The “Homeland Threat Assessment for 2025” report released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security highlights the various threats posed by Communist China to the United States. These threats include economic espionage, intellectual property theft, cyber operations, transnational repression, illegal immigration, synthetic drug trafficking, geopolitical influence activities, and sub-national level engagement.
The report examines key areas such as public security, economic security, and geopolitical competition, emphasizing the ways in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses both covert and overt means to undermine U.S. national interests. Of particular concern is Beijing’s transnational repression campaign, where the CCP targets critics of the regime within the United States through surveillance, harassment, and online actions. The recent indictments of CCP-supported hackers have revealed the ongoing intimidation of dissidents, theft of intellectual property, and harm to American businesses by the CCP.
The CCP’s regime annually causes the United States losses ranging from $225 billion to $600 billion through economic espionage, information theft, and intellectual property crimes. The CCP employs aggressive strategies to steal sensitive technologies, scientific research, and intellectual property from the U.S., leading to economic losses and diminishing America’s competitiveness. These illicit activities facilitate the transfer of cutting-edge technologies to the Chinese military, providing Beijing with strategic advantages.
Since 2023, U.S. authorities have filed lawsuits against over 20 individuals suspected of intellectual property infringement, violating sanctions, and illegal exports, with ties to China, Iran, and Russia, among other hostile nations.
Beijing’s illicit procurement activities primarily target American manufacturers and research institutions to acquire proprietary technology and intellectual property. Unlike hostile nations like Iran, North Korea, and Russia, who often rely on third-party intermediaries for purchasing finished products, the CCP focuses on direct theft and espionage to obtain sensitive data and technological advancements. For instance, despite strict sanctions, semiconductor chips labeled as “Made in the USA” were recently found in Russian military equipment, highlighting how hostile states exploit loopholes in the global supply chain.
The CCP further fuels its economic espionage activities by engaging with officials at the state, local, and private sector levels in the U.S. These interactions often strengthen Beijing’s ability to align American local policies with CCP priorities, creating opportunities for espionage and economic exploitation under the guise of legitimate partnerships. The CCP’s “Counter-espionage Law” mandates cooperation between businesses and state intelligence agencies, exposing U.S. companies operating in China or collaborating with Chinese entities to the risk of intellectual property theft and unauthorized access to private information.
The CCP’s subversive activities extend to undermining and disrupting American democracy and social cohesion. The Department of Homeland Security warns that the CCP employs undisclosed, coercive, and criminal tactics to sow division and erode public trust in American institutions. Advances in artificial intelligence are expected to enhance these actions, enabling the CCP to create and disseminate seemingly more authentic false information while concealing their origins. In the U.S., the CCP is perceived as one of the biggest threats to transnational repression targeting ethnic minorities, religious minorities, political dissidents, Taiwan supporters, and journalists to suppress critical voices.
Beijing’s determination to suppress dissent is evident in its ongoing cyber operations and disruptive strategies. In March of this year, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted seven Chinese nationals involved in a state-supported hacking group that targeted critics, businesses, and political figures in the U.S. for 14 years. These cyber operations aim to intimidate dissenters, steal sensitive information, and suppress opposition voices at home and abroad. Concurrently, Beijing manipulates American sub-national interactions, both legal and illegal, including at the state level, to align with CCP interests, undermining U.S. strategic stability. These strategies based on dependency pose long-term threats to economic and national security.
The increasing numbers of illegal immigrants and potential infiltration by CCP agents underscore the growing threats associated with Chinese activities. In recent years, the number of illegal Chinese citizens apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border has significantly risen. Historically, illegal Chinese border crossings from the south have been relatively rare, averaging about 1,000 individuals per year from 2007 to 2021. However, this number surged to 1,970 in the 2022 fiscal year and skyrocketed to 24,048 in the 2023 fiscal year, a 1,100% increase. This trend continues, with Border Patrol encountering 27,496 Chinese citizens in just the first 7 months of the 2024 fiscal year.
Despite the sharp increase in numbers, Border Patrol’s screening procedures for these individuals remain superficial, limited to basic inquiries about educational background, place of birth, and political stance without conducting deeper investigations. Moreover, unreliable information and insufficient translation resources from China further hinder Customs and Border Protection’s ability to assess potential criminal or national security threats. This minimal vetting prevents authorities from determining whether illegal Chinese border crossers have direct ties to the CCP military or regime.
Companies linked to China play a central role in the synthetic drug crisis in the U.S., providing precursor chemicals and potent alternatives like Nitazene. These drugs have led to numerous fatal overdose events, dealing devastating blows to American communities. These substances, deadlier than fentanyl, are used by American drug traffickers to produce cheap yet highly addictive drug mixtures, including blends with xylene and Nitazene, exacerbating the crisis.
Chinese suppliers legally produce many such chemicals in the U.S., but divert them for illicit purposes, shipping them to Mexico for transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation drug cartels to manufacture fentanyl. These cartels use pill presses imported from China to produce counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl or methamphetamine, some of which are sold in border regions and tourist areas in the U.S. Additionally, Chinese money laundering networks assist the drug cartels in funneling drug profits back through Mexico’s banking system, solidifying the CCP’s indispensable role in the synthetic opioid supply chain.
The “Homeland Threat Assessment for 2025” underscores the CCP’s ongoing disruption of U.S. security, economic stability, and democratic institutions. From economic espionage and cyber operations to its role in the synthetic drug crisis and manipulation of American policies through sub-national engagement, Beijing’s behavior constitutes a clear and multifaceted threat. Addressing these challenges requires strengthening law enforcement, enhancing cybersecurity, and coordinating efforts across all levels of government to protect U.S. interests and sovereignty against the CCP’s expanding influence.