Voice of America Chinese Broadcast (October 24, 2026) With U.S. midterm election day approaching, candidates are still scrambling for support; 20 million ballots have already been cast early
The main contents of this Voice of America Chinese broadcast include: U.S. President Trump stated that the U.S. has increased oil transportation volume through the Strait of Hormuz and has the capability to quickly end the conflict with Iran; the White House announced that Russia and Ukraine have reached a partial ceasefire agreement regarding Oleshky, Ukraine; as the U.S. midterm election polling day approaches, 20 million voters have already cast early ballots, and candidates from both parties are stepping up their campaigns; Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the Taiwan-related rhetoric in the China-Russia joint communique that distorts UN General Assembly Resolution 2758; California grape growers are facing the dilemma of unsold grapes due to declining wine consumption; the Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin signed a 10-year procurement framework agreement for F-35 fighter jets; Freedom House released its global internet freedom report showing that global internet freedom has declined for the 16th consecutive year, with China ranking at the bottom; a delegation of legislative leaders from southern U.S. states visited Taiwan; and the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released a report calling for the prevention of China from stealing U.S.-funded scientific research results.
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Hello, dear listeners and friends. Welcome to the Voice of America Chinese broadcast. I am Lin Sen. Broadcasting to you today's program from the U.S. capital, Washington. President Trump stated that the amount of oil the United States helped transport through the Strait of Hormuz last week exceeded the volume transported through this crucial strait before the outbreak of the conflict with Iran. He said the United States has the capability to quickly end the conflict with Iran, but the question yet to be decided is whether to completely settle it once and for all or let it subside on its own. Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, October 23, that the United States can end all of this very quickly, but Iran is a declining nation, and we are shipping out the oil we want. Trump stated that against the backdrop of soaring inflation and the inability to export oil, Iran is suffering heavily from the blockade by the U.S. Navy and economic pressure. Trump said that Iran can do nothing at all right now, and if we are willing, we can take all the oil completely, we can even occupy the entire country, and as you know, the Strait of Hormuz is completely in our hands and will remain so in the future.
Russia and Ukraine have reached a partial ceasefire agreement regarding the Ukrainian city of Oleshky under Russian control. The White House announced on Friday that this ceasefire agreement was brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. The agreement includes a temporary halt to fighting, delivering humanitarian aid to the city, and allowing residents who wish to do so to evacuate. Ukrainian Chief Negotiator David Arakhamia stated on Telegram that once the ceasefire takes effect, humanitarian rescue operations will commence. He also specifically mentioned the work done by Melania Trump and the Roman Catholic Pope in facilitating the agreement. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the civilian evacuation effort is expected to take several days to complete, and he also praised the participation of the U.S. First Lady in the process, noting that she made a significant contribution to the coordination of humanitarian actions. The White House pointed out in a statement that the ceasefire will begin on October 29 and described the situation on the ground in Oleshky as extremely dire.
With less than two weeks remaining until the U.S. midterm election day, approximately 20 million voters have already cast their ballots, and candidates and political figures are intensifying their efforts to secure voter support. In the 2022 midterm elections, the total number of votes cast was 112 million. In the battle for control of the U.S. Congress, early voting in some high-profile districts has been more active than in 2022. In states such as Kansas, Maine, and North Carolina, the number of early votes at this stage has increased. President Donald Trump traveled to Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Iowa this week to campaign, aiming to garner support for Republican candidates. He plans to continue attending rallies and delivering speeches next week, including a stop in Mississippi to boost the re-election campaign of Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. Former Vice President Kamala Harris also participated in campaign activities this week; on Thursday, October 22, she traveled to Mississippi to seek support for Hyde-Smith's opponent, Democrat Scott Colom. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared in Maine on Thursday to campaign for Senate candidate Troy Jackson. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries traveled to Ohio to campaign for Representative Marcy Kaptur, striving to help Democrats wrest control of the House from Republicans. Vice President Vance also attended a rally in Ohio this week, a state hosting several key elections, including contests for a U.S. Senate seat and the governorship. In the Senate race, Democrat Sherrod Brown is seeking to defeat Republican Jon Husted, while in the gubernatorial race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is competing against Democrat Amy Acton.
The 2026 U.S. midterm elections will be held on November 3, with control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives becoming the focus of the two parties' struggle; Republicans are striving to maintain their majority, while Democrats hope to regain control. The focus of the 2026 midterm elections is on who will control Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's second term. Republicans are fighting to hold their majorities in both the Senate and the House, while Democrats hope to win control to change the political power landscape in Washington. President Trump is campaigning for Republican candidates in several key battleground states, while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer stated that voters want the country to move in a new direction. Senators have returned to their respective states to campaign during the Washington recess. The 2026 midterm elections will be held on November 3, when 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be up for election. Before the election, Republicans held 53 seats in the Senate, Democrats held 45, and two independent senators caucused with the Democrats, making the ratio 53 to 47. High-profile Senate districts include Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas. House members will also return to their districts to campaign for re-election and mobilize potential voters, with all 435 House seats up for election. Before the 2026 election, the chamber had 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one non-partisan member, and two vacancies. From Bill Clinton to Joe Biden, the parties of four out of five presidents lost their House majorities in the first midterm elections of their terms; the only exception was the 2002 midterm election during President George W. Bush's administration. In 2022, Republicans took back control of the House from President Joe Biden's Democratic Party. In 2018, during Trump's first presidential term, Democrats took control of the House from the Republicans. In 2026, 36 states will also hold gubernatorial elections, as well as state legislative elections. In the 2026 elections, the elected members of Congress will begin their terms on January 3, 2027.
On Friday, October 23, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement sternly condemning the Chinese government for remarks made in a joint communiqué signed with Russia, which Taiwan described as departing from facts, seriously harming Taiwan's sovereignty, and escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Russia from October 20 to 21, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and held the 31st regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The joint communiqué issued after the meeting claimed that both sides emphasized the unquestionable and unchallengeable authority of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, a claim that directly contradicts the understanding held by Taiwan and its allies. Taiwan maintains that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 only resolved the issue of the People's Republic of China's representation at the UN, but completely failed to mention or resolve the issue of the representation of Taiwan's 23 million people at the UN. In the joint communiqué, Russia also reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle and its opposition to any form of Taiwan independence. The Russian side further stated in the communiqué its firm support for the measures taken by the Chinese government to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification. The statement issued by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the distortion of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 in the China-Russia joint communiqué. The Ministry sternly condemned the People's Republic of China government for forming cliques internationally and continuously issuing erroneous remarks that disparage Taiwan's sovereignty and cause tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and expressed deep regret over Russia's repeated compliance with China's authoritarian actions. The statement from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country, and it has never been subordinate to the People's Republic of China. The statement added that any attempt to distort the status of Taiwan's sovereignty is an act of bullying that undermines international peace and stability, and no amount of lies can change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, which is recognized by the international community.
As U.S. wine consumption declines, California grape growers are facing a difficult problem this year: they cannot find buyers for the grapes they worked hard to grow, and grapes worth approximately $100,000 have to be cut down and used as compost. California's wine regions are currently in the middle of the grape harvest season, but not all grapes will end up in bottles this year. This is because U.S. wine consumption has fallen, and consumers are reducing their spending on alcohol, leading to a large backlog of unsold grapes in the hands of California growers. Taylor Serres is a fifth-generation grape grower at Serres Ranch in Sonoma County. They typically produce 500 to 600 tons of grapes annually on their 131-acre vineyard, and about 80% of their grapes are sold to other wineries. This year, about 30 tons of grapes went unsold, worth approximately $100,000. At the end of October, Serres' team will cut down these excess grapes to use as compost. Serres is not the only grower facing this situation; he knows of some growers who have hundreds of tons of grapes they cannot sell, and some have even started burning their vines because the market demand is not that high. "Diversification has helped us, and I believe the situation will improve; we just need to grit our teeth and hang in there." According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in September, alcohol consumption among U.S. adults fell by nearly 2% from 2022 to 2024, while binge drinking fell by more than 8%. Christian Miller, research director for the Wine Market Council, cited data estimating that U.S. wine sales and consumption have fallen by 5% to 6% since 2024. Miller said the reduction in consumption reflects a decline in how much people are drinking, due to reasons including health concerns and reduced household spending. Younger consumers are generally drinking less, but the Wine Market Council's survey shows that older consumers have reduced their wine consumption more than other age groups. On the streets of Oakland, some consumers also admitted that their alcohol intake has decreased. At the Sapphire Hill Winery tasting room in Oakland, owner Tony Gamboa said he has seen some previously steady buyers start to reduce their purchases. "Many of the people who joined our wine club over the last ten to fifteen years are Baby Boomers. They have been very steady buyers for the last 20 years, and now we are starting to see some of them gradually dropping out due to age, perhaps for health reasons, or perhaps because they already have too much wine in their cellars."
On Thursday, October 22, the U.S. Department of Defense signed a 10-year framework agreement with defense contractor Lockheed Martin for the procurement of F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters to strengthen its stealth fighter fleet. This agreement secures the procurement of at least 850 aircraft over 10 years. According to an Air Force fighter force structure report submitted to Congress by the U.S. Air Force on October 16, the U.S. Air Force will need to have 1,509 combat-capable aircraft by 2035, with stealth fighters accounting for 60% of its total fighter fleet, among which the F-35A will account for 40%. This milestone agreement sends a signal of stable and long-term procurement, which will help the United States achieve the modernization and scale expansion of its fifth-generation fighters. Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, stated in a press release that this agreement fundamentally changes the way the U.S. defense industrial base is solidified, enabling it to achieve high-speed, large-scale production and ensuring that warfighters have access to the powerful lethal equipment needed in combat. This framework agreement is an important operational milestone in the Department of Defense's acquisition transformation strategy, which aims to enhance the resilience of the defense industrial base through long-term procurement transparency and rapid private capital investment. Lockheed Martin will also self-fund at least $7 billion to support various initiatives of the F-35 program. This agreement also ensures the procurement of at least 850 aircraft within 10 years, covering initial spare parts and modification kits, as well as continuous sustainment services for the global F-35 fleet, which can continuously support Lockheed Martin's production rate of 150 aircraft per year.
On Friday, the three major stock indices fell: the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 1.23%, the S&P 500 index fell by 0.52%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index fell by 0.21%.
Washington-based non-profit organization Freedom House stated in its newly released annual global internet freedom report on October 22 that authoritarian internet control has led to the continuous decline of global internet freedom for the 16th consecutive year, with China and Myanmar remaining among the worst countries in the world for internet freedom. The report pointed out that Chinese netizens are even cracked down upon for engaging in the most basic online activities such as sharing news reports and discussing religious beliefs. Entitled Freedom on the Net 2026: The Great Upheaval of the Global Internet, the report indicates that as new technologies reshape ways of accessing the internet, democratic governments and tech companies should resist the attempts of authoritarian forces to sever citizens' connections with the global internet and defend people's related rights. The section concerning China in the report points out that for over a decade, the internet freedom environment experienced by Chinese internet users can be described as the worst in the world. The report notes that Chinese netizens face severe legal consequences and even extrajudicial punishments for online activities, while these activities are merely basic internet behaviors, such as sharing news reports, discussing religious beliefs, or communicating with relatives, friends, and other people overseas. The report states that human rights lawyers and journalists in China are frequently sentenced to many years in prison for their online activities, and the authorities possess enormous power to censor and manipulate online content while attempting to purge any dissenting voices from the Chinese internet. The report reveals that in August 2025, a nationwide internet outage lasting one hour occurred in China, which was likely caused by a misconfiguration of the internet censorship system. Freedom on the Net is an annual survey and analysis project conducted by Freedom House regarding the state of global internet freedom, and this year's report investigated and ranked the level of internet freedom in 38 countries worldwide. As of press time, the Chinese Embassy in the United States has not yet responded to an email from Voice of America requesting comment. Among the 8 countries evaluated in the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan ranked first with 78 points, 3 points higher than Australia in second place, while Myanmar tied with China at the bottom with a total score of 9 points. Regarding the United States, the report notes that compared with 2025, the U.S. total score of 73 points remained unchanged, but concerns regarding online freedom of speech still exist, and the monitoring of online activities and legal punishments continue to pose challenges to freedom of speech. The report says that global internet freedom has declined for the 16th consecutive year, with Iran remaining among the worst countries in the world for internet freedom and experiencing the most significant deterioration during the reporting period. In January this year, Iranian authorities brutally suppressed anti-government protests, after which Iran implemented extreme internet censorship. The main findings of the report also include that authoritarian governments have accelerated the pace of isolating their citizens from the global internet, age-verification regulations have brought new barriers to internet access as well as risks to privacy and security, and measures targeting artificial intelligence-generated content, while addressing substantive harms, have also raised concerns about censorship. Kian, the report's author and research director at Freedom House, stated in a press release that after experiencing 16 years of decline, democratic countries must take the lead and fight to maintain a free and open internet environment.
A delegation composed of state legislative leaders from the southern United States met with officials from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Taiwan on November 21 to exchange views on cooperation in areas such as U.S.-Taiwan economic and trade investment, agricultural product trade, high-tech talent cultivation, and national security. Taiwan's MOFA issued a press release on Thursday stating that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi, during his meeting with the legislative leaders from the southern U.S. states, expressed gratitude for the resolutions passed by these state legislatures this year in support of Taiwan's international participation, and emphasized the democratic values shared by the U.S. and Taiwan. Chen Ming-chi noted that last year, a Taiwanese agricultural delegation announced the purchase of over $10 billion worth of U.S. agricultural products, indicating promising prospects for U.S.-Taiwan agricultural cooperation. He also expressed his pleasure at the establishment of an Oklahoma state office in Taiwan and welcomed other states to set up offices in Taiwan to further expand opportunities for bilateral industrial exchange. The head of the delegation, Oklahoma State Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, stated during the meeting that the friendship between Taiwan and the southern U.S. states is profound, with fruitful results in cooperation across economic, trade, agricultural, and educational fields. He noted that Oklahoma's establishment of an economic and trade office in Taiwan is an important milestone in bilateral relations, demonstrating the state's commitment to its partnership with Taiwan, and expressed hope for expanding mutually beneficial business opportunities on this foundation. The delegation included legislative leaders from the State Senates and Houses of Representatives of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Taiwan's MOFA stated that it will continue to deepen friendly relations with various U.S. states, consolidating the mutually beneficial U.S.-Taiwan partnership through multi-level and cross-sectoral substantive interaction. Among the states in the delegation, Oklahoma is the latest to establish an economic and trade office in Taiwan. The Oklahoma State Legislature passed a bill in 2025 to establish a Taiwan regional economic and trade office, which took effect in August of last year. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, who visited Taiwan in 2024, announced the establishment of the state's Taiwan regional economic and trade office in Taipei during a celebration at the state capitol building on June 30 of this year. Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, Xiao Yi-fang, stated while attending the announcement event that the opening of Oklahoma's Taiwan economic and trade office not only demonstrates the deep friendship between the two sides but will also continue to deepen bilateral trade and investment. Xiao Yi-fang also mentioned that the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce had previously sent letters to governors and business leaders across all U.S. states, encouraging them to expand economic and trade investment exchanges with Taiwan. A press release issued by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston on July 1 stated that Oklahoma's Taiwan regional economic and trade office will continue to promote bilateral trade and investment, showcasing the state's advantages in industries such as energy, defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing, as well as its logistical advantages as a hub in the central United States. The American State Offices Association is an organization aimed at promoting bilateral U.S.-Taiwan relations and serves as a common platform for U.S. state representative offices in Taiwan to promote economic, trade, and investment opportunities between their respective states and Taiwan. According to the association's official website, its current membership includes 22 U.S. states and Guam.
A committee in the U.S. House of Representatives focused on China-related issues has released a report calling for strengthened security reviews of taxpayer-funded research projects to prevent China-affiliated institutions from accessing U.S.-funded research results through undisclosed foreign appointments, funding arrangements, and research collaborations. John Moolenaar, the Republican Representative from Michigan and Chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, released a report on October 13 titled 'How to Stop China from Stealing U.S. Taxpayer-Funded Research.' The 40-page report primarily addresses arguments against strengthening research security measures. It cites committee investigations, federal law enforcement actions, and findings from inspectors general to refute claims that increased scrutiny could harm academic freedom, hinder scientific innovation, impose excessive administrative burdens on universities, or that universities can effectively regulate research collaborations on their own. In a statement, Moolenaar said that arguments against strengthening research security reforms lack sufficient basis, and that Congress should pass relevant legislation to ensure U.S. taxpayer funds are not used to support research collaborations with entities identified by the U.S. government as posing national security risks. Moolenaar stated that America's research enterprise is one of our most valuable national assets, and protecting it requires facing reality and taking action. He added that Congress must pass the 'Protecting Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act' to establish clear and consistent safeguards across the federal government, ensuring that U.S. taxpayer money is not used to support research collaborations with entities already identified by the U.S. government as national security risks. In recent years, preventing China from exploiting U.S. federally funded research has become a key national security issue for the U.S. Congress. Against this backdrop, Moolenaar and Indiana Republican Senator Jim Banks introduced the 'Protecting Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act' in May of this year. The bill proposes establishing uniform restrictions at the federal level, prohibiting the use of federal research funds for collaborations with institutions on U.S. government restricted lists. This bill applies to universities, national laboratories, and private institutions, and includes joint research, co-authored papers, data sharing, and personnel exchanges within the scope of research collaboration. It also allows for limited exemptions in cases involving national security, significant scientific research, or public health interests, provided that such exemptions are reported to Congress. Currently, this bill has not yet entered the committee review or voting process. According to U.S. legislative procedures, a bill must be passed in identical versions by both the House and the Senate and signed by the President before it can become law. The report released by the House Select Committee on the CCP also proposes several policy recommendations, including strengthening oversight of research projects after they receive federal funding, standardizing research security criteria across government departments, encouraging universities to proactively adopt stricter protection measures, and more effectively utilizing administrative measures such as suspension and debarment when there is sufficient investigative evidence. Accompanying the report are more than 700 pages of previously undisclosed, non-classified investigative records.