NatSec Tech Episode 81: Jaap van Etten on Rethinking Tech Policy in the U.S.-China Competition
Jul 9, 2025
Jaap van Etten, Co-founder and CEO of Datenna, shares his expertise on tracking China's tech and military fusion. He discusses the historical context of U.S.-China technology transfer pressures. The conversation delves into China's industrial strategies and the importance of intelligence-gathering. Van Etten emphasizes the need for Western nations to harmonize export controls and enhance open-source intelligence for national security. As he navigates the competitive landscape, he advocates for friendly competition and strategic partnerships amid geopolitical tensions.
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Episode notes
Export License Blocked By OSINT Link
- Jaap recounts a case where his platform revealed a buyer's director linked to a firm that won a military tender.
- That trace led an export officer to block a sensitive license.
Make OSINT Fully Explainable
- Jaap van Etten demands explainable, traceable OSINT so analysts can audit every data fragment.
- He records source, algorithm, trust score, and timestamp for each item to enable verification.
China Likely Runs Many OSINT Firms
- Jaap warns there are dozens of Chinese firms doing OSINT at scale, some selling social-media tracking to the PLA.
- He says this likely outmatches Western OSINT capacity and requires a response.
