Voice of America Chinese Broadcast (September 24, 2026): Xi Jinping arrives at Joint Base Andrews, President Trump personally greets him at the airport; Rubio warns Iran to abandon nuclear ambitions, while Iranian president claims not to seek nuclear weapons

Voice of America's Chinese broadcast reported several major news stories. US President Trump personally traveled to Joint Base Andrews to welcome the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and will hold a state visit and summit at the White House to discuss issues such as trade, technology, and global conflicts. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rubio warned Iran against pursuing nuclear weapons, stating that the United States possesses additional economic and military tools. In addition, Rubio discussed the Russia-Ukraine war with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, with both sides expressing interest in achieving a limited ceasefire. The report also focused on US policy toward Taiwan, with multiple lawmakers stating that the policy remains unchanged and supporting Taiwan in maintaining its defense capabilities. Furthermore, Chinese legal scholar Xu Zhiyong's anthology "A Beautiful China: English Edition" was released in the United States, and the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission released a research report on the threat posed by China to trans-Pacific submarine cables. Finally, the US Congress urged the Trump administration to prioritize securing the release of Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas.

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Hello listeners and friends, welcome to Voice of America's Chinese broadcast, I am Lin Sen. Broadcasting to you today's program from the US capital, Washington. The main contents of today's program include: President Trump personally went to the Joint Base Andrews airport on September 23 to welcome the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping. A formal welcome ceremony will be held for Xi Jinping on September 24.

US Secretary of State Rubio warned Iran not to continue pursuing nuclear weapons and supporting regional proxies.

US Secretary of State Rubio said that the talks between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to address differences on trade, critical minerals, and supply chain issues.

US Secretary of State Rubio discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, stating that both sides have an interest in achieving a limited ceasefire.

For more news content, stay tuned to Voice of America's Chinese broadcast.

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US President Trump will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on Thursday, September 24, and grant him the honors of a state visit. This summit aims to manage the fierce competition between the world's two major powers in areas such as trade, technology, and approaches to global conflicts. Listen to the report from Voice of America.

Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday, marking his sixth visit to the United States since becoming China's president in 2013, and his first state visit to the White House since 2015. The most important issues for Trump at this summit include the long-standing U.S.-China trade deficit, as well as his efforts to maintain U.S. advantages over China in artificial intelligence and semiconductor technology. The White House stated that Trump will personally greet Xi Jinping upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, followed by a state welcome ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday, where a 479-member U.S. military honor guard will be reviewed, and B-2 Spirit bombers and F-22 Raptor fighter jets will perform a flyover.

After the summit between the two leaders concludes on Thursday, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host a state dinner for Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan in the East Room of the White House, followed by a viewing in the Red Room on Friday morning. The visit will conclude with the two couples visiting the National Archives in Washington to view documents related to the history of U.S.-China relations.

Speaking to reporters at the White House last Friday, Trump said he expects his meeting with the Chinese leader to be very good. He said, "Our relationship with China is progressing well, and President Xi Jinping and I have a good relationship."

U.S. Chief of Protocol Ambassador Monica Crowley told the New York Post that this three-day event highlights the importance of our bilateral relationship and the strategic issues that affect both countries and the world.

Xi Jinping previously hosted Trump in Beijing in May for the two leaders' last summit. That summit showcased the warm personal relationship between the two leaders while expressing a desire to build a constructive, strategically stable relationship, even though the root causes of their major differences and tensions remain unresolved.

Trump and Xi may have two more opportunities to meet this year. China will host the APEC leaders' meeting in Shenzhen in November, and the U.S. will host the G20 summit in Miami in December.

This is a report from Voice of America.

Voice of America continues to broadcast Chinese programming.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran against continuing to seek nuclear weapons and supporting regional proxies. He stated that the U.S. has more economic and military tools available to use against the regime.

Rubio made these remarks during the United Nations General Assembly. Meanwhile, Iranian President Pezeshkian took the stage and insisted that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons, while also vowing that Iran will not abandon its pursuit of nuclear technology or respond to sanctions.

One day after U.S. and Iranian officials held three hours of talks in New York through intermediaries, Rubio indicated that President Trump remains open to reaching an agreement with Iran. He noted that such an agreement should allow Iran to become a great and prosperous nation.

In his speech at the United Nations on September 22, President Trump told world leaders that the U.S. must take action against Iran to prevent the regime from frantically building nuclear bombs. He added that if the regime succeeds, Iran will be able to spread terror and death with impunity forever.

Pezeshkian delivered a tough speech on Wednesday, claiming that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful. Although Pakistan and Qatar, acting as mediators, stated they are working to return to diplomatic channels, Rubio noted that the talks between the U.S. and Iranian delegations on Tuesday were primarily an exchange of views and information.

the U.S. has imposed a maritime blockade on Iran's ports and oil terminals to pressure the regime to stop attacking maritime shipping and return to the negotiating table regarding its nuclear program. The U.S. has also launched an economic campaign aimed at isolating Iran internationally, which includes cutting ties with financial institutions that use the dollar system to provide an economic lifeline to Iran.

In his speech, Pezeshkian stated that Iran will not bow to increasing sanctions and pressure. He said, "Mr. Trump and those who seek to bully us must understand that we are ready for dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation, but we will never accept the language of force."

The U.S. delegation walked out of the hall during Pezeshkian's speech. The White House dismissed Pezeshkian's remarks and stated that the U.S. president's strategy to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons will make the world safer.

You are listening to Voice of America's Chinese broadcast, I am Lin Sen.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, September 23, and indicated that both sides have an interest in achieving a limited ceasefire. Listen to the VOA report.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting during the UN General Assembly, Rubio said that both sides expressed a willingness to reach a limited ceasefire concerning food and energy issues. Obviously, as you also know, this is by no means easy. He said Washington would be very happy to help facilitate this. He said it would not resolve the war, but I think to some extent it is indeed possible to alleviate some of the resulting global pressure, and such an agreement might serve as a baseline or platform for a broader agreement.

Rubio said that energy means different things to the two sides. He said that for the Russian side, the energy strikes they face refer to oil refineries and their oil and natural gas. For the Ukrainian side, energy strikes mean the paralysis of the power grid. They are worried that the grid will lose power as winter approaches.

When asked why Washington was pressuring Ukraine to stop its attacks on Russian energy facilities, he replied, how do you know we haven't asked Russia to stop its attacks. He said this war will not end on the battlefield, but through a negotiated agreement.

He also stated his hope that President Vladimir Putin would accept the invitation to the G20 summit, which would create an opportunity for talks with President Trump.

The U.S. Department of State said in a press release that Rubio and Lavrov discussed the Russia-Ukraine war and U.S.-Russia bilateral relations. The Kremlin stated on Wednesday that Russia's position has not changed. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that there are still no preconditions to enter the track of peace talks, although as the Russian side, we remain open to peace talks. He said that if both sides deem it necessary, Vladimir Putin is prepared to hold a one-on-one meeting with President Trump, but Moscow's position on a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy remains unchanged.

The Kremlin had stated earlier that Zelenskyy would need to travel to Moscow for such a meeting, but Kyiv has repeatedly said this is unacceptable.

On Tuesday, speaking alongside Zelenskyy, Trump said he believes Russia and Ukraine will reach an agreement. He said, I think they will reach a deal, but I don't want to reveal the contents of the deal. We talk about this often, including with President Putin. I think something will happen.

President Trump said Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries have dealt a severe blow to Russia. Regarding a potential meeting with Putin, President Trump said he is willing to meet.

President Trump met with Zelenskyy for about 40 minutes on Tuesday. The Ukrainian president subsequently told reporters that if Russia stops its attacks, Kyiv is prepared to accept any form of energy ceasefire, stating that Ukraine has never discussed a unilateral halt to attacks on oil refineries. He said he remains willing to hold a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump, but he sees no signs of willingness from Moscow.

On Wednesday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that Russian drones attacked Kyiv during the day. The attack lasted from morning until afternoon, leaving two people dead and 32 injured. Ukrnafta stated that one of its gas stations in the capital was attacked. This was the sixth gas station attack in recent weeks. Officials said a total of two gas stations were hit.

Zelenskyy said on X that Russia continues to target civilian and critical infrastructure: pharmaceutical plants, gas stations, railways, communications infrastructure, and shopping malls.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said its air defense units intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions, Crimea, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea.

The above is a report from Voice of America.

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U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated on September 23 that he expects President Trump's talks with the Chinese head of state this week to address differences over trade, critical minerals, and supply chain issues. Rubio pointed out that President Trump will also have opportunities to interact with the Chinese side later this year during the APEC and G20 meetings.

Xi Jinping has already arrived in Washington on the 23rd to embark on a three-day visit. Despite serious differences between the two sides, analysts believe that as the world's largest supplier of goods and largest consumer, both sides seek to demonstrate the stability of their relationship. Let's listen to what Secretary of State Rubio has to say.

I believe that we have an obligation to communicate and engage in dialogue at the highest level. This visit reflects the President's conviction. Regardless of whatever differences we have with the Chinese government, China is by no means a small country. It is the world's second-largest economy, possesses formidable military power, and is undergoing what is perhaps the most rapid military expansion in history. Furthermore, we also experience serious friction with China in areas such as trade supply chains and critical minerals. Therefore, I believe that dialogue and meetings between leaders are a responsible way of statecraft. This is our position, and this is how we view this visit. We have previously visited China, and the Chinese side also hosted us earlier this year. The agreements reached by both sides include mutual visit arrangements, and this visit is the implementation of that agreement. In the future, both sides will have opportunities to interact again. The timing might be later this year, respectively during the APEC meetings held in China and the G20 summit held in Florida.

Welcome back to Voice of America's Chinese broadcast, I am Lin Sen.

President Trump will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on Thursday. As the US-China leadership summit approaches, whether the US policy toward Taiwan will change has once again drawn attention. Several bipartisan members of Congress recently told Voice of America that currently, US policy toward Taiwan has not changed, and supporting Taiwan in maintaining its own defense capabilities remains an important issue for Washington. Below is a report from Voice of America reporter Li Yihua, filed from Capitol Hill.

US President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on September 24. As the US-China leadership summit approaches, whether there has been any change in US policy toward Taiwan has also become one of the focuses of attention from all sectors. Several bipartisan members of Congress told Voice of America that they believe US policy toward Taiwan has not changed, US defense support for Taiwan remains extremely important, and it has garnered cross-party consensus.

We must make it clear that we will defend Taiwan's independence. There is no change whatsoever in our policy toward Taiwan; it is to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. President Trump provided more military support during his term than Joe Biden did during his entire four-year term. Therefore, from this perspective, the actions he took have massively supported Taiwan's self-defense capability, and our policy is precisely aimed at ensuring peace and freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait.

Recently, China has taken a series of concerning aggressive actions against Taiwan. I believe the US must stand with our friends and make it clear to President Xi that we will never accept these aggressive actions. These actions are unacceptable. Therefore, we will wait and see the outcome of the summit. But I believe this is undoubtedly another issue that should be given priority.

No, I don't think anything has changed. I think Taiwan is clearly a vital partner. It is our fourth-largest trading partner, and more than 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors are manufactured on the island of Taiwan. Sixty percent of international trade passes through the Taiwan Strait. Therefore, we must ensure Taiwan's security, and we must repel any attempt by China to interfere with Taiwan.

Currently, the US is reviewing a batch of arms sales to Taiwan valued at approximately 14 billion dollars. Some experts believe that facing Beijing's continuously increasing military activities, the US should continue arms sales to Taiwan to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Most importantly, China has changed the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. China has continuously advanced its military investment and expansion. I believe maintaining balance and stability is of paramount importance to us. Hopefully, the President and our other allies can make meaningful contributions to this and support deterrence in the Taiwan Strait.

Whether this arms sale will eventually be approved still depends on the Trump administration. As the leaders of the US and China are about to meet, all sectors are also watching how Washington will stabilize US-China relations while not changing the long-standing balance that maintains deterrence in the Taiwan Strait. Voice of America reporter Li Yihua reporting from Capitol Hill.

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On the eve of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington, the English edition of the essay collection "A Beautiful China" by Chinese legal scholar and New Citizens' Movement founder Xu Zhiyong was launched on Monday, September 21, at Georgetown University Law Center. More than 20 friends of Xu Zhiyong, human rights activists, publishers, scholars, lawyers, and others attended the event. Listen to the Voice of America report.

I remember asking him, saying you have plenty of opportunities to get out, why do you choose not to leave. He said, this is my home, this is where I want to sustain my struggle. I would rather make it happen here.

The person in Yang Bin's words is Chinese constitutional scholar and New Citizens' Movement founder Xu Zhiyong. In 2023, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a Chinese court on charges of subversion of state power. This is his second time in prison.

On Monday, three days before Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington to meet with U.S. President Trump, Xu Zhiyong's essay collection, "A Beautiful China (English Edition)," was released at Georgetown University Law Center. In the book, he describes a vision for China that is diametrically opposed to Xi Jinping's "Chinese Dream."

"Xi Jinping talks about the 'Chinese Dream,' but I think that is a false dream. This is the real dream: a free, democratic, and constitutional China. People should not only hear the one-sided narrative of the Chinese Communist Party; they should also hear this version. These voices possess greater legitimacy than an oppressive, unelected government."

"I will place the word 'citizen' before my own life."

In December 2019, lawyers and civil activists including Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, and Wu Shaoping gathered in Xiamen, Fujian, to discuss current affairs and the development of Chinese civil society. Following the gathering, Chinese authorities launched a nationwide crackdown. Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi were sentenced to heavy prison terms, and Wu Shaoping fled China.

"The CCP wants to break the backbone of the Chinese people. Mr. Xu Zhiyong and lawyer Ding Jiaxi are, in fact, representatives of the Chinese nation's backbone. They truly love this country, they truly love its people, and they truly want it to be better. The smartest and most outstanding people in China are either in prison or on their way to prison."

Although her husband, Ding Jiaxi, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, Luo Shengchun still believes that the "Beautiful China" described by Xu Zhiyong will one day become a reality. "Because even though people are constantly being suppressed, in this process, I also constantly see people like me—who originally wanted to avoid politics and stay away from politics—coming out to stand in the circle of human rights defenders. I believe their sacrifices will awaken more people."

"In these two days, Xi Jinping is coming to the White House to meet with Trump. Hundreds, even thousands, have come from Los Angeles. We want to take this opportunity to march on the streets and make our voices heard. We also want to speak for political prisoners like Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, Wang Bingzhang, and Gao Zhisheng, who cannot speak for themselves in prison. We want to tell them that we on the outside have not forgotten them."

Reported by VOA reporters Xiao Yu, Ning Lu, and Washington.

Focusing on the stock market: On Wednesday, the three major stock indices fell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.68%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.75%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index fell 1.13%.

From Monday to Friday at 6:00 PM Eastern Time (Tuesday to Saturday at 6:00 AM Beijing Time), please listen to the VOA Chinese broadcast. You are also welcome to visit the VOA Chinese website at voachinese.com and follow our social media platforms such as X, YouTube, and Facebook for more news updates.

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a meeting in Washington on September 24. Technology, trade, and investment may yield the most practical results, but the Taiwan issue is likely to become President Trump's most strategically significant test. Can he stabilize U.S.-China relations without altering the long-standing balance of deterrence in the Taiwan Strait? Here is a report from VOA reporter Lin Feng.

Before the September meeting, Japanese media reported that Beijing had warned Washington that if the U.S. approved a new batch of arms sales to Taiwan before the summit, the Chinese side would cancel the meeting. However, President Trump responded that he was not worried that Chinese President Xi Jinping would cancel their meeting scheduled for later this month in Washington due to the arms sales issue, because "we have a very good relationship, he wants to get along, and so do we."

Given that Beijing has long hoped for the U.S. to include the Taiwan issue in broader negotiations, many analysts point out that Xi Jinping is likely to continue seeking incremental concessions from the U.S. on the Taiwan issue at this summit.

Several analysts told VOA that the meeting can be observed through the following indicators regarding the Taiwan issue: whether arms sales to Taiwan continue to proceed, whether the long-standing U.S. policy statement on Taiwan changes, and whether there are substantive changes in China's military pressure on Taiwan and U.S.-China crisis communication after the summit.

the Taiwan issue was a prominent topic during the Trump-Xi summit in May. Analysts believe that Xi Jinping is expected to discuss the Taiwan issue again at the September summit.

During Trump's visit to Beijing in May, he stated that Xi Jinping had asked him multiple times about Taiwan, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan in the event of a conflict, but he did not make any promises to Xi Jinping.

Bonny Lin of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank, said at a briefing on the Trump-Xi meeting held at the center on September 17: "We expect Xi Jinping to mention the Taiwan issue, and we also expect Xi Jinping to urge the U.S. to delay or stop arms sales to Taiwan as much as possible."

In addition, some expect that not only this meeting, but also the potential APEC and G20 summits, will further delay plans for the Taiwan president to transit through the United States.

Sun Yun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank, said that Beijing has long hoped for the U.S. to include the Taiwan issue in broader negotiations. She said, "I think China wants Taiwan to be part of a deal. The problem is that for decades, the U.S. has been unwilling to engage in such negotiations or to use Taiwan as part of a deal."

Shi Kewei, an Asia researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations, believes that arms sales to Taiwan will likely be Xi Jinping's top priority at this summit. The Trump administration announced an arms package for Taiwan totaling more than $11 billion last December, setting a record high. Another arms package worth up to $14 billion, reportedly including advanced interceptor missiles, is still awaiting final approval.

Regarding this $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly clarified in congressional hearings and other venues that the case has not been formally suspended or canceled, but is in the necessary internal government review and vetting stage.

Shi believes that if this batch of arms sales is still not approved to proceed shortly after Xi Jinping's visit to Washington, it would be a major warning sign. He said Beijing might also demand that the U.S. change its policy rhetoric regarding Taiwan or reduce joint coast guard training programs and other security engagements with Taiwan.

Mei Huilin, a fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University and director of the Indo-Pacific Policy Lab, believes that Xi Jinping may not publicly propose trading Taiwan for other interests, but will instead package the reduction of arms sales to Taiwan and the scaling back of U.S. military activities in Asia as necessary steps to improve overall U.S.-China relations.

Lin Yang, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank, believes that the Trump administration's relationship with Taiwan, especially the defense relationship, is closer than ever before.

Sun Yun said that regardless of whether a major new agreement can be reached, Beijing is very likely to promote this summit as a diplomatic success. Xi Jinping's high-profile visit to Washington will allow him to demonstrate that he is receiving treatment equal to Trump's and to claim that U.S.-China relations are returning to a more stable track. However, she pointed out that the structural competition between the two countries has not changed.

VOA reporter Lin Feng, reporting from Washington.

A statement from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission cited the commission's chairman regarding a research report released on September 22 by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a body under the U.S. Congress, which was commissioned to a think tank: "China's Gray Zone Threats to Trans-Pacific Undersea Cables." This research report analyzes China's growing ability to threaten critical undersea communication infrastructure. Let's listen to the VOA report.

A statement from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission cited Commission Chairman Randall Schriver as saying that undersea cables, which carry the vast majority of international data traffic, are the backbone of the global digital economy and are increasingly becoming a national security issue. He said the report found that China is developing a range of capabilities to achieve deep-sea control, which could potentially cause severe damage to these networks.

Commission Vice Chairman Michael Wessel said in the statement that China has not only built the capability to access the system but also the cover capability to hide its true role when acting. Chinese strategists describe these cable networks as the backbone of a seabed grid for detecting U.S. submarines. He said, "We used to view this as a bandwidth issue, but in reality, this is an operational issue."

The report was commissioned to the China Strategic Risks Institute. Its main conclusions include that China is rapidly building the capability to disrupt undersea cables, that major U.S. allies and partners are also subject to gray zone attacks, that the simultaneous disruption of multiple cables could overwhelm trans-Pacific communication capacity, and that undersea cable interruptions threaten critical U.S. economic interests.

The report also provides recommendations to Congress, focusing on improving joint maritime domain awareness with allies, updating the aging global undersea fiber optic cable repair fleet, and investing in underwater capabilities needed to protect critical undersea infrastructure in both military and civilian sectors.

The report introduces a new analytical tool called the Trans-Pacific Undersea Cable Gray Zone Vulnerability Index to help policymakers identify risks across the entire network and prioritize them.

Hal Brands, co-chair of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission's research working group, said that protecting undersea cable networks requires more than just repairs after cables are damaged. To protect this critical infrastructure, he said, the report recommends adopting new tools to identify weak links before crises occur and to enhance monitoring capabilities, resilience, and coordination with allies, thereby ensuring these critical networks remain safe and reliable.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission was established in 2000 by congressional legislation as a bipartisan organization. Its responsibilities are to monitor and investigate the national security implications involved in U.S.-China bilateral trade and economic relations, and to submit reports, as well as legislative and administrative recommendations, to Congress. The commission has been established for more than 25 years.

The above is a report by Voice of America.

On September 21, bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress spearheaded a resolution on the eighth anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas by the Chinese government, calling on the Trump administration to make securing her immediate and unconditional release a top priority. Listen to the report from VOA.

Entitled a resolution commemorating the eighth anniversary of the unjust imprisonment of Dr. Gulshan Abbas by the government of the People's Republic of China, the resolution notes that Abbas is a retired Uyghur doctor, as well as a mother and grandmother. She was subjected to enforced disappearance by the government of the People's Republic of China on September 10, 2018.

The resolution points out that five days before her disappearance, her sister, U.S. citizen Rushan Abbas, exercised her right to free speech by participating in a public event at the Hudson Institute in Washington, criticizing the way the People's Republic of China treats Uyghurs. The resolution states that Dr. Abbas has no known history of involvement in political activities.

This concludes the Chinese broadcast of Voice of America. Thank you for listening, I am Lin Sen, and we will see you in our next program.