VOA Today's Focus (September 19, 2026): On the Eve of the "Trump-Xi Summit," Taiwan Conducts Live-Fire Drills Incorporating Attack Drones for the First Time
This episode mainly reports on the developments and international reactions on the eve of the US-China presidential summit. The main contents include: Trump stated that the conflict with Iran has entered a critical node and major decisions will be made; Taiwan held a live-fire precision missile drill involving all three armed services, which for the first time included attack drones; Tibetan groups in New York launched a hiking protest to Washington to oppose Xi Jinping's visit to the US and raise demands regarding Tibet; and the Philippine Coast Guard accused Chinese coast guard ships of intentionally ramming Philippine official vessels in the South China Sea.
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Welcome to VOA Today's Focus for September 19. I am Fan Dongning, broadcasting live from the US capital, Washington. Every day here we bring you a quick grasp of the latest developments in the US and globally in fifteen minutes. The following are today's headline news.
President Trump stated that the conflict between the United States and Iran is entering a critical juncture, and he is about to make a major decision regarding whether to completely eliminate the Iranian regime. Just as the US-China presidential summit is scheduled to be held next week, Taiwan's military held a joint precision missile live-fire drill involving all three branches of the armed forces, incorporating attack drones for the first time. On the eve of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the US, Tibetan groups in New York launched a protest march on foot to the US capital, Washington, D.C., calling for human rights and religious freedom to be placed on the agenda. Another cruise ship near-miss incident occurred in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, and President Trump stated that the conflict with Iran is entering a critical juncture, and he is about to make a major decision. According to British maritime agencies, another cruise ship was attacked by artillery shells in the early hours of Friday in the Strait of Hormuz, with the Iranian side claiming the target of the attack was a vessel attempting to illegally cross the strait. President Trump stated in a media interview that he is about to make a major decision on whether to launch a large-scale military operation to completely eliminate the Iranian regime, saying it is a major decision and anything is possible. President Trump is expected to meet with leaders of Gulf nations next week during the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss the next steps against Iran. In addition to meeting with leaders of Persian Gulf nations, President Trump will also hold a summit next week with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. When asked by reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday about China being one of the countries with the worst suppression of journalists in the world and what signal the US-China presidential summit sends, President Trump replied that he gets along very well with President Xi and they have always maintained a good relationship, noting that thousands of people want to attend the dinner hosted by the White House to welcome Xi. As for whether an agreement on AI is expected with Xi, or if relevant discussions on AI safety will be held, President Trump replied that the US and China will hold some very important talks and reach many different agreements, that China is paying huge tariffs to the US, and as the strategic competition between the US and China continues, trade, security, human rights, and the Iran issue are all likely to become key focuses of the talks at this US-China presidential summit.
What are the expectations of U.S. members of Congress regarding this highly anticipated summit? Let's take a look at the report from VOA reporter Li Yihua on Capitol Hill. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks at the White House on September 24. This will be the second face-to-face meeting between the two heads of state this year. Facing this high-profile U.S.-China summit, lawmakers from both parties in Congress have expressed that against the backdrop of intensifying bilateral competition, the two countries still need to maintain communication. Some lawmakers told VOA that issues such as national security, trade, and human rights should be placed on the negotiating table. At the same time, other lawmakers believe that there are differences in systems and values between the U.S. and China, and therefore it is necessary to manage strategic competition to avoid the situation spiraling out of control. I think it is very important for the two sides to meet, as this can avoid misunderstandings and also clarify the U.S. policy position on national security and economic security issues. We also play an important role in advocating for human rights. In some areas, such as trade, we can cooperate, but at the same time, there are some issues involving national security concerns. I think we must recognize that our two countries are in a state of strategic competition, so we must ensure that we manage this strategic competition in a way that makes sense for the American people and the Chinese people. There are some fundamental and significant differences between the two countries in terms of capitalist democracy and individual rights. I think we should have a goal of coexisting in a way that is beneficial to both countries. I hope we can cooperate on trade and bilateral trade agreements, which are very important to the economies of both countries. In addition to the economic and trade fields, the Iran issue has also received attention from lawmakers of both parties. Some lawmakers expressed hope that China could play a role in the Iran issue and navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Others believe that if the U.S. and China can strengthen cooperation on this issue, it might help reduce uncertainty in the regional situation. I am concerned about the Iran issue and whether Xi Jinping will step in to help President Trump out of his predicament amid the ongoing situation in Iran. The question now is whether China will help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and stand with the U.S. on this issue, which they have not done for a long time. We need to cooperate on the Iran issue; this is a major topic. If we can work together, it will bring more stability and peace to the world. From trade and security to the Iran issue, the topics involved between the U.S. and China are quite broad, and when talking about this summit, lawmakers generally mentioned one keyword: communication. The focus of all sectors will be on what substantive progress can be made in which areas during this summit. VOA reporter Li Yihua, reporting from Capitol Hill.
Just as the U.S.-China presidential summit is about to be held next week, the Taiwanese military conducted a joint live-fire precision missile exercise of the three armed forces on Friday, with President Lai Ching-te personally inspecting the event. In addition to covering various domestically produced and U.S.-made missiles and rockets, including Hsiung Feng missiles and HIMARS, this live-fire exercise also included, for the first time, attack drones currently being developed by Taiwan. Let's take a look at the report from VOA reporter Liu Enming. Similar to the live-fire exercises of the U.S. Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), this scene also appeared in Taiwan's three-day joint precision missile firing drill of the three armed forces. According to a press release from the Presidential Office of Taiwan, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te went to Pingtung on the morning of the 18th to inspect the joint precision missile firing of the three armed forces and expressed his affirmation of the drill results. This firing drill covered various domestically produced and U.S.-made missiles and rockets, including Hsiung Feng missiles and HIMARS, and also included attack drones currently being developed by Taiwan. According to Taiwanese media reports, as Taiwan's three armed forces' precision missiles were successively put into the drills, China also simultaneously dispatched military aircraft, drones, and naval vessels to operate around Taiwan, which has attracted attention.
Just as Chinese President Xi Jinping is about to visit the United States, Tibetan groups in New York have launched a six-day protest march to the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C., to express their demands. They hope to use this opportunity to call on the U.S. government and the international community to pay attention to human rights issues in Tibet and to bring these topics into the upcoming U.S.-China summit. "I have known him for a long time, ever since I came here from India." What brought tears to 19-year-old Karma's eyes was Lobsang Gyatso, whom he had known for ten years. "We often ate and danced together. He always helped everyone; he would pick me up, take me home, and always talk to me about the issues in Tibet." On July 1st of this year, China began implementing the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress. At 5:47 PM the following day, Lobsang Gyatso self-immolated outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. He had long been involved in the Tibetan independence movement and had served as the president of the New York and New Jersey chapter of the Tibetan National Congress. More than two months later, twenty marchers chose to set off from the same location at the same time, including Karma and his mother. One of the direct purposes of the march is to protest against Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is about to visit the U.S. "Xi Jinping is a dictator. Everything happening in Tibet is related to him. Now that he is coming here, we cannot just let him come; we must express our protest in our own way." The current president of the New York and New Jersey chapter of the Tibetan National Congress hopes that when President Trump and Xi Jinping meet, they will raise the issues of Tibet and human rights. "This march is to let people see these sufferings, to see what Tibetan children are experiencing—there are colonial-style boarding schools, our language is being forcibly erased, and we oppose the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress." On the evening of September 17th, the marchers set off from the UN headquarters in New York and walked to the Lincoln Tunnel. On September 18th, the group continued from Independence Hall in Philadelphia, distributing materials introducing Tibet and their demands to passersby along the way. They are expected to arrive in Washington on the 23rd. Most of the participants are engaging in such a long-distance march for the first time. "As an exiled Tibetan living in the United States, I have seen the struggles of my parents and grandparents. I am already a third-generation Tibetan. I feel that every Tibetan should speak up for Tibet." There are also non-Tibetans in the group, including a Buddhist from the Republic of Kalmykia in southern Russia. "We pray every day, we pray for the Tibetan people and for Tibet every day." After six days and two hundred miles, they plan to complete the final leg on the 24th, walking from the Chinese Embassy in the United States in Washington to the White House.
Next, we will connect with Sonam Chodron, a participant in this protest march and the niece of the self-immolated Tibetan Lobsang Gyatso, to tell us about it. "Sonam Chodron, can you hear me? We are connecting with our interviewee via phone. Yes, I can hear you." "Okay, could you tell us where you have walked from New York, describe the situation of this protest, and what message you hope to send to the U.S. government, the international community, and the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping?" This march is led by two Tibetan mothers and involves more than twenty independent marchers. The marchers hope to convey a clear message to the U.S. government, the international community, and Xi Jinping: please do not turn a blind eye, speak up for justice. In Tibet, Tibetan people do not have the right to freely practice their religion, nor do they have the right to freely express their personal views. In fact, even publicly displaying photos of the Dalai Lama is restricted. Therefore, we have four demands: first, speak up for the independence of Tibet; second, abolish the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress; third, immediately terminate the boarding school policy targeting Tibetan children, and protect the basic right to receive education in the native language and preserve ethnic identity; fourth, release the 11th Panchen Lama and all those imprisoned for political or religious expression. Besides these four major demands, what else do you hope the U.S. government will do? "That is it. Otherwise, we are directly raising the issues of Tibet and human rights, not just through verbal concern, but through concrete action." Okay, we are very grateful to Sonam Chodron for accepting this interview with Voice of America from the protest march site. Thank you.
Alright, let's shift our focus to the Indo-Pacific region. On Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard accused a Chinese coast guard vessel of deliberately ramming a Philippine government ship in disputed waters of the South China Sea. China, however, claimed that the Philippine vessel suddenly changed course and initiated the collision, with both sides presenting significantly different accounts regarding the location and responsibility for the incident. According to video footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard, a Chinese coast guard ship rammed a vessel belonging to the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and performed a series of dangerous maneuvers around it. The Philippine Coast Guard stated that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship was approximately 50 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan, delivering and distributing fuel to Filipino fishermen. The Philippine side alleged that the Chinese coast guard ship repeatedly engaged in dangerous maneuvers, while the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines issued a strong condemnation of the Chinese side. That concludes today's VOA Focus. For more reports, please visit the VOA Chinese website.