Voice of America Chinese Broadcast (August 5, 2026)

The program reported on negotiations between the United States and Iran regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iran nuclear issue, casualties from airstrikes and drone attacks between Russia and Ukraine, as well as case and death data from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The program also covered Japan's new defense white paper, joint U.S.-Japan intervention in the yen, the South China Sea dispute, Taiwan's Han Kuang exercise and U.S.-Taiwan military exchanges, and the continuation of traditional pottery craftsmanship in Iraq.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said that there is a chance of a breakthrough in the Strait of Hormuz crisis and that an agreement to reopen the waterway could be reached soon. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said that negotiations between the United States and Iran regarding the Strait of Hormuz have made progress, but that achieving the denuclearization of the Iranian regime remains the ultimate agreement. Russian and Ukrainian officials said that Russian airstrikes across Ukraine killed at least five civilians, while Ukrainian drone attacks resulted in six deaths inside Russia. More than 1,700 people have been confirmed dead in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on August 4 that there is a chance of a breakthrough in the Strait of Hormuz crisis and that an agreement to reopen the waterway could be reached soon. On Tuesday, Qatar, one of the mediators between the United States and Iran, confirmed that efforts to prevent escalation, reopen the strait, and give all parties an opportunity for a diplomatic solution are at a stage of significant progress.

Bessent made these comments in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday morning. During this time, commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz suffered another attack. The U.S. Treasury Secretary said: "We are in talks with the Iranian side, and we have a chance today or tomorrow to reach an agreement to open the strait and move toward a more normalized state in this conflict."

Amid this news, British maritime security organizations and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a merchant ship was targeted in a latest attack. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the attack occurred on Monday evening near the coast of Oman, where the cargo ship was struck by an unidentified projectile.

Bessent said he expects the agreement to allow free passage through the strait. The Strait of Hormuz is a maritime chokepoint and a vital route for one-fifth of the world's energy supply. Bessent emphasized the U.S. position that no fees can be charged to ships using this international waterway. In response to a question about whether Iran might charge a toll, he said that would mean freedom of navigation.

Bessent said that although the situation there remains somewhat unstable over the past few days, several vessels have already sailed out. He predicted that with the reopening of the strait, energy prices will fall back, and seafarers stranded due to attacks on commercial ships will also be freed.

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated on August 4 that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran regarding the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz have made progress, but he emphasized that the denuclearization of the Iranian regime remains the ultimate goal of any final agreement. When asked about the possibility of reaching a deal with Iran as mediators like Qatar renew efforts to de-escalate tensions, Rubio said the U.S.-Iran negotiations focus on two strategic objectives: first, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and second, preventing the Iranian regime from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Rubio noted that the Strait of Hormuz is currently open, with various vessels, including oil tankers, passing through. He said, "I think at the moment we are engaged in a dialogue and negotiation between Oman and Iran, discussing how to allow more vessels to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz in the short term, while moving toward long-term negotiations on denuclearization. It is fair to say that these negotiations have made some progress, but there is no final result yet. We hope to achieve that soon."

The U.S. military stated that Iran has attacked dozens of commercial vessels transiting the international waterway, violating interim agreements, and the U.S. has carried out retaliatory strikes. Iran stated it would not allow U.S. interference in the management of the strait and insisted it is discussing the matter with Oman. Tehran has repeatedly threatened international shipping in the strait, using this vital waterway as a bargaining chip to disrupt the flow of global energy.

Officials from both Russia and Ukraine stated that on August 4, Russian airstrikes across Ukraine killed at least 5 civilians, while Ukrainian drone attacks resulted in 6 deaths within Russian territory. Meanwhile, the fighting has spread to Black Sea shipping, drawing warnings from Turkey.

Local officials said Russian warplanes dropped two glide bombs on the city center of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, injuring 22 people and damaging residential buildings. Officials urged residents to evacuate. In the northern Sumy region, the governor said Russian guided bombs killed two girls, aged 5 and 10, and an elderly woman. Officials said other Russian attacks also killed an 89-year-old woman in the southern city of Mykolaiv and one person in the Kharkiv region.

Ukraine has also accused Russia of committing war crimes. Previously, a video released by police showed a drone chasing and wounding a street vendor in the southern city of Kherson. President Zelensky said, "We must take action to force Russia to seriously consider peace as a way to protect lives." The United Nations stated that more than 1,600 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In Russia, the governor of the Moscow region said a Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at a warehouse, killing 5 people and injuring 10. A woman was killed in the Belgorod region near the border. A Ukrainian commander said Ukrainian drones also hit Wildberries warehouses near St. Petersburg and Moscow, as part of an operation targeting the company's facilities. In less than three weeks, 15 Wildberries facilities have been targeted. Wildberries is Russia's largest online retailer.

Turkey called on Russia and Ukraine on August 4 to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. This followed a drone attack on a Turkish-owned cargo ship near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, which left 3 crew members seriously injured. Ankara warned that these attacks threaten global food supplies.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 1,700 people have been confirmed dead in the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record. Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo said they have confirmed at least 3,800 cases and approximately 1,707 deaths, with more than 700 patients currently in isolation and treatment. Since the outbreak began in mid-May, another 727 people infected with the virus have recovered.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that limited medical infrastructure, ongoing regional conflict, violence against medical personnel, and shortages of personal protective equipment have made responding to the outbreak more difficult.

Jean Kaseya, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo on August 4 and stated that his agency and the World Health Organization are working to find every case and contact, protect medical personnel, bring testing and care closer to communities, build trust, and provide sufficient resources for the response effort.

This outbreak involves a strain of the Ebola virus called Bundibugyo, for which there are currently no approved treatments or vaccines. WHO official Singir said that research into experimental treatments, preventive drugs, and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain has yielded some promising results. He said that compared to previous Ebola outbreaks, it has been possible to begin experiments much faster this time.

Vasanthapuram Moorty, acting head of the World Health Organization's Research and Development Blueprint plan, said: "The preclinical data we are seeing are indeed encouraging." Moorty cautioned that clinical trials are still needed to determine whether these therapies and vaccines are effective. The WHO is funding a treatment trial at 3 medical facilities in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is the area hardest hit by the outbreak. Currently, two vaccine trials are underway in the UK and Canada.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense released its 2026 defense white paper on August 4, listing China as the greatest strategic challenge and emphasizing that Japan will continue to place the Japan-U.S. alliance at the core of its security. The white paper also mentioned new operational methods, calling for enhanced use of artificial intelligence and drones on the battlefield.

This annual assessment report addressing the threats posed by China, Russia, and North Korea calls on Japan, which is constrained by post-war military restrictions, to maximize technological power, fund startups, and view Japan's current efforts to rapidly expand its military strength as a way to protect the country and a pathway to greater prosperity.

The white paper points out that China's external posture, military activities, and other measures have become a matter of serious concern for Japan and the international community, constituting the greatest strategic challenge. Japan should mobilize its comprehensive national power and cooperate and coordinate with allies, like-minded countries, and other parties to address this challenge.

The white paper emphasizes that Japan will continue to place the Japan-U.S. alliance at the core of its security, deepen defense cooperation with like-minded countries such as Australia, India, and NATO, and enhance overall deterrence capabilities through joint training, equipment sharing, and industrial cooperation.

The white paper also specifically notes that the overall military balance between China and Taiwan is rapidly tilting in China's favor, and China's attempts to achieve reunification through gray-zone military activities are increasingly raising concerns. In addition, there is a possibility that China could impose a gray-zone blockade on Taiwan by forward-deploying coast guard vessels.

The white paper focuses on the South China Sea issue, considering it to be directly related to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The white paper states that China, based on its illegal maritime claims, has stepped up activities and promoted militarization in the South China Sea, which is an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo through force or coercion, causing deep concern in Japan.

The white paper also emphasizes the benefits of defense investment for the overall economy and people's livelihoods. Military experts expect the new strategy to call for further increases in defense spending, with the primary purpose of deterring China, preventing it from provoking a conflict involving Taiwan, and thereby avoiding Japan being dragged into a protracted war. This white paper adopts an anime-style cover design rather than elements such as armies, weapons, or military insignia commonly seen in previous versions. Defense Ministry officials stated that this design conveys a sense of the future.

U.S. Treasury Department and Japan's Ministry of Finance jointly confirmed that the two countries joined forces to buy Japanese yen on July 31, Eastern Time, and stated that they will not hesitate to take further joint action if necessary. This is the first time in 15 years that the two sides have jointly intervened in Japan's exchange rate. President Trump said the U.S. helped support the yen out of friendship.

On the evening of August 2, Eastern Time, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed coordinated foreign exchange intervention measures with Japan, which effectively curbed the disorderly volatility of the yen. He also stated that the Treasury Department will continue to closely monitor market dynamics and maintain close communication with Japan's Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan. He said: "We will not hesitate to participate in further joint intervention actions."

Japan's Ministry of Finance also confirmed the news in a statement on Monday, stating that Japan's Ministry of Finance will continue to closely monitor the market, maintain communication with the U.S. Treasury Department, and will not hesitate to carry out further joint interventions.

Bessent said the U.S. approach demonstrates that the Trump administration has brought tangible benefits to America's trusted partners. Economic security is national security, and the U.S.-Japan alliance is built upon both. Prior to this, President Trump stated on Sunday that the U.S. helping Japan support the yen is both out of friendship and to help the world economy.

Over the past 30 years, joint currency market interventions by the U.S. and Japan have occurred only twice. During the 1998 Asian financial crisis, the U.S. and Japan once jointly bought yen; after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake triggered abnormal appreciation of the yen, the G7 including the U.S. and Japan launched a joint intervention.

Among the three major stock indices on Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.71%, the S&P 500 index rose 1.79%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 2.59%.

The top U.S. military commander in the Indo-Pacific said on August 3 that coercive actions by China and its actors are challenging regional stability, warning that Washington will not allow any nation to dominate the region. Meanwhile, China held military exercises near disputed reefs in the South China Sea, where the Philippines also claims sovereignty, and strengthened its administrative control over the relevant waters.

Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, stated that China and other actors are using false claims of legitimacy to justify intimidation and coercion. He made these remarks via video link at a regional security conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

"That is not the rule of law, that is rule by law," Paparo said. "The distinction between law as a tool of order and law as a weapon of naked power is a fundamental dividing line of our time." The conference, hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command from August 3 to 6, focused on legal and security challenges from the seabed to space, and the agenda included a discussion commemorating the 10th anniversary of the South China Sea arbitration ruling.

Paparo said the U.S. goal is to deter China through strength rather than seeking confrontation. He stated that we will not allow any nation to dominate the region, nor will we allow any nation to erase the hard-won sovereign rights of independent nations.

Paparo's remarks came as tensions between China and the Philippines escalated over Scarborough Shoal, which is located west of the Philippine island of Luzon and holds significant strategic importance. China calls it Huangyan Island, while the Philippines calls it Bajo de Masinloc, and both countries claim sovereignty over it.

According to Chinese state media, China held joint naval and air exercises near Huangyan Island last Saturday to test the military's ability to coordinate maritime and aerial operations and provide rapid reinforcements. Beijing also announced management regulations for a nature reserve established around Huangyan Island, prohibiting unauthorized fishing, mining, and coral harvesting. China announced the establishment of this nature reserve last year.

Before China took these actions, the Philippines submitted a formal nautical chart regarding Scarborough Shoal to the United Nations. The chart marks the baselines of the reefs claimed by the Philippines and the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea as stipulated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Philippine move illegal and invalid, stating that Huangyan Island is China's inherent territory and has never been included within the Philippine territory defined by international treaties. China demanded that Manila stop what Beijing calls infringing and provocative actions, warning that China will respond resolutely.

China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. In 2012, after a months-long maritime standoff with the Philippines, China gained de facto control over Scarborough Shoal. Since then, Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels have had multiple standoffs near this reef and other disputed waters.

Another hotspot for standoffs between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea is Second Thomas Shoal, which China calls Ren'ai Reef and the Philippines calls Ayungin Shoal. In 1999, the Philippines grounded an old landing ship there to assert sovereignty and used it as an outpost. Beijing has consistently demanded that Manila tow the warship away and has blocked the Philippines from delivering military supplies to the soldiers stationed on the ship.

The Philippines has accused Chinese vessels of using water cannons, ramming ships, obstructing resupply missions, and engaging in other dangerous actions. Beijing, however, claims that Philippine vessels intruded into Chinese waters and deliberately created conflicts.

In July 2016, an international arbitration tribunal ruled that China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea do not comply with UNCLOS and have no legal basis. China refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings and continues to deny the validity of the ruling.

Last month, 14 countries, including the United States, the Philippines, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement on the 10th anniversary of the South China Sea arbitration ruling, reaffirming that the ruling is legally binding and reiterating that China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis. The European Union issued a similar statement.

Just last month, at least three maritime standoffs occurred between the Philippines and China over territorial sovereignty disputes regarding disputed reefs in the South China Sea. The Philippine military stated that in one of these incidents, a Chinese coast guard officer struck a Philippine navy personnel on the head with a baton, causing injury.

At this regional security conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro also delivered a keynote speech. Before Paparo spoke, he stated that Manila would continue to resist the pressure exerted by China. He said, "We will resist and counter." Teodoro later told reporters that the Philippines' concerns are not limited to China's activities in the South China Sea, but also include China's expanding military presence and its recent ballistic missile launch into the Pacific Ocean.

Taiwan's annual Han Kuang exercises are about to begin. Regarding the assistance provided by the U.S. military in helping Taiwan with combat-oriented training, Taiwan's Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo stated that there has been a long-term and close military exchange between the U.S. and Taiwan. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command assists Taiwan on many levels, and the exchanges at every level are very close and diverse, even more so than the outside world imagines.

Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA), The Taipei Times, the Military News Agency of the Ministry of National Defense, and Reuters, among other media outlets, reported on Monday on comments made by Wellington Koo during a small media interview last Friday. Accompanied by Deputy Chief of the General Staff General Huang Chih-wei, Director of the Strategic Planning Department Lieutenant General Huang Wen-chi, and Assistant Chief of the General Staff for Operations and Planning Lieutenant General Hou Chia-lun, Koo responded to media questions on topics such as the regional security situation, security cooperation, national defense autonomy, and unmanned vehicles.

Regarding questions about how many specific projects U.S. military training personnel—referred to as U.S. military instructors—who have come to Taiwan to assist the military are providing for Taiwan's combat-oriented operations, Koo stated that Taiwan and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command conduct military exchanges and cooperation at all levels to enhance Taiwan's defense and combat efforts. He expressed gratitude for the assistance from the Indo-Pacific Command but said it was inconvenient to disclose details of the cooperation.

CNA reported that Koo stated there is a long-term and close military exchange between the U.S. and Taiwan, which is very close and diverse at every level, more than the outside world imagines. The Indo-Pacific Command maintains peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and views Taiwan as an important hub in the First Island Chain, assisting Taiwan at all levels to improve defense and combat capabilities and conducting various military education, for which Taiwan expresses its gratitude.

"The Taipei Times" also quoted Koo as saying that it was inconvenient to disclose details of the projects assisted by the Indo-Pacific Command, but he revealed that the U.S. military instructors people see are only a portion. He said, "They are U.S. military instructors, and many U.S. military instructors appear where they should appear; many of those who appear, you may not necessarily see."

In recent years, the Taiwan military's exercises have focused on combat-oriented training, including B-level combat readiness and joint defense exercises in recent months, all intended to help troops understand and become familiar with the operational environment and combat actions. The Han Kuang exercises held from August 5 to 14 further emphasize no scripts and decentralized command and control, requiring troops to adapt to the situation based on real-time environmental conditions.

In addition, how long Taiwan can hold out once the People's Liberation Army (PLA) invades has always been a matter of great concern to the outside world. Koo stated that if a full-scale invasion by the PLA were to occur, the goal of the national army is to defeat the enemy and cause the PLA's full-scale invasion operation to fail.

the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government claims that Taiwan is a part of its territory, but Taipei rejects this claim. Since taking office in 2024, Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party President Lai Ching-te has repeatedly emphasized that Taiwan and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other. Washington has had no diplomatic relations with Taipei since 1979, but the U.S. provides defensive weapons to Taiwan.

In recent years, China has continuously increased its military pressure on Taiwan, and in recent months has expanded its activities in the waters surrounding Taiwan. The China Coast Guard has even conducted what it calls law enforcement patrol operations in the waters east of Taiwan and harassed passing foreign vessels. In June, the U.S. and some European countries publicly criticized this move by China as destabilizing, and Japan also stated that it is unacceptable for China Coast Guard vessels to navigate in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone east of Taiwan.

Last week, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) rarely and publicly disclosed the exchange and cooperation between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration, and posted a photo of both sides' patrol boats together on social media platforms. Koo said that the waters east of Taiwan are also important maritime traffic lines for Japan and South Korea. Once there is a major change in the regional security situation, Taiwan will not be the only country that needs to face and deal with the relevant issues.

Koo stated that all countries should increase their defense budgets, strengthen their self-defense capabilities, and through increased training and military enrichment, collectively deter any behavior that attempts to unilaterally change the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion, so that China must evaluate the possible responses from Taiwan and regional countries before taking relevant actions.

Large clay pots, traditionally used for storing and cooling drinking water, have always been a part of daily life in Iraq. Today, as more people begin to turn to plastic alternatives, these handmade vessels are becoming popular again.

In this old house filled with history and tradition, two brothers are keeping an ancient craft alive. Niyazi and Nawazad are members of the Iraqi Kurdish Kakai religious community, continuing a pottery tradition passed down through generations of their family. In Tuz Khurmatu, pottery is not just a way to make a living, but also a part of their identity and heritage.

They spend their days crafting Markana water jugs, clay cups, and other pottery, which are used for storing and drinking water. Nawazad says, "We make clay pots, cups, bowls, yogurt jars, and other items. Our work was busier a few years ago; there were six pottery workshops in our tribe alone, but today, only my brother and I remain." He also adds that drinking water from clay pots is healthier than using plastic bottles.