VOA Today’s Focus (September 29, 2026)

This episode of VOA Today's Focus mainly reported on the various follow-up developments after the US-China presidential summit, including the mutual reduction of tariffs on goods totaling $60 billion by the US and China and the extension of the trade truce to January next year, Trump's statements on Taiwan policy and arms sales, different reactions of US members of Congress to the Trump-Xi summit, the arrest by British police of a suspect attempting to sabotage a US military facility, and giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arriving at the Atlanta Zoo.

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Welcome to VOA Today's Focus for September 28. I am Fan Dongning, broadcasting live from the US capital, Washington. Every day we bring you a 15-minute quick grasp of the latest developments in the US and globally. Here are today's headline news. President Trump stated that the US and Iran are expected to hold more talks this week, and the conflict will end soon. The US and China announced a list of products subject to reciprocal tariff cuts, totaling up to $60 billion, and the trade truce has been extended to January next year. US and Taiwan officials emphasized separately after the US-China presidential summit that US policy toward Taiwan has not changed.

First, focusing on the situation in Iran, President Trump stated that US and Iranian negotiating teams are expected to hold more talks this week. Previously, Iran proposed a 7-day ceasefire and stated that if the US meets relevant conditions, Iran is willing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear negotiations. President Trump had initially rejected Iran's latest proposal over the weekend, but he told the media on Sunday that he expects US and Iranian negotiators to hold more talks this week. Meanwhile, the US Central Command denied on Monday Iran's claim of controlling the Strait of Hormuz, stating that thousands of vessels have passed through the strait in the past few months, and over 1 billion barrels of oil have been transported through here.

The United States and China released lists of goods on Monday for which both sides agreed to reduce tariffs, with a total value of up to $60 billion. This is the latest development in economic and trade cooperation between the US and China following the presidential summit held in Washington last week by President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to information released by the White House, this tariff reduction measure will involve goods of equivalent value of $30 billion from each country. The US listed 77 categories of Chinese goods, including fireworks, toys, kitchenware, microwaves, Christmas decorations, and soccer balls. Meanwhile, the US goods for which China will reduce tariffs include agricultural products, coal, timber, medical equipment, and hair care products. The White House stated that both sides will determine the specific tax rates for each item. US Trade Representative Greer stated that for the US, this will open more favorable market access for about 30% of US exports to China while benefiting American consumers. In addition, the US and China agreed to extend the trade truce, originally set to expire in November, to January of next year. After bidding farewell to President Xi Jinping and his wife, President Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that this meeting was a summit of friendship, strength, and success for both the US and China. He will travel to China in November to meet Xi Jinping again, and the two are certain to meet again in December during the G20 summit held in Miami.

U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad revealed on Fox News on Sunday that President Trump had asked Xi Jinping during their talks whether he was interested in purchasing U.S. weapons. Ambassador Branstad did not specify when this conversation took place, nor did he disclose how Xi Jinping responded. Ambassador Branstad also stated that Trump's position on supporting Taiwan has not changed, noting that President Trump has approved $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan. He said that the U.S. continues to adhere to the one-China policy while supporting the Taiwan Relations Act, the three joint communiqués, and the six assurances. In addition, Branstad revealed that President Trump also expressed concern to Xi Jinping regarding China providing intelligence, drone components, or military equipment to Iran, and stated that the U.S. side will continue to monitor this issue. After the summit, both sides also agreed to strengthen communication in the field of artificial intelligence and continue negotiations on the supply of rare earths and other critical minerals.

When President Trump was announcing a steel mill investment project in the Oval Office at the White House on Monday, the media asked him about Ambassador Branstad's interview, where he said that President Trump had mentioned selling arms to China to Xi Jinping. President Trump's response was: In the Fox News Sunday program, Ambassador Branstad said that you had proposed to President Xi Jinping that the U.S. would sell military equipment to China. Is this statement accurate? Did you actually make such a suggestion? Sell to China? Are you talking about selling to Taiwan? No, to China, that's what he said. I've never heard of this, I'll have to ask him. You mean we are going to sell to China? Actually, they might really want to buy. Because our equipment is indeed better than theirs, so this might be a good idea, but we didn't discuss this matter. They might have been discussing Taiwan at the time, I think he must have been referring to Taiwan.

President Trump confirmed that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had discussed the Taiwan issue during their talks at the White House, but the two sides did not spend much time discussing it. As for U.S. State Department spokesperson Jia Bo, he emphasized in an interview with Voice of America after the U.S. summit that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed. Let's hear what he had to say. According to the official Chinese press release after the summit, Xi Jinping hopes that the U.S. will adhere to its position of opposing Taiwan independence and handle the Taiwan issue cautiously. Taipei condemned Beijing's statement. Mr. Jia Bo, what kind of exchange did President Trump have with President Xi Jinping on the Taiwan issue, and has U.S. policy toward Taiwan changed? In this regard, there is only one sentence: U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged. The U.S. still attaches importance to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. opposes any unilateral change to the status quo by either side. We will continue to build a free, open, peaceful, and stable Asia-Pacific region.

After Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his state visit to the U.S. and left Washington, President Trump posted a 15-second video on his Truth Social platform with the theme of opposing communism. The video, featuring President Trump's voice, declared that the U.S. will defeat communism, socialism, and Marxism, and emphasized that the U.S. will never be a communist country. The official White House X account also retweeted this video. This video was released just as President Trump and President Xi Jinping had concluded the U.S.-China summit in Washington. The two sides had previously held talks on trade, the economy, and U.S.-China relations, and agreed to maintain high-level contact.

Following the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House, members of the U.S. Congress have responded one after another. Within the Republican Party, there are questions about the high-level reception, but some lawmakers also believe that maintaining high-level communication between the U.S. and China is of great significance. Below, we connect with VOA reporter Xu Xiangjun. Xiangjun, please give us further introduction. Xiangjun, what is the latest reaction from the U.S. Congress after the meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping? Please introduce it. Okay, Dongning. Some lawmakers from both parties in Congress have questioned the results of the meeting and the high-level reception of Xi Jinping by President Trump. However, there are also lawmakers who hold a relatively positive attitude toward this meeting.

North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis said in an interview with CBS on Thursday night that he questioned President Trump's decision to arrange a state dinner and a red-carpet welcome for Xi Jinping. He said he was concerned that the Trump administration was spending more time with authoritarian leaders and less time with leaders of democratic nations. Montana Republican Senator Steve Daines, on the other hand, held a more positive attitude toward the Trump-Xi meeting. In a media interview on September 24, he stated that the U.S. and China are the world's two largest economies, the two largest military powers, and the two most important countries at the forefront of artificial intelligence. Therefore, he believes an important outcome of this leaders' meeting is to demonstrate the stability of U.S.-China relations. Well, okay, Xiangyun, what specific issues is Senator Tillis worried about? And how does Senator Daines evaluate the results of this Trump-Xi meeting? Tillis raised several specific concerns. First is China's human rights record, especially the situation of the Uyghurs. Second is China's intelligence capabilities, including what he described as China's alleged ability to access U.S. voter data. Third is Taiwan. Tillis questioned why the Trump administration has not yet moved forward with approved arms sales to Taiwan. Just one day before Xi Jinping's visit, Tillis and Democratic Senator Stabenow wrote to President Trump, demanding that the administration move forward with a major $14.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan. They believe these weapons should not become bargaining chips in U.S.-China negotiations. The fourth point is the Iran issue. Tillis mentioned reports that China has provided information to Iran, which was then used to target U.S. military assets, and stated that he hoped Trump would raise this issue directly with Xi Jinping. Senator Daines, however, believes that what is needed first is to see U.S.-China relations remain stable. He said that the two countries combined account for about 42% of global GDP and possess the world's largest economies and military forces respectively, so he described U.S.-China relations as "too big to fail." He also stated that Trump showing respect to Xi Jinping is a form of diplomatic reciprocity, as President Trump also received courteous treatment from the Chinese side when he visited Beijing in May of this year. Senator Daines believes that even if there is competition and disagreement, communication is necessary. He said that maintaining respect in public helps create an atmosphere for continued negotiations, while specific issues such as trade, artificial intelligence, and Iran can continue to be handled through more low-key diplomatic channels.

Okay, so besides the Republican senators, what kind of response did Democratic senators have after the conclusion of this U.S.-China summit? Please also introduce this for us, Xiao Ying. On September 24, more than 10 Democratic senators issued a joint statement, including the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jeanne Shaheen, and Senator Tim Kaine. They believe that U.S.-China diplomacy remains important for avoiding conflict, but the publicly announced results of this summit have not yet met their expectations. Regarding the Taiwan issue, they demanded that the administration implement the Taiwan security assistance and arms sales already approved by Congress; and regarding the Iran issue, they believe the Trump administration should demand that China take responsibility for issues where Chinese companies are alleged to have supported Iran and supported activities that may be linked to attacks against U.S. service members.

Okay, we are very grateful to VOA reporter Xu Xiangying for the analytical report she provided for us. Thank you, Xiangying. British police arrested five British citizens after discovering an explosive device near an air base used by the U.S. military and housing U.S. strategic bombers. President Trump praised the actions of British law enforcement and the cooperation between the U.K. and the U.S., stating that these men attempted to cause significant damage to the Royal Air Force Fairford base. British authorities have currently granted the five men bail while awaiting trial, and the investigation is still ongoing. Let's take a look at the VOA television report.

British police stated on Sunday that three suspicious vehicles appeared to be heading toward the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford base. This base is used by the U.S. Air Force to strike Iranian missile sites. Iran has denied any connection to the attack, but the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that any base used to launch attacks against Iran is a legitimate target. U.S. President Donald Trump praised those involved in the arrest operation. "The arrest in the UK was excellent. We worked with the UK, and it was a fantastic job. We have been investigating them for a long time; they were attempting to cause major damage to our base. The cooperation with the UK was very smooth, it might have been Scotland Yard, I don't know, we have a lot of cooperation, we have been tracking them for a long time, and finally caught them." UK Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting expressed similar sentiments. "I do want to say that our friendship with the United States is the closest alliance between any two nations in the world, and we will always stand together against those who might seek to harm us." Police did not release the names of the suspects. Police said the men are all British citizens from London, all in their 20s. They were arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism. This base is of significant strategic importance to the U.S. Air Force. RAF Fairford has a long runway that can accommodate B-1 and B-52 heavy bombers. The U.S. has launched attacks from this base during the Gulf War, the 2003 Iraq War, and the conflict with Iran this year. In February of this year, the UK initially rejected a request from Trump to use RAF Fairford to attack Iranian targets, but then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer changed his position a few days later. VOA News, Washington.

Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived in Atlanta from Chengdu on Sunday aboard a dedicated FedEx panda flight, beginning a ten-year residency at Zoo Atlanta. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced last week during a welcome ceremony hosted by President Trump that the two giant pandas would arrive in the U.S. within days. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are currently housed in the biosecure area of the zoo's newly built giant panda habitat, undergoing a routine quarantine of about one month, and will not meet visitors for the time being. The zoo has not yet announced the date for their official public debut. Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association announced the news in April this year. Xi Jinping's choice to announce the arrival time of the pandas during his summit with President Trump perhaps gives this project, originally focused on animal conservation and cooperation, a more prominent diplomatic symbolic significance. Alright, that is all for today's VOA Focus. For more reports, please visit the VOA Chinese website at voachinese.com. I am Fan Dongning, thank you for watching, and we will see you tomorrow.