Thought Leadership
A report by the US research portal ProPublica has revealed that Chinese technicians have been working on computer systems for the US Department of Defense on Microsoft’s behalf.
The revelation not only triggered political outrage, but also has far-reaching consequences for Microsoft’s cooperation with the US government.
Access to sensitive military data
The Chinese employees in question were tasked with providing technical support to the Pentagon – under the supervision of so-called “digital escorts” from the US. Nevertheless, according to ProPublica, they potentially had access to highly confidential data and military secrets. An insider expressed his concern to the medium: it is not possible to say with certainty whether all actions were benevolent.
According to the report, the foreign engineers often had significantly higher technical skills than their American colleagues – a risk for cyber security and possible espionage.
Microsoft itself told ProPublica that the collaboration with Chinese employees had been disclosed as part of an approval process. Government representatives, on the other hand, were surprised – they could not remember any such information.
Ministry of Defense reacts decisively
Peter Hegseth, US Secretary of Defense, reacted immediately to the revelations. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), he declared: “Foreign engineers – including from China – must never have access to US Department of Defense systems.”
At the same time, Hegseth announced a two-week review of all Defense Department cloud contracts to ensure that no Chinese specialists are involved in ongoing projects. The immediate exclusion of Chinese involvement in US military cloud services was also ordered.
Microsoft announces changes
Frank X. Shaw, Head of Communications at Microsoft, confirmed on request that the company had already taken action. Technical support services for US government agencies have been adjusted so that engineers based in China are no longer involved in future – particularly for security-relevant cloud services of the Department of Defense.
Microsoft confirmed that it would continue to work with the relevant security authorities to review and, if necessary, adapt protective measures.
The incident shows how complex the links between global tech companies and national security interests can be. At the same time, it highlights the growing sensitivity towards foreign influence on critical infrastructures – especially when it comes to potential geopolitical rivals such as China.
