Distance between federal agencies and Chinese PDF company Foxit

First on Fox: Foxit, a major PDF software company founded in China, removed mentions from its various government clients from its website after Fox News Digital began asking questions about its government relations and China ties.

The company develops PDF software for reading, editing and signing documents, from customers to agents in the United States. Foxit was founded in Fuzhou, China in 2001 by Eugene Xiong. Its parent company, Fujian Foxit Software Development Contact Co., Ltd. Trading on the Shanghai Stock Market and overseeing U.S. subsidiary in Fremont, California.

Until Fox News Digital began to impose backstage on Foxit, the company’s website touted federal government clients – from the Missiles National Defense Agency (MDA) and the State Department to the State Department army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Courts and Department of Transportation.

However, after Fox News Digital’s request for comment, Foxit scrubbed any mention from our government clients from its website. The company did not answer questions.

During the reporting process, multiple agencies confirmed that they either deleted Foxit products or no longer maintained active contracts with Foxit’s U.S. subsidiary.

A MDA spokesman said Foxit has been used on an isolated network, “without connection to any operating missile defense system” but “no longer in any MDA system.” The spokesperson did not say when Foxit would be removed from its system, but added that the team that initially decided to use the software was no longer related to the agency and that an update review of all software is underway.

Officials said

The image shows a screenshot of the Foxit client page before scrubbing. (Fox News figures)

The State Council source said that the Little Fox contract had existed in the past but was terminated, although there was no clarification on when.

Before the website was cleared, Foxit even published a “case study” about working with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the FDA. However, a DHS source told Fox News Digital that Foxit has now been “specially identified and listed in the list of software we prohibited.”

The FDA handles trade secrets, sensitive clinical trial data, and even health information related to biochemistry. The agency has not requested a comment on whether Foxit is still using it.

The Justice Department also confirmed that Foxit had been removed from its network last year after a security review.

Other agencies, including the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and the National Institutes of Health, acknowledged receiving issues with Fox News Digital, but have not confirmed the current usage.

Foxit is difficult to track in publicly available records: Government purchases may be recorded at distributors, integrators, or dealers rather than the company itself.

Fox News Digital identified dozens of tender requests – documents issued by federal agencies when seeking bids for goods and services – specifically mentioning Foxit software for the Army, Navy, NIH, NASA, Department of Defense and General Services. Which of these becomes the final contract is not clear.

A known Foxit contract with OSD expires in 2023.

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Foxit highlights California headquarters and “global” coverage on its U.S. website, without mentioning the listing in China. However, on the Chinese website, Foxit highlights clients such as the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Intellectual Property Office and the National Standards Committee. In 2023, it announced a partnership with the China Media Group, which operates under the propaganda department of the Communist Party of China.

According to its website, ScreenGrab shows Foxit’s list of Chinese customers. (Fox News figures)

Its Chinese website lists offices in Fuzhou, Beijing, Nanjing and Hefei.

U.S. agents typically contract through California-based Foxit software companies (rather than Chinese parents), allowing Foxit as a U.S. company. Still, Foxit’s parent company complies with Chinese laws, including the 2017 National Intelligence Act, which forces companies to assist Chinese intelligence when requested.

An analyst questioned whether the separation of the company could completely isolate the interests of American subsidiaries from Chinese parents.

“This sounds particularly similar to Tiktok’s argument. We do everything here, all the data is located here, and we have Tiktok USA. We are a Singaporean company and we have no relationship with mainland China – outside of our company structure, it’s almost owned by a Chinese company,” said Joel Thayer of the Washington-based technology and telecommunications company.

“Chinese companies are masters who cover up intentions through company applications and corporate infrastructure,” he said.

FOXIT Count IDAX.AI As a subsidiary A company tailored specifically to edit sensitive files. According to the brand content version, “The company’s AI-driven solutions target professionals across industries, including healthcare, finance, real estate, law and government.” New York weekly.

Fox News Digital cannot determine if government agencies have used IDAX.

Foxit claims to have 750 million users and more than 425,000 customers worldwide, not only in the United States and China, but also in Japan, Europe and Australia, and plans to expand to Russia, Brazil and India.

Critics warn that even seemingly conventional data can have intellectual value.

“Even if not used for secret documents, the information the company may collect is invaluable to the CCP,” Thayer said.

“You basically relied on the platform not behind the veil and gathered a lot of data about the contracts and services that were offered to our government,” he said.

Foxit initially positioned itself as a cheap alternative to Adobe Acrobat. But Chinese tech observers warn that discounts can pose hidden risks.

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“This is priceless information Any of our opponents – How much is the contract worth, what services are being provided, what technology they are looking at, what they are hiring people to do, what governments are looking for… Competitors will kill for this information. ”