struggling steel industry from a flood of overcapacity it says is emanating from China, slashing tariff-free quotas by nearly half and doubling duties on excess shipments to 50%
Eyeing China, EU unveils sweeping measures to shield struggling steel industry
If approved, plan tackling overcapacity would slash tariff-free quotas by nearly half and double duties on excess shipments to 50 per cent.
www.scmp.com
Reposted by Etienne Soula
etiennesoula.bsky.social
So, to summarize: EV tariffs aren't working, the EU is now more dependent on China than ever, member states are cooling on a joint response, and the continent's two biggest economies are either paralyzed or lethargic. Everything is going great @noahbarkin.bsky.social.

www.gmfus.org/news/watchin...
Watching China in Europe—October 2025
www.gmfus.org
Reposted by Etienne Soula
henryjfoy.ft.com
Brussels to curb the travel of Russian diplomats within the EU, in response to a surge in sabotage attempts that intelligence agencies say are led by spies operating under diplomatic cover.

Czech-led initiative backed after Hungary drops its veto. With @andybounds.bsky.social

on.ft.com/46Umr0T
EU to curb Russian diplomats’ travel as suspected spy attacks mount
[FREE TO READ] Intelligence agencies say sabotage operations are often led by spies posing as diplomats
on.ft.com
etiennesoula.bsky.social
Comme d'habitude, le secteur privé fait passer ses intérêts financiers étroits avant toute considération de sécurité nationale et européenne.
Reposted by Etienne Soula
jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social
🇺🇸🇸🇰🇭🇺🇵🇱 Once again, NGOs in the US would benefit greatly from talking to civil society in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia (and several other places) about how to deal with a government that's hostile to the part of the third sector that doesn't align with its ideology. 1/
Reposted by Etienne Soula
fbermingham.bsky.social
The torrent of UK China news keeps coming. So much for the reset...

China threatened to retaliate against the UK government if ministers targeted parts of its security apparatus under foreign influence rules, the Guardian can disclose.
China threatened to retaliate against UK over foreign influence rules
Exclusive: Chinese officials warned that targeting its security apparatus would negatively affect relations
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Etienne Soula
sensehofstede.nl
China provides Russia with satellite data for missile strikes on Ukraine, intelligence says – Ukrinform: ‘in particular on foreign investors’ facilities.’ ‘This was reported by Oleh Aleksandrov, an employee of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, in a comment to Ukrinform.’
China provides Russia with satellite data for missile strikes on Ukraine — intelligence
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine has recorded evidence of China providing Russia with satellite intelligence data for missile strikes on Ukraine, in particular on foreign investors' facilit...
www.ukrinform.net
Reposted by Etienne Soula
consilium.europa.eu
The EU has renewed until 9 October 2026 its sanctions regime in response to Russian hybrid threats.

These sanctions target individuals and entities responsible for destabilising activities against the EU, its member states and its partners.

More info ➡️ link.europa.eu/q6kkmt
Collage including an antenna, a ballot box and a laptop. The text on the visual reads "EU renews sanctions in response to Russia's hybrid threats".
Reposted by Etienne Soula
fbermingham.bsky.social
Europe hunts for chokepoints it can weaponise against China in age of economic warfare

My report on the search for leverage against coercion from Beijing and Washington.

The elephant in the room: would it take for Brussels to act?
Europe hunts for chokepoints it can weaponise in a new age of economic warfare
Bureaucrats look for leverage against coercion from Beijing and Washington but what would it take for Brussels to act?
www.scmp.com
Reposted by Etienne Soula
Reposted by Etienne Soula
csds.bsky.social
💬 "The concept of strategic autonomy is gaining traction in Japan, especially in economic and diplomatic domains, though full military independence remains constrained by legal, political and logistical limits", writes Céline Pajon for CSDS.

Read
csds.vub.be/publication/... @cpajon.bsky.social
Reposted by Etienne Soula
en.afp.com
"Disinformation" is fast becoming a dirty word in the United States.

The label is so contentious in a hyperpolarized political climate that some researchers who study the harmful effects of falsehoods are abandoning it altogether and opting for "more precise" language

u.afp.com/SWUq
Reposted by Etienne Soula
romanad.bsky.social
Dans une vidéo qui circule sur les réseaux sociaux, 3 hommes présentés comme des "musulmans pro palestiniens" menacent la France. Il s'agit d'une mise en scène.

Tout porte à croire que sa diffusion fait partie d'une opération de déstabilisation pilotée par la Russie.
www.tf1info.fr/internationa...
VÉRIF' - Qui se cache réellement derrière cette vidéo de déstabilisation visant la France ? | TF1 INFO
[VIDÉO] Dans une vidéo qui circule sur les réseaux sociaux, trois hommes présentés comme des "musulmans pro palestiniens" menacent la France. Il s'agit d'une mise en scène. Tout porte à croire que sa...
www.tf1info.fr
Reposted by Etienne Soula
fbermingham.bsky.social
Breaking: Von der Leyen says the EU will target "petrochemical companies in third countries, including China", who are buying Russian oil .

"We are now going after these who fuel Russia's war in purchasing oil in breach of sanctions"