Good morning, readers!

Geopolitics nerds like us got a treat recently, getting a glimpse of what The Five Eyes are working on.

You’ve never heard of them? It’s okay; most people haven’t. In fact they’ve never convened to give an interview together. That’s how rare this is.

They are breaking that tradition to warn people about one country:

Today’s hotspots

China’s threat to democracy.

It’s extremely rare to have all 5 top spy directors of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in one room. In fact, it’s never been done before.

But they made it an occasion on 60 Minutes recently to expose the biggest threat to democracy and innovation: China.

This is what they are concerned about.

🐾 The Five Eyes.

Intelligence organizations from these five nations collectively form what is known as The Five Eyes. Essentially, it is an intelligence alliance.

Its origins trace back to the World War II era when American and British code-breakers held secret meetings.

🐾 The Five Eyes vs. the Dragon.

The interview was joined by:

• US: Director of FBI, Christopher Wray

• UK: Director General of MI5, Ken McCallum

• Canada: Director of Canadian Security Intelligence Service, David Vigneault

• Australia: Director-General of Security, Mike Burgess

• New Zealand: Director-General of New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, Andrew Hampton

🔎 Key points from the interview:

• China is trying to steal intellectual property, trade secrets, personal data, and much more from every sector of the economy and society.

• China frequently gets into joint ventures with sensitive firms to infiltrate companies, bribing insiders to collaborate with Chinese hackers.

• Increasing number of Chinese companies are purchasing land and building plants near US military bases. Recently, Arkansas became the first US state to force a Chinese entity to give up land.

• Chinese spies exploit LinkedIn to identify and entice sector-specific workers into leaking sensitive information.

• China is meddling in elections and influencing public opinion around to world.

• There are around 2,000 active investigations related to China’s espionage efforts.

🐾 Exporting repression.

China is not only stealing state secrets but also exporting its authoritarian influence.

Wray reveals that China tried to sabotage the candidacy of a congressional candidate Yan Xiong, a Chinese American who served in the US military and protested China’s crackdown on Hong Kong.

🔎 China tried to:

• Dig up dirt on him, but failed.

• Fabricate lies about him, but failed.

Then they discussed killing him in a horrible “accident.”

🐾 Why it matters.

This interview offers a unique insight into the strategies of The Five Eyes intelligence chiefs.

It reveals their united front against China’s threat, their outreach to Silicon Valley and other resources, and the universal impact of China’s actions, affecting not just governments and corporations, but individuals and communities too.

But most importantly: Could they be preparing the public for future action against China?

Quick updates

Click the country's name for more.👇🏻

🇮🇱 Israel:

Hamas frees two more hostages.

In the midst of relentless airstrikes on Gaza, two elderly Israeli women, previously held hostage by Hamas since October 7, have been freed. After a brief stay in Egypt, they were flown to Tel Aviv for medical attention.

Meanwhile, the US calls for Israeli restraint against a ground incursion.

✱ NOTE: Hamas still holds more than 200 hostages, including a 9-year-old boy who celebrated his birthday in captivity.

🇮🇷 Iran:

US braces for Iranian-backed militia attacks in the Middle East.

Iran is stirring up trouble in the region by encouraging its proxy groups to target US and Israeli forces. The US has intelligence that the militias are planning to ramp up their drone and missile attacks, as Iran tries to exploit the fierce backlash to US support for Israel.

✱ NOTE: Despite lacking concrete proof of Iran’s direct involvement, the Pentagon says it will pin the recent assaults on US forces on Tehran.

🇫🇮🇪🇪 Finland & Estonia:

Finland and Estonia are scrutinizing China in the pipeline sabotage probe.

Guess what was near the Baltic Sea gas pipeline when they were damaged by “external mechanical force” early this month?

A Chinese ship. Specifically, a Hong Kong-registered vessel named NewNew Polar Bear.

That’s at least what Finland and Estonia claim anyway. The two countries have asked China to cooperate with their investigations, but China denies wrongdoing.

✱ NOTE: The gas pipeline, called Balticconnector, connects Estonia and Finland and is part of the EU’s energy security strategy.

🇹🇷 Turkey:

Erdogan finally signs Sweden’s NATO bid, but will it pass the parliament?

Sweden’s NATO membership is teetering on the edge. After a lengthy delay, President Erdogan of Turkey has moved Sweden’s NATO application to parliament for approval.

Yet, it’s far from a sealed deal.

Sweden’s sheltering of Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) members, labeled as “terrorists” by Turkey, has soured relations. The final verdict is still up in the air.

✱ NOTE: Hungary is also holding up Sweden’s bid.