Microsoft’s China Ties May Expose Pentagon’s Digital Security
Microsoft allowed Chinese engineers to work on U.S. military software without Pentagon disclosure, exposing critical national security systems to foreign risk.
By Julio Rivera
July 31, 2025
Recent reports have shed light on a troubling lapse in cybersecurity governance, raising serious questions about the integrity of America’s defense infrastructure and the extent of foreign access to critical systems. Microsoft—the primary technology provider for much of the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense—has allowed engineers based in China to work on sensitive software systems tied to military operations. Even more alarming is that this access was never disclosed to the Pentagon.
The revelations document how Microsoft allowed engineers in China to work on the same software used by U.S. defense agencies. This arrangement, which lacked formal oversight and notification to the Department of Defense, has raised concerns within Congress.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) of the Senate Intelligence Committee has formally requested answers from the Pentagon about the nature and extent of Chinese engineers’ access to Microsoft systems used in military contexts. The concern is not abstract. In an era defined by escalating cyber competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), such access—regardless of what may have been directly exposed—poses profound risks.
The issue highlights a persistent and structural vulnerability in the relationship between government and private-sector technology providers. Microsoft, like many other major tech firms, operates globally. It employs tens of thousands of engineers in countries with divergent political systems and incompatible security priorities.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/07/31/microsofts-china-ties-may-expose-pentagons-digital-security/
