A Chinese firm bought an insurer for CIA agents - part of Beijing's trillion dollar spending spree

November 17, 2025

A new comprehensive database from research lab AidData reveals that China has invested $2. 1 trillion in state-backed overseas spending since 2000, with roughly half targeting wealthy Western nations rather than just developing countries. The spending appears strategically aligned with China's "Made in China 2025" initiative, which aimed to dominate ten cutting-edge industries including semiconductors, robotics, and telecommunications by acquiring foreign technologies and companies.

Who is affected

FBI and CIA agents whose personal information was held by Wright USA
US intelligence officials and personnel
Chinese companies operating overseas (Fosun Group, Nexperia, Wingtech)
Wealthy countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Europe, Middle East, and Australia
Private Chinese companies facing increased scrutiny
Workers and communities in regions receiving Chinese investment
G7 countries adjusting their investment policies

What action is being taken

The United States is tightening laws to prevent rivals from investing in sensitive sectors
AidData researchers are tracking and publishing data on China's global spending (120 researchers involved in a four-year effort)
The Dutch government has taken control of Nexperia's operations, separating Dutch operations from Chinese manufacturing
Nexperia's Chinese business has stopped operating within the company's governance framework and is ignoring instructions
Major economies are strengthening their investment screening mechanisms
CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) is screening investments

Why it matters

This matters because China's unprecedented scale of state-backed investment gives Beijing potential influence over sensitive industries, critical technologies, and confidential information in Western nations. China's unique financial system—the world's largest banking system with strict government control over credit allocation and interest rates—enables investment strategies no other country can sustain. The strategic nature of these investments, aligned with government initiatives to dominate cutting-edge sectors like semiconductors and artificial intelligence, represents a shift in global economic power dynamics where China has moved from follower to leader. The discovery that hundreds of billions of dollars were flowing into developed economies "right underneath our noses" has fundamentally changed how Western governments view foreign investment, triggering a broader reassessment of economic security and the balance between open trade policies and protecting strategic national interests.

What's next

China's leaders have set goals to accelerate "high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement" until 2030 as part of their 15th five-year plan
Chinese companies will continue attempting acquisitions in sensitive sectors but will face higher levels of scrutiny
G7 countries are anticipated to move "from the back foot to the front foot" and "from defence to offence" in response to Chinese investment strategies
Nexperia has welcomed China's commitment to resuming exports of critical chips to global markets
Brad Parks anticipates "multiple laps" in the competition to dominate sensitive technology sectors

Read full article from source: BBC