ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - October 23, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - October 23, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• The United States Adds Six Chinese Companies to Export Blacklist for Supporting Iran
• India and China Reach Deal to Calm Border Tensions
• Taiwan Rejects South Africa’s Demand to Relocate Liaison Office

The United States Adds Six Chinese Companies to Export Blacklist for Supporting Iran

On October 22, 2024, the U.S. Commerce for Export Administration announced that it would add six Chinese companies to the Entity List, an export blacklist for supporting the development of Iran’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the modernization of China’s military. Companies including Beijing Moreget Creative Technology, Hong Kong-based Small Leopard Electronics, Shenzhen Dragonfly Supply Chain, Detail Technology (HK), L-Tong Electronic Technology, and Shenzhen Jiachuang Weiye Technology were added, citing threats to U.S. national security or foreign policy. These companies were found to aid programs such as Iran’s WMD program and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs and Pakistan’s ballistic missile programs. In total, 26 entities were added to the list, including one from Egypt, 16 from Pakistan, and three from the United Arab Emirates. Once placed on the list, companies cannot receive American goods and technology without a special license, and China often criticizes such measures as discriminatory and unfair.

India and China Reach Deal to Calm Border Tensions

India’s government announced that it had reached a deal with China to calm tensions over the disputed region of Ladakh, where a clash between Chinese and Indian border guards in 2020 left at least 24 soldiers dead. According to the agreement, both countries will conduct patrols of disputed sectors following a mutually agreed schedule to prevent encounters. The agreement, which comes after years of tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, was announced ahead of a scheduled BRICS summit in Russia from October 22 to October 24, where both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in attendance. There is speculation that the deal could pave the way for a bilateral meeting between the two leaders at the summit.

Taiwan Rejects South Africa’s Demand to Relocate Liaison Office

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry informed South Africa that it would not move Taiwan's representative office in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, before the end of October as requested. South Africa also has a representative office in Taipei, and the offices of both sides function as de facto embassies and consulates since the two sides lack formal diplomatic ties. However, in April 2024, South Africa officially asked the Taiwan office to leave its capital before the end of October at China's behest. China is very likely exerting pressure on South Africa by making its trade partners sever ties with Taiwan. It remains unclear whether South Africa would follow through on its threat to shut down the office’s operations or if Taiwan insists on not moving.