VOA Chinese Broadcast (October 21, 2026): Chinese Coast Guard Ships in Maritime Standoff with Taiwan, US Congressional Officials Say Beijing Is Carrying Out an "Extension of Political Warfare"; Rubio: The United States and India Are Close to Reaching a Trade Agreement

This episode of Voice of America's Chinese broadcast covers several international and regional hot topics. Regarding the White House, U.S. President Trump stated that it is time for Russia and Ukraine to reach an agreement. In terms of diplomacy, Secretary of State Rubio visited India, stating that the U.S. and India are close to reaching a trade agreement. In the Asia-Pacific region, the U.S. and Japan held the large-scale "Keen Sword 2027" joint exercise, Chinese Coast Guard vessels and Taiwan Coast Guard ships had a standoff in the waters near the Dongsha Islands, and the U.S. side pointed out that Beijing is conducting an "extension of political warfare." In addition, the program also reported on an arrest warrant issued by the Florida Attorney General for former Cuban President Raul Castro, the UK's announcement of defensive operations over Saudi Arabia, China's announcement of drone export control measures, and the impact of China-related issues on the U.S. midterm elections.

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Hello listeners, welcome to the Voice of America Chinese broadcast. I am Weizhi, reporting to you from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Today's main program contents are as follows: U.S. President Trump stated at the White House that he believes it is time for Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, while beginning a two-day visit to India on October 20, said that the U.S. and India are about to reach a consensus on a trade agreement. China continues to increase air and sea pressure around Taiwan; the Taiwan military stated that it detected 27 sorties of PLA military aircraft, 21 of which crossed the median line of the strait. The UK stated it will conduct defensive air operations over Saudi Arabia to assist in protecting the country from attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. For more news, please stay tuned to the Voice of America Chinese broadcast.

We first look at a piece of news from the White House. President Trump's envoy Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Oslo, Norway, on October 20 to discuss whether a peace agreement can be reached between Ukraine and Russia. After the talks, Zelensky stated that he is ready to negotiate. When asked by reporters for his views on the talks on the afternoon of the 20th, President Trump stated in the Oval Office at the White House that he believes it is time for Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement. Let's hear what President Trump has to say. I think the current situation is that Russia wants to completely resolve this issue. Russia is like a huge machine, always moving forward, and that is indeed the case. They have occupied large swaths of land. No matter how you evaluate Ukraine's performance, whether good or bad, the area of land controlled by Russia is constantly expanding. They just keep moving forward every week, always moving forward without stopping. They have an endless supply of human resources.

Let us look at another report on U.S. diplomacy. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday, October 20, at the start of a two-day visit to India, that the United States and India are close to reaching a consensus on a trade agreement. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai after holding talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rubio said he was optimistic that a deal would be reached soon. Rubio said we are already very, very close, I can say we are as close as we could possibly be, short of signing a formal agreement, and I think there are just a few items left to be finalized. Days before the top U.S. diplomat's visit to India, President Trump waived new sanctions that could have affected Russian oil buyers such as India. Rubio plans to visit a refinery on Wednesday, noting that India has been committed to diversifying its energy imports and that its refining facilities have the capacity to process crude oil from Venezuela. Rubio said I think India has repeatedly expressed the desire to diversify its energy mix, which is a sensible move, and obviously doing this overnight is no small feat, so I think they have made significant progress in this regard and I am pleased about it. The State Department said Rubio will also meet with business leaders during his visit to promote economic cooperation.

The U.S. midterm elections are approaching. On November 3, a host of members of Congress and gubernatorial seats will be up for re-election or election. What are the U.S. midterm elections, and what do the results mean for President Trump? Let's listen to the report from Voice of America. Two years after President Trump won the presidential election in 2024, Americans will vote again in 2026. There is no presidential election this time, but this election could affect whether President Trump can smoothly advance his governing agenda over the next two years. The U.S. president is elected every four years, but halfway through the presidential term, Americans also hold another important election: the midterm elections. From Congress to governors to state legislatures and other state-level positions, many important roles are up for re-election at this time. Why vote again two years after the president has already been elected? If you imagine the U.S. government as a company, the president is very much like the CEO, but the CEO cannot decide everything alone. Many laws must pass through Congress, and how the government spends money cannot be separated from congressional appropriations. Congress is composed of two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has a total of 435 seats, and representatives serve two-year terms, so all seats are up for election every two years. The Senate has a total of 100 seats, and senators serve six-year terms with staggered elections. About one-third of the seats are up for election in each midterm cycle. Why are the midterm elections so important? Because they are often seen as a midterm exam for the incumbent president. Two years into the president's term, voters can use the midterms to express their attitude toward the president and his governing performance. Although the president will not step down because of the midterms, his party could lose control of the House or the Senate. Once this happens, it may become more difficult for the president to advance legislation, budget, and other agendas. Congressional oversight and investigations may also increase. Therefore, a major key to the 2026 midterms is which party, the Republicans or the Democrats, will control both houses of Congress, and the election results will directly affect the room President Trump has to advance his municipal agenda during the final two years of his term. We have other reports on the midterm elections coming up for you shortly.

Now let us turn our attention to the Asia-Pacific region. The opening ceremony of the U.S. and Japan's Keen Sword 2027 multilateral exercise was held on Monday, October 19, on Ishigaki Island in Japan. This exercise brought together 58,000 U.S. and Japanese troops, reaching a record scale over the years. During the exercise, Japan will deploy Type 12 anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers outside its base in Kumamoto Prefecture for the first time, and the U.S. will also deploy an advanced anti-ship missile system and an air defense system on Yonaguni Island, located just 110 kilometers from Taiwan, drawing high attention from China. Let's listen to the report by Voice of America reporter Liu Wenming. The Keen Sword 2027 exercise runs from October 19 to 29. This biennial exercise is of unprecedented scale, with approximately 45,000 Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel and 12,000 U.S. military personnel participating, along with forces from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines. South Korea and the UK also sent observers. According to the Japan Times, during this exercise, Japan will for the first time deploy Type 12 anti-ship missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometers outside its base in Kumamoto Prefecture. Their range can cover parts of China's coastal areas, making them an important weapon for Japan to build counterstrike capabilities. The U.S. military also plans to deploy the Navy-Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, abbreviated as Nemesis, an anti-ship missile system, to Yonaguni Island, with a strike range covering large sea areas in northern and eastern Taiwan. Nemesis is a ground-based unmanned anti-ship missile launching system developed by the U.S. Marine Corps. The unmanned launcher carries two Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) jointly manufactured by Norway's defense company Kongsberg and America's Raytheon. During this exercise, neither of these two missiles will conduct live-fire shooting, but will instead simulate engaging enemy ships. Gary Holst, a retired Navy captain who served as a U.S. surface warfare officer and commanded a destroyer squadron of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, is currently the senior director of missile business development at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace in the U.S. He introduced the advanced NSM missile as follows: The Naval Strike Missile features autonomous aerodynamic control and maneuverability, and is designed to defeat what we consider the world's most advanced close-in defense weapon systems. Therefore, it not only possesses extremely strong survivability but also performs exceptionally well in the terminal attack phase. The Naval Strike Missile adopts a completely passive operating mode. When flying at low altitude, it uses a laser altimeter to detect the sea surface and can make real-time adjustments according to the wave height encountered during flight, thereby always maintaining flight above wave crests. Voice of America reporter Liu Wenming reporting from Washington.

Just as the Keen Sword 2027 joint exercise kicked off, China continued to step up sea and air pressure around Taiwan. The Taiwanese military stated on Tuesday that 27 sorties of Chinese People's Liberation Army aircraft were detected, with 21 crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. Chinese coast guard ships also entered the restricted waters of the Pratas Islands. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy's littoral combat ship USS Charleston was tracked and monitored by the Chinese military on Tuesday in a disputed surrounding maritime area in the South China Sea. Let's listen to the report by Voice of America reporter Wang Yuhe. The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration stated that in the early hours of Tuesday, China Coast Guard vessel 3102 was spotted southeast of the Pratas Islands. The Taichung ship was immediately dispatched to monitor it, and it was requested to leave via broadcasts in both Chinese and English, leading to a temporary standoff. Schriver, chairman of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, said on Tuesday that China's continuous coast guard patrols in the sea east of Taiwan are an extension of Beijing's political warfare against Taiwan, severely undermining regional stability. The Taiwanese side also stated that on Sunday, 16 Chinese coast guard ships, scientific research vessels, and fishing vessels were spotted distributed off the eastern, southern, and southwestern coasts of Taiwan, as well as around the Pratas Islands. The Taiwan Coast Guard dispatched vessels to monitor and drive them away. In terms of airspace, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense stated that starting at 10:43 a.m. on Tuesday, 27 PLA aircraft including J-10, J-11, J-16, JH-7, H-6, and KJ-500 models were detected, with 21 crossing the median line of the strait and entering Taiwan's northern, central, and southwestern air defense identification zones, before heading to the western Pacific for joint air-sea training and long-range flight. Regarding the South China Sea, the U.S. Navy's littoral combat ship USS Charleston was tracked by the Chinese military on Tuesday in a disputed maritime area in the South China Sea. The United States consistently advocates freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, while China claims sovereignty over most of the waters in the region. VOA has sought comment from the U.S. Navy and the State Department, but has not received a response as of press time. Meanwhile, the U.S.-Japan Keen Sword 2027 joint exercise held its opening ceremony on Monday on Ishigaki Island, Japan, with countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the Philippines also participating. Japan and the United States will also deploy advanced anti-ship and air defense systems on relevant islands respectively, demonstrating the continued strengthening of military cooperation in the U.S.-Japan alliance. Voice of America, Washington reporting.

Turning our attention back to the Americas, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced that the state has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban President Raul Castro, charging him with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The charges stem from the 1996 incident in which two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based NGO Brothers to the Rescue were shot down, resulting in the deaths of four people on board, three of whom were U.S. citizens and one a Cuban with legal U.S. residency. In announcing the new charges on Monday, Moody stated that the incident was not an accident but murder, with ample evidence indicating it was a premeditated conspiracy. This new state-level lawsuit comes five months after the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment charging Castro and five other former Cuban officials with crimes related to the same incident. Florida authorities allege that Castro, who was the First Vice President of Cuba at the time, was one of the officials who approved the operation against Brothers to the Rescue. State investigators also stated that Cuban intelligence agents operating in Florida as part of the so-called Wasp Network had infiltrated Brothers to the Rescue and provided Cuban authorities with intelligence regarding the organization's flight plans. On February 24, 1996, three Brothers to the Rescue planes took off from South Florida; Cuban MiG fighter jets shot down two of them, killing four people. U.S. authorities say the planes were in international airspace when they were destroyed.

Focusing now on the Middle East, the UK has stated it will conduct defensive air operations over Saudi Arabia to assist in protecting the country from attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Here is a report from Voice of America. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said on October 20 that he had informed Parliament that the Royal Air Force would deploy Typhoon fighter jets to conduct defensive counter-air operations in response to the Houthis' outrageous escalation of actions in recent weeks. Streeting cited the Houthis' recent deadly attacks on Saudi airports, including major international airports, calling them an intolerable escalation. He said that the UK is the kind of country that responds when allies ask for help. Streeting emphasized that British warplanes would not strike Houthi ground targets. The recent escalation between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government has broken the UN-backed 2022 ceasefire, which had largely ended the fighting in the Yemeni civil war. Yemeni local officials said on Tuesday that a Houthi attack on a government military camp in southern Yemen had killed 73 people, all of whom were new recruits. Officials said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the Al-Alam military camp in Shabwa province, making this attack the deadliest in the escalation that began months ago. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the ruling Presidential Leadership Council, vowed a resolute response to the attack. Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concern over the Houthi siege of Taiz city during their offensive against the Yemeni government. In a statement, he said the Houthis had closed the only supply route connecting Taiz to Aden, putting civilians in grave danger, hindering humanitarian aid, and cutting off the supply of basic necessities. Türk also stated that humanitarian aid must be allowed into the city immediately and its passage facilitated, and that civilians wishing to leave must be allowed to do so freely and safely.

On Tuesday, the three major stock indices saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average rise by 1.02%, the S&P 500 index rise by 0.28%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index fell by 0.02%. Coming up next, we will have the latest information on China and the situation in the Taiwan Strait. Stay tuned, we will be right back.

Let's look at a piece of news from China. On October 19, China announced the introduction of new export control measures for drone-related items, which will officially take effect on November 18. Analysts say that as the world's major producer of drones, China's introduction of new regulations to control the export of dual-use drones at this time is intended to achieve multiple goals with one stone. Let's listen to the report by VOA reporter Wu Xinxin. The new drone export control measures stipulate that items meeting specific characteristics may not be exported without a license, and export operators must apply for a license from the Ministry of Commerce of the State Council in accordance with relevant regulations. The scope of the new regulations covers 13 major categories of items, including complete drones with controllable flight beyond the natural line of sight, a maximum endurance of 30 minutes or more, or a range of 300 kilometers or more, as well as core components such as dedicated engines and brushless motors, and related communication equipment, software, and technology. A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce stated in response to reporters' questions on October 19 that the drone-related items involved in these measures have obvious dual-use attributes, and the purpose of China's adjustment of relevant measures is to safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation. Regarding China's introduction of new drone export control regulations at this time, Xu Yuren, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank, told VOA that Beijing likely hopes to achieve multiple goals with one stone. Xu Yuren said that Beijing has both the consideration of strengthening the management of dual-use technologies to prevent sensitive technologies from flowing into conflict areas, and the strategic intention of responding to the United States' technological blockade and supply chain restructuring. Beijing hopes to retain its influence in the global drone industry chain and transform its supply chain advantages into geopolitical leverage by strengthening the supervision of the export of key components, materials, and technologies. Lai Xiaogang, a scholar at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba in Canada, holds a similar view. He told VOA that drones have changed the way modern warfare is conducted, and their impact has far exceeded the tactical and operational fields, and is having an increasing impact on international politics. Lai Xiaogang, who has long studied the military and financial history of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), pointed out that China has now become the world's major producer of drones and the main supplier of parts and components for drone production for both Russia and Ukraine, as well as Iran. Drones have played a pivotal role in the Russia-Ukraine war and the US-Iran conflict. Lai Xiaogang said this was something the Beijing authorities did not expect. Lai Xiaogang told VOA that Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in a dilemma over the Russia-Ukraine war. He stated that although China is the biggest beneficiary of the Russia-Ukraine war, an early ceasefire is in Beijing's long-term interest. He said that Beijing's strengthening of export controls on drones is intended to increase its influence on the war situation. In addition, Lai Xiaogang emphasized that the international situation is currently full of uncertainties, and China's society and economy are sliding into a deep valley. Xi Jinping hopes to improve relations with the United States and Western countries and does not want to become the target of international politics. Lai Xiaogang said that therefore, China's control over the production and export of domestic drones has become inevitable. US-Taiwan cooperation in the field of drones will see intensive development in 2026. Recently, the US government has been accelerating the construction of non-red supply chains in fields including defense equipment, drones, unmanned surface vessels, and semiconductors. In the field of drones, US defense companies are increasingly establishing cooperation with Taiwanese manufacturers, combining US software strength with Taiwan's hardware manufacturing capabilities, and attempting to build a drone industry alliance in Taiwan that excludes Chinese components. The above is the report by VOA reporter Wu Xinxin from Washington.

Let us turn again to the situation in the Taiwan Strait. China's maritime pressure operations against Taiwan have escalated abruptly. The Taiwanese government stated that on October 18, 16 Chinese coast guard, scientific research, and fishing vessel formations simultaneously appeared off the eastern, southern, and southwestern waters of Taiwan as well as the Pratas Islands, conducting multi-point simultaneous and hybrid warfare maritime harassment against Taiwan. Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration dispatched vessels to take effective countermeasures and forcefully expel them. Let us listen to the report by Voice of America reporter Zhong Chenfang. The Coast Guard Administration issued a press release on Sunday explaining that in response to China using various types of vessels to harass Taiwan's surrounding waters, it took strong action at the first instance to effectively neutralize the threat. The appearance of Chinese vessels in various waters and the response actions of the coast guard vessels included a Chinese research vessel, the Tansuo 3, sailing into Taiwan's restricted waters in the waters east of Hualien, prompting a patrol boat from the Taitung Coast Guard Flotilla to broadcast and order it to leave. In the waters southwest of Elubi, Pingtung, the Chinese Beidiao 996 research vessel entered Taiwan's restricted waters in the early morning, and a patrol boat from the Hengchun Coast Guard Flotilla broadcast continuous warnings 12 times, forcefully compelling it to alter course and sail out of the restricted waters. In the waters southwest of Kaohsiung, the Taiwanese fishing boat Wanfacheng 11 was interfered with during operations by the Chinese Haiyang Dizhi 8 research vessel and a Chinese fishing boat, and the coast guard ship Pingtung immediately rushed to the scene to take escort actions. In the waters surrounding the Pratas Islands, two Chinese coast guard ships, the 3301 and 3303, circled the island in opposite directions with strong provocative intent, and the coast guard ships Qijin and Taichung adopted suppression, compulsory parallel navigation monitoring, and forceful broadcasting expulsion. By noon that day, they successfully expelled all Chinese coast guard ships outside the restricted waters and continued to monitor them sailing further away. The Coast Guard Administration's statement said that China's launching of maritime harassment operations this time with a formation of 12 coast guard and research vessels and 4 fishing vessels in the eastern, southern, southwestern, and Pratas surrounding waters of Taiwan, conducting multi-point simultaneous and hybrid warfare operations, is an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait and create the illusion of jurisdiction through false law enforcement and expansionist means, which will only cause resentment among the Taiwanese people, and the Coast Guard Administration condemns this in the strongest terms. Facing China's continuously escalating maritime pressure operations against Taiwan, does Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration have the capacity to continuously respond? Xu Yuren, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in the United States, said in an interview with Voice of America that China's maritime harassment against Taiwan has always existed, and to respond more effectively, the continuous presence of the United States in these waters is very important, and Taiwan must also seek to coordinate with allies such as the United States and Japan to take actions including joint patrols. Xu Yuren believes that China's maritime gray-zone operations are actually ongoing all the time, through various means and through military ships disguised as fishing ships or civilian ships, sometimes falling between what is enforceable and what is not, making it difficult to draw a clear line. A very important thing is to let the United States know that in the Taiwan Strait, the United States needs to have a presence, that is, to have its appearance here, which is very important. And then the second is to call on Japan, the United States, and Taiwan to cooperate in conducting joint patrols, and even regular joint patrols in the surrounding waters. Xu Yuren said that not only the United States and Japan, but the Philippines is also an important link in curbing China's maritime harassment. The Philippine Coast Guard said in early October that the Chinese research vessel Ji Hai Ke 7 operated for many days in the waters of the northern Batanes Islands of the country at the end of September and early October, and was expelled by Philippine Coast Guard vessels. A spokesman for the Coast Guard mentioned in a statement that not only is the country paying attention to the whereabouts of this Chinese research vessel, but three Taiwanese coast guard ships are also monitoring the Chinese vessels in the same waters. Xu Yuren believes that China's gray-zone harassment against Taiwan, which is pressure and coercion below the threshold of war, involves legal, diplomatic, and military levels, requiring different departments in Taiwan to respond jointly. He suggested that the Taiwanese government establish an inter-agency working group to formulate countermeasures against China's maritime pressure operations. Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration stated that facing China's authoritarian expansion and continuous aggressive harassment, the agency maintains high-intensity, steadfast operations and duty deployments around the clock to defend Taiwan's sovereignty and its system of freedom and democracy. Voice of America reporter Zhong Chenfang reporting from Washington.

Let us return to the United States mid-term elections. What position did the China issue hold in this mid-term election? Our reporters found that US-China trade and technological competition are entering multiple fiercely contested races through soybean sales, manufacturing jobs, and the electricity costs of data centers. Listen to the report by Voice of America reporter Lin Feng. These issues are connected to China in various ways. Some candidates directly criticize Beijing or question their opponents' records on China policy, while other debates revolve around the local economy, intersecting with Washington's goals for competition with China. In North Carolina's fiercely contested 1st Congressional District, Democratic US Representative Don Davis urged President Donald Trump to secure more stable and predictable arrangements for China to purchase US soybeans. Prior to President Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in September, Davis demanded a verifiable timeline with clear arrangements for what he called China's procurement commitments. Facing Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout, Davis's call highlights farmers' need for stable export markets. In the Senate race in Iowa, agricultural trade became a direct point of contention between the two sides. In Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, Democratic Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti made data center development a campaign issue in her challenge to Republican US Representative Rob Bresnahan. Cognetti's campaign team criticized the development project for enjoying tax breaks, lacking transparency, and potentially forcing residents to shoulder additional costs. Bresnahan, meanwhile, introduced a bill to protect local communities that reject data center projects and restrict developers from filing lawsuits against these decisions.