On the day that world leaders gathered in Beijing last week to commemorate the end of World War II in the Pacific theater, the Five Eyes and their NATO allies issued the cybersecurity advisory, “Countering Chinese State-Sponsored Actors Compromise of Networks Worldwide To Feed Global Espionage System.” The following day, Sept. 4, Marco Rubio’s State Department, perhaps not uncoincidentally, issued the press statement, “Visa Restrictions on Central American Nationals Working with the CCP To Undermine Rule of Law in Central America.” As it turns out, the cybersecurity advisory cites “Salt Typhoon”—the alleged Chinese hacking operation that targeted the 2024 elections. It appears that the same cyber architects behind “Russiagate,” are now creating a similar enemy image for China, under the same pretense of election interference and disinformation campaigns.
Following these actions, media outlets report that the State Department is now scrutinizing social media accounts of visa applicants from south of the border for connections to China. Embassies in those nations have also issued subsequent statements that applicants must switch their accounts to “public” prior to entry, so that any ties to China can be revealed. The cybersecurity advisory was issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)—thought by many to have been disbanded. DHS head Kristi Noem said earlier this May that “CISA, under the last administration, got involved in being somewhat of the role of the Ministry of Truth,” and that now, “we have eliminated those functions within CISA.” But perhaps, those in the Trump administration just might make an exception for the Ministry of Truth—as long as it is directed at China.
