Blast simulation, university probes, robotics fine, AI spies: 7 US-China relations reads

We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.

1. US investigates 9 universities over alleged visa fraud, with focus on China

The Trump administration launched an investigation into nine US universities over alleged J-1 visa fraud, with officials raising concerns about Chinese scholars and the Chinese government.

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2. US search for missing airmen in China gains new attention after Xi-Trump summit

For more than eight decades, the remains of US fighter pilot Morton Sher lay unrecovered in China, but in December 2025 they were buried in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina – an example of what US-China cooperation can achieve for families of missing servicemen. But that cooperation has now drawn fresh attention.

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3. US blast simulation targets China’s alleged secret nuclear testing

The US conducted a non-nuclear underground experiment to enhance its ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions that it explicitly linked with a test that Washington suspects China carried out in 2020 – an accusation Beijing denies.

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4. US accuses mainland China of targeting Taiwan leader’s family for surveillance

The US accused mainland China of hiring an American citizen of Chinese origin to surveil the family of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, days after President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington.

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5. US issues first outbound investment fine over Chinese robotics AI deal

The US Treasury announced its first penalty under rules governing American investment in sensitive Chinese technologies, revealing a US$200,000 fine against the parent of Plug and Play Tech Centre for failing to report an investment in a Shanghai robotics AI company.

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6. US seeks US$100 million bail for Chinese-born couple in surrogacy abuse case

Los Angeles County prosecutors are seeking bail of US$100 million each for a Chinese-born couple charged with conspiring to abuse young children who were born through surrogacy and raised in their California mansion.

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7. ‘China already has spies’ at US AI labs, former Anthropic researcher warns

Former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon said he was 90 per cent certain that China already had spies inside both US artificial intelligence companies. “China has the ability to hack at any time. If we pull ahead, that doesn’t give us a big lead,” Coxon said. “They can just step in, steal our progress at any time and catch up.”