VOA Today's Focus (October 1, 2026): National Day of the People's Republic of China, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio Congratulates the Chinese People
This episode of VOA Today's Focus mainly reports on global hotspots such as US President Trump announcing the withdrawal of the last batch of US troops from Iraq, US Secretary of State Rubio congratulating the People's Republic of China on its 77th National Day, a batch of F-35 fighter jet components disappearing in Hong Kong while en route to the US and drawing bipartisan concern in the US Congress, the US Department of Defense awarding Boeing a $20 billion contract for sixth-generation fighter jets, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi calling at the United Nations for the removal of the WWII enemy state clauses and sparking a Sino-Japanese clash, a flydubai passenger plane making an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot attempted to stab the captain, and human rights organizations releasing a report on Tibet's airspace control system.
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Welcome to VOA Today's Focus for October 1. I am Fan Dongning, broadcasting live from the US capital, Washington. Every day here, we take 15 minutes to quickly bring you the latest developments in the US and globally. Here are today's top stories. President Trump announced that the last batch of US troops is withdrawing from Iraq, and a new bilateral defense relationship will be established between the US and Iraq. F-35 fighter jet components reportedly fell into Chinese hands during transit, and US lawmakers are demanding an investigation into US military supply chain security.
On the National Day of the People's Republic of China, US Secretary of State Rubio congratulated the Chinese people on behalf of the United States of America. Today, October 1, marks the 77th anniversary of the founding of the PRC by the Chinese Communist Party. US Secretary of State Rubio issued a congratulatory statement on Wednesday for the PRC's National Day. Secretary of State Rubio extended congratulations and best wishes to the Chinese people on behalf of the United States of America, hoping that the people of China will have peace, health, and happiness in the coming year. Chinese President Xi Jinping also delivered a speech at the reception celebrating the 77th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, emphasizing that the current international and domestic situations are complex and mentioning the issues of Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, China's newly revised National Defense Mobilization Law officially took effect on October 1, writing military-civilian fusion into law. Experts generally believe that this new version of the National Defense Mobilization Law by the Chinese Communist Party is not only responding to a potential future conflict across the Taiwan Strait, but can also mobilize various resources during peacetime to cope with the great power competition between the US and China. President Trump announced on Wednesday that the last batch of US troops is withdrawing from Iraq. We immediately connect with VOA reporter Wang Yuhe to introduce this to us. Yuhe, we know that the US and Iraqi governments announced the withdrawal of the last batch of US troops from Iraq, marking the official end of a mission that began 12 years ago. Please tell us what President Trump said as the US military withdrew from Iraq.
Alright, Dongning. President Trump first said he wanted to announce something he felt very proud of, and he then announced that the last batch of U.S. troops is withdrawing from Iraq, adding that this is a great day for the United States. Let's listen directly to what he said: I am very pleased to announce that the last batch of U.S. troops is withdrawing from Iraq. This has been going on for a long time; an initial wrong decision led us into this quagmire, we were stuck in the quagmire for many, many years, but this history will soon come to an end, and this is a great day for the United States. President Trump praised Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani as a remarkable person, and he also mentioned that the military operation launched by the U.S. against the terrorist organization ISIS, called Operation Inherent Resolve, began in Iraq in June 2014. ISIS was also the reason for the initial U.S. intervention, and he said that during his term, ISIS has been completely destroyed, so the withdrawal is a major victory for both the U.S. and Iraq. As for other coalition member countries, including Italy and Germany, they have also completed their withdrawals from Iraq, Dongning.
Alright, then Yuhe, regarding the U.S. withdrawal of the last batch of troops from Iraq, is there any latest word from the Iraqi side, Yuhe? Yes, the Iraqi government has praised the end of this mission to combat the Islamic State. Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani issued a statement saying that the end of the international coalition mission does not mean the end of our counter-terrorism struggle, but marks a new phase where Iraq takes full responsibility for its own security and this issue. Currently, Iraq is still busy dealing with pro-Iranian militia groups within the country, but has expressed a willingness to maintain security cooperation with organizations from countries participating in relevant missions. Meanwhile, the U.S. military said in a statement on Wednesday that cooperation between the U.S. and Iraq is transitioning to a bilateral defense relationship. U.S. Central Command stated that the mission will now shift to be based in neighboring Jordan, with a focus on Syria.
In addition, President Trump and Commerce Secretary Lutnick also jointly announced new news this Wednesday afternoon. Could you please introduce the latest developments, Yuhe? Alright, Dongning. Today, the Trump administration announced multiple major investment projects by South Korea in the United States, which are based on the U.S.-South Korea trade agreement reached last year. These investment projects will include a $54 billion Alaska liquefied natural gas pipeline project, eight large-scale nuclear power plant projects, and a 6-gigawatt power generation facility in Texas, Dongning.
Alright, we thank VOA reporter Wang Yuhe for the latest report, thank you Yuhe. Furthermore, regarding Congressional news, a batch of F-35 fighter jet parts was reportedly diverted to Hong Kong while in transit to the United States and is suspected to have been obtained by the Chinese side, sparking concerns among both parties in the U.S. Congress regarding the security of the U.S. military supply chain. At the same time, following the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the delayed arms sales to Taiwan have once again received attention from Congress. For more details, we now connect with VOA reporter Xu Xiangyun to provide us with further introduction. Xiangyun, could you please first talk about the latest F-35 fighter jet parts incident? What exactly is the situation?
Alright, Dongning. According to reports, at the end of May this year, a batch of F-35 parts being shipped from Australia to the United States for inspection or disposal was diverted to Hong Kong after passing through South Korea while being transported by UPS, and subsequently went missing. A Bloomberg report stated that the Chinese government obtained these parts, which include F-35 cockpit canopies and weapons bay doors. The report said the U.S. Department of War is investigating the incident, though the U.S. government has not yet publicly confirmed it. These parts are related to the F-35's stealth performance, and the report mentioned that the cockpit canopies and weapons bay doors use materials capable of absorbing radar waves, so these physical items may have certain technical and intelligence value.
What is the reaction from U.S. members of Congress? Why are bipartisan lawmakers demanding that the Pentagon investigate this matter? We know that Republican Senator Tom Cotton and Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi wrote to Secretary of War Hegseth on September 29, requesting an explanation of the transport and supervision of this cargo after it left Australia. Senator Cotton said in his letter that the U.S. cannot afford to have U.S. military equipment fall into the hands of foreign adversaries due to the vulnerabilities in commercial transport links. In his letter, Representative Krishnamoorthi questioned the policies of the Pentagon and commercial transport companies regarding the tracking of sensitive U.S. military equipment. He warned that possessing F-35 parts could allow the CCP to reverse-engineer U.S. stealth technology, thereby threatening U.S. service members and national security. The issues of concern to the two lawmakers include whether the military can track the location and route of sensitive military equipment, who approves changes to transport routes, and why these military supplies were able to pass through regions like Hong Kong. The lawmakers believe this incident should prompt the Pentagon to re-examine security measures for transporting military equipment through contractors and commercial transport companies.
Well, Xiangyun, let's take a look at the latest developments in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Following the Trump-Xi summit, was Taiwan a key point of discussion? Also, regarding this approximately $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan which is still currently delayed, what is the view of the U.S. Congress, Xiangyun? We know that U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated in a media interview on Monday that U.S. support for Taiwan remains unchanged. Regarding the relationship between the delayed arms sales and the Trump-Xi summit, he stated that he would not overinterpret it. Johnson mentioned that the U.S. currently faces factors such as the conflict with Iran, its own required missiles, and the situation in the Middle East. Johnson stated that no one can question the U.S. determination to support Taiwan; the U.S. needs Taiwan to maintain stability and independence, which is crucial to U.S. national security.
On the other hand, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the lead Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with other Democratic lawmakers, issued a joint statement last Thursday criticizing the summit for failing to deliver substantive results for the American people. They also called on the Trump administration to immediately deliver the arms sales to Taiwan that have already been approved by Congress. The statement said that U.S. support for Taiwan's self-defense capabilities is non-negotiable, which is crucial to preventing cross-strait conflict that could destabilize the region and threaten the global economy. Well, I am very grateful to Voice of America reporter Xu Xiangyun for introducing the different viewpoints of U.S. lawmakers to us. Thank you, Xiangyun.
Well, turning to Taiwan-related matters, according to the latest news from the U.S. Department of Defense, on Tuesday the DoD announced a $20 billion contract won by Boeing to develop the next-generation stealth fighter for the U.S. Navy. This is also the second consecutive year that Boeing has secured a U.S. military sixth-generation fighter project, a project viewed by outside observers as an important layout for the U.S. to counter Chinese military power. Let's look at the television report from Voice of America: The U.S. Department of Defense stated on Tuesday that Boeing has been selected to build the next-generation stealth fighter for the U.S. Navy. This marks the second consecutive year that the aerospace company has won a major contract in the field of America's new generation of fighter jets, while also ending months of delays for the program. The project is seen as an important component of the U.S. response to China's military power in the Indo-Pacific region. Boeing defeated rival Northrop Grumman to win this $20 billion research and development contract, and will initially be responsible for manufacturing prototypes for testing. As it subsequently enters full-scale production and potentially secures international customer orders in the future, the total lifecycle value of the project could grow to hundreds of billions of dollars. Last March, Boeing was also selected to build the Air Force's new-generation stealth fighter, the F-47, meaning Boeing has won two iconic U.S. sixth-generation fighter projects for two consecutive years. Voice of America reporting from Washington.
Just after Chinese President Xi Jinping mentioned at the U.S.-China presidential summit that the two countries once fought side by side against Japan during World War II, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called at the General Assembly for the removal of the UN Charter's clauses targeting WWII enemy states, once again triggering a diplomatic clash between China and Japan. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York this week, Sanae Takaichi stated that the WWII enemy state clauses are long outdated and inconsistent with Japan's long-standing post-war stance of peace. Sun Lei, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, exercised his veto power on Monday, accusing Japan of attempting to promote the resurgence of militarism and remilitarization, and emphasizing that the enemy state clauses still retain practical significance, with China firmly opposed to their deletion. The Japanese representative retorted that Japan adheres to exclusively defense-oriented policies and will continue to uphold the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. The enemy state clauses of the UN Charter were formulated after the end of WWII, allowing Allied nations under specific circumstances to take action against former Axis powers such as Germany and Japan without authorization from the Security Council. The UN General Assembly previously expressed in 1995 and 2005 that these clauses should be deleted, but they have not yet been formally revised. Because amending the charter requires approval from the five permanent members of the Security Council, this also means that any formal amendment cannot bypass the permanent members of the Security Council, including China and Russia.
Before delivering her speech at the UN General Assembly, Sanae Takaichi also held a brief summit with President Trump, where the two mainly discussed the U.S.-Japan alliance, economic security, and regional cooperation concerning China. The U.S. side has not yet responded to Sanae Takaichi's speech calling for the deletion of the WWII enemy state clauses in the UN Charter. Voice of America has submitted inquiries to the U.S. Department of State, but had not received a response from the State Department as of press time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on September 30 that Saudi Arabia has arrested and is currently interrogating the flydubai co-pilot whose cockpit altercation led to an emergency landing. According to Reuters reports, flydubai flight FZ1073 was originally scheduled to fly from Dubai to Tel Aviv, but deviated from its course en route and diverted to Saudi Arabia. The aircraft first issued an emergency signal, and a few minutes later issued a distress signal indicating a possible unlawful interference. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as an extremely serious security event. Israeli officials said the flight's co-pilot attempted to stab the captain, which may have been an attempted terrorist attack.
flydubai stated in a declaration that the root cause of the incident remains unclear, and cautioned all parties against premature speculation; it is currently unknown what led to the dispute between the pilots. Netanyahu stated that the co-pilot was arrested after the plane landed. According to an Israeli official, the co-pilot is an Omani national. After an eight-hour stay on the ground, the remaining 170 passengers boarded a replacement flight arranged by flydubai and have arrived in Israel.
The British human rights organization Tibet Watch released an investigative report stating that Chinese authorities are establishing an aerial control system in Tibet, ranging from police drones and automated machine gun emplacements to anti-drone equipment. The report has also prompted some British parliamentarians and human rights activists to call on the British government to review its procurement of Chinese drones. The 75-page report, titled "Eyes on the Plateau," analyzed and reviewed Chinese government procurement reports from 2017 to 2026. A senior official from an important international human rights organization told Voice of America that this is an extremely important and concerning report. That is all for today's VOA Focus. For more reports, please visit the VOA Chinese website at VOACHinese.com. Thank you for watching, and we will see you tomorrow.