Voice of America Chinese Broadcast (September 23, 2026)
This installment of Voice of America Chinese broadcasts covers several important international and China-US relations news items. President Trump emphasized America's leading position in the field of superintelligence at the UN General Assembly and discussed the Iranian issue. Ukrainian officials stated that overnight Russian bombings resulted in 5 deaths. Think tank experts suggested establishing guardrails for US-China economic competition. Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to the US has sparked widespread attention regarding Taiwan issues, arms sales to Taiwan, and first lady diplomacy. Additionally, Taiwan's Minister of Administrative Affairs, Hung Shen-han, visited Nanjing, China, to attend an APEC meeting, and a group of US congressmen urged measures to prevent Chinese automobiles and sanction fraud groups.
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Hello everyone, and welcome to Voice of America Chinese broadcasts. I am Lin Sen, reporting to you from Washington D.C., the capital of the United States. Today's program highlights include: President Trump says whoever wins superintelligence wins; the US leads the world in superintelligence and will continue to do so in a safe and responsible manner; US Secretary of State Rubio says President Trump is open to meeting with Iranian President Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly in New York, but no such meeting has been scheduled yet; Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday, September 22nd, that Russia bombed Ukraine overnight using missiles and drones, resulting in 5 deaths; experts at a Washington think tank say that US-China supply chains are highly intertwined, and economic competition should establish guardrails to avoid miscalculation and the risk of accidental escalation. For more news, please tune in to Voice of America Chinese broadcasts.
During his speech at the UN General Assembly, President Trump stated that the US leads the world in superintelligence and will continue to do so in a safe and responsible manner. Americans have never been a people to shrink from a new frontier or shy away from a challenge, no matter how great or difficult. For 250 years, freedom has never been an easily won gift for Americans, and we will never give up freedom. Let's hear what President Trump has to say: whoever wins artificial intelligence, you must remember this. Now I will say whoever wins SI, that is, whoever wins superintelligence, wins. That group will become the winner. We are now far ahead of China and all other countries, and we will maintain this lead, very firmly and very strongly. I will not stifle the development of a technology that may be larger in scale than the Industrial Revolution. Many people say its impact will surpass the Industrial Revolution, even the internet itself. We will be very careful, which is why the Department of Justice has taken action on this issue, and with great force. Everything is going very smoothly and very quickly. We also have other law enforcement agencies that will provide constraints if necessary, but we will only encourage superintelligence. We will encourage it, not suppress it. We will closely monitor it through the Department of Justice.
When discussing the Iran issue, President Trump said, "Will we reach an agreement with Iran, let them rebuild the nation and create a country far better than before? This is the major decision he currently faces. Listen to what President Trump says, but I am facing a major decision: will we reach an agreement with Iran, let them rebuild the nation and create a country far better than before, perhaps becoming one of the best countries in the Middle East, even the world, or should I completely destroy the Islamic Republic of Iran, act swiftly, and never give them another chance to kill, destroy other peoples and nations? Should I cast them into hell, give them no chance of survival, and ensure their future and descendants have no hope of strength? But I believe we will reach an agreement after the election, because for them it makes no sense not to do so."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday, September 22, said President Trump is open to meeting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, but he emphasized that no such meeting has been arranged yet. Listen to the report: Rubio told NBC's "Today" program that "we are certainly open to such a thing, especially if it could lead to a positive outcome and ultimately achieve the goal that Iran can never have nuclear weapons." Iranian President Raisi and the Iranian delegation are in New York for this week's UN General Assembly. An Iranian official told Reuters that the UN General Assembly is a golden opportunity for the United States to return to the diplomatic stage. The official also said no meeting between the two leaders has been scheduled. The official said the United States needs to announce its desire to resolve the issue through diplomatic means, formally state this position, and then agree on a timeline to advance the process.
President Trump plans to meet Gulf Cooperation Council leaders on Tuesday, a group that has been the target of Iranian retaliatory attacks since the U.S. and Israel launched a military operation against Tehran. Rubio said Gulf Cooperation Council countries are concerned about Iran. When asked what the GCC leaders would discuss with the President, Rubio told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" that "the reason we have military bases in Gulf countries is because they are worried about Iran, that's why we are stationed there." Rubio added that Iran funds terrorist groups operating in Iraq and Syria, helps Hezbollah in Lebanon, is behind the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and also seeks nuclear weapons, which not only worries Gulf states but should worry the whole world. President Trump has repeatedly stated he will not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons, saying that if Iran gets the chance, it will use them.
Ukrainian officials on Tuesday, September 22, said Russia used missiles and drones to bomb Ukraine overnight, killing five people. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump during the UN General Assembly in New York, with talks scheduled for later Tuesday during a break in the assembly. Zelensky posted on social media that he has briefed U.S. senators on his proposals to Trump for easing tensions. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a pre‑meeting Fox News interview, said Trump has always wanted to end the war and also mentioned Ukraine's position that they must deal with missiles launched nightly at Kyiv that hit civilians. Zelensky said Ukraine is willing to slow its strikes if Russia does the same. He wrote on X on Monday that Ukraine's energy sector critical infrastructure and our food exports must no longer be targets of Russia, which will prompt us to take corresponding de‑escalation measures. Trump said last week that both sides agreed to stop striking energy facilities, but attacks continue, and Russia said it would only accept a ceasefire if the West first lifts energy sanctions. French President Emmanuel Macron said on social media on Tuesday that France will provide Ukraine with more radars to protect its power grid and that he has discussed with Trump the suspension of attacks on energy facilities and a pause in Black Sea operations.
The US-China economic relationship has also become a focus of attention. Experts from Washington think tanks warn that the highly intertwined US-China supply chains require guardrails for economic competition to prevent miscalculation and accidental escalation. To hear the report, how can we prevent the situation from accidentally escalating into an unintended conflict? Nellie Liang, a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, proposed three major policy guardrails for the upcoming US-China summit to prevent the US-China relationship from falling into endless confrontation. She stated that first, both sides should enhance policy transparency and reduce suspicion of intentions; second, clarify rules of retaliation, establish preconditions and decision-making processes for economic retaliation, and prevent loss of control; third, draw a line between national security and the economy to ensure that normal trade and essential supplies can still circulate safely during crises. She pointed out that the two countries' supply chains are intertwined, and the biggest risk of US-China economic confrontation is an escalation that neither side anticipates. These interconnections mean that restricting the export of any raw material or component will create a chain reaction across different industries, and will also cross national borders to affect third-party companies, even drawing third countries into it.
This intertwined supply chain relationship also brings another layer of risk to Chinese investment. Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, used graphite as an example, pointing out that reliance on critical mineral supply is a risk. At a time when export restrictions can be weaponized, especially for critical minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries, how can we ensure that allowing Chinese investment does not become another tool used against us? He also warned that if Chinese cars are introduced into the US market, government subsidies may be involved behind Chinese companies, leading to unfair competition. Due to the fundamental differences in the nature of China's economic system that we must consider, Europe has begun to introduce relevant regulations to deal with these issues. What should be done when Chinese private enterprises indirectly benefit from domestic subsidies, thus creating unfair competition in your local market? How to find a balance between national security competition and economic interdependence and establish predictable communication mechanisms will be an important observation indicator for this summit.
At the invitation of President Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, will visit the White House for the third time on September 24th. President Trump will host a state dinner. What role does the First Lady play on such an important occasion as a state visit? To hear the report from Voice of America reporter Huang Yaoyi. Whenever a foreign head of state visits the White House, including state dinners and many other ceremonial activities, they are coordinated by the First Lady's office. The First Ladies also use their ingenuity to add highlights to busy state affairs. The bilingual Chinese-English menu in my hand is from the state dinner menu for President Jimmy Carter to entertain Deng Xiaoping, then Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, and his wife Zhuo Lin on January 29, 1979. Mrs. Carter, Rosalynn, meticulously prepared a menu written in calligraphy in both Chinese and English. The appetizer was seafood spring rolls, the main course was roasted beef tenderloin with stuffing, and dessert was chocolate and coffee. After the dinner, Rosalynn arranged for guests to watch a performance at the Kennedy Center. The First Lady's diplomatic work is also reflected in her attire. In 1972, when President Nixon became the first US president to visit China, his wife Pat Nixon specially wore a red dress, symbolizing good fortune. It was also because Pat told Zhou Enlai that she found pandas very cute that Zhou Enlai immediately promised to give two pandas, thus initiating US-China panda diplomacy.
First Lady diplomacy requires effort and integration with the background culture of visiting dignitaries. In September 2015, at the invitation of President Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the White House. Mrs. Obama, Michelle, took Mrs. Xi, Peng Liyuan, to the National Zoo in Washington to name a panda cub that was four weeks old. In April 2017, President Trump invited Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan to Mar-a-Lago in Florida for a summit. Mrs. Trump, Melania, arranged for Peng Liyuan to visit the nearby Bak Middle School of the Arts, which teaches arts such as music and dance. Peng Liyuan had previously studied at the China Conservatory of Music. Anita McBride has worked in the White House since the Reagan administration and served as Chief of Staff to former First Lady Laura Bush. On Thursday, after the two presidents begin their bilateral talks, First Lady Melania will take Peng Liyuan to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. A state dinner will be held in the White House East Room in the evening.
Taiwan's Executive Yuan Labor Minister Hong Shenhan, after concluding a rare visit to China on September 22, said upon arriving at Taoyuan Airport that he was not subjected to any belittlement while attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) regional meeting. Hong Shenhan traveled to Nanjing, China, on September 20 to attend a human resources development ministers' meeting. Against the backdrop of increased military and political pressure from Beijing on Taiwan, he was the first minister-level official from the Lai Ching-te administration to visit China. Listen to what Hong Shenhan said: "Thanks to our efforts, we did not encounter any so‑called belittlement during our participation in the meeting. We are a formal APEC member, and the official name of our APEC delegation is indeed Chinese Taipei. However, I must say that the real focus should be on demanding that, as a formal APEC member, we enjoy the same rights as other member economies. With our persistent advocacy and the assistance of the APEC Secretariat, the Chinese side has, in accordance with APEC rules, granted us the rights equivalent to those of other members. This is what we refer to as equal dignity."
APEC is one of the few international organizations that Taiwan, which China claims sovereignty over, can participate in. China is the host of APEC this year, and the routine informal leaders' summit is scheduled to be held in Shenzhen in November. Taiwan participates in APEC activities under the name Chinese Taipei, the same designation it uses at the Olympic Games, and has not yet announced who will attend the Shenzhen summit.
Turning to the stock market, on Tuesday the three major U.S. indices moved as follows: the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.37%, the S&P 500 was flat (0.00% change), and the technology‑heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.45%.
Twenty‑seven Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives on September 21 jointly wrote to President Trump urging him to continue protecting the U.S. auto industry from Chinese automobiles and connected‑vehicle technology, and to ensure that Chinese cars do not enter the U.S. market through direct imports, U.S. production, or any other means. In a Voice of America report, Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan, together with 26 other Democratic lawmakers—including the lead Democrat on the House China Task Force and Representative Ro Karna of California—called on the Republican administration to avoid discussing the import of Chinese automobiles or the establishment of Chinese auto plants in the United States during U.S.–China trade talks. They emphasized the need to protect the U.S. auto manufacturing base, workers, critical supply chains, and national security. The letter warned that China is rapidly expanding its global automotive presence through massive government subsidies, state‑directed investment, below‑market financing, and other non‑market policies and practices. The lawmakers highlighted the importance of the U.S. auto sector to economic security and national interests, noting that it supports roughly ten million American jobs and sustains a broad manufacturing ecosystem that includes steel, semiconductors, batteries, electronics, machinery, and thousands of suppliers.
Dingell and the other representatives also wrote that banning Chinese automobiles from the U.S. market is a matter of both economic and national security. They told President Trump that modern cars are increasingly becoming connected computing platforms, integrating cameras, microphones, sensors, communications equipment, software, and other technologies that can collect and transmit large amounts of data. The letter noted that bipartisan members of both chambers of Congress recognize the need to address the economic and national security risks posed by Chinese automobiles and connected‑vehicle technology. Concern over Chinese cars is not limited to Democrats; Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan introduced a 2026 Connected Vehicle Safety Act in April, which would prohibit the import, sale, and operation of vehicles produced by China or any other country of concern, and ban the use of Chinese‑developed connected‑vehicle technologies—such as software and data systems—on U.S. roads. In May, Representative Dingell and House China Task Force Chairman, also a Republican from Michigan, Representative John Moolenaar, introduced a bipartisan House version of the Connected Vehicle Safety Act. The bill cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in July but has seen no further progress. Although no formal law has been enacted, current U.S. regulatory rules already prohibit Chinese automotive hardware and software from entering the United States. As the U.S.–China summit approaches and trade talks intensify, the U.S. auto industry has increased pressure, calling for a strict ban on Chinese cars entering the U.S. and urging that Chinese automakers not be allowed to invest in U.S. manufacturing facilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump will host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on September 24th. The issue of Taiwan is widely expected to be an unavoidable topic, especially since President Trump said after his previous visit to Beijing that he had suspended the approval of a new arms sale to Taiwan. The future of this arms sale plan remains unclear and has led to much speculation. A White House spokesperson told VOA that, as President Trump stated, he will make a decision on a new arms sale to Taiwan in the near future. Listen to the report by VOA correspondent Zhong Chenfang.
Although President Trump had previously publicly stated that Xi Jinping would visit the White House on September 24th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not officially announce Xi's visit to the U.S. until Monday. A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that at the invitation of President Trump, President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the United States from September 23rd to 25th. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a regular press conference on Monday that head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-U.S. relations, and that the mutual visits of the two heads of state within half a year are of historic milestone significance. China is willing to work with the U.S. to enrich the content of the constructive strategic stable relationship between the two countries, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and properly manage differences.
After the Beijing summit with Xi Jinping in May, President Trump postponed the approval of a new $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, saying that arms sales to Taiwan were a good bargaining chip between the United States and China. How the two sides will clash on the issue of Taiwan at this summit has attracted much attention from the outside world. It is generally believed that Xi Jinping will continue to pressure Trump on the Taiwan issue. Some analyses suggest that the arms sale to Taiwan may be postponed until the end of the year, after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and G20 summits, or that the entire arms sale plan may be broken down into smaller packages. VOA has requested comments from the White House and the State Department on whether the arms sale to Taiwan was postponed due to the Trump-Xi summit, whether the entire plan will be broken down, and whether the delay in arms sales to Taiwan, which worries U.S. regional allies, could affect the security and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the region.
A White House spokesperson, in an email response to VOA, provided the following three key points: First, as President Trump has said, he will make a decision on a new arms sale to Taiwan in the near future. Second, the President approved an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan in December 2025, which is consistent with U.S. policy since the 1950s. Third, during his first term, President Trump approved more arms sales to Taiwan than any other president in history, and in his second term, the amount approved by President Trump in the first year is more than that approved by President Biden during his entire four-year term.
Last Friday, Chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP and Republican Congressman from Michigan, John Moolenaar, sent a letter to President Trump urging him to reject China's attempts to interfere with U.S. arms exports and security cooperation with allies, while affirming Trump's arms sales to Taiwan during his term and calling for continued deterrence against China. He wrote, "I commend your historic record of selling U.S. military equipment to Taiwan during your two terms and stand ready to support your continued efforts to deter the CCP from inciting military catastrophes that could destroy the global economy."
Last Thursday, Edgar Kagan, former Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council, said at a media briefing on the U.S.-China summit that Taiwan is clearly an important issue at the summit. "The Chinese side wants to continue to freeze arms sales, and I think they will exert pressure on this," he said. "And I think the truly important part of what happened in mid-May is not really the arms sale itself, but that the President basically reiterated the framework that Xi Jinping set for Taiwan."
On September 15th, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Brian Mast, and Chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, John Moolenaar, sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State, requesting stronger sanctions against foreign individuals involved in cyber fraud centers. Listen to the report. The letter requests the administration to launch an investigation and, when legal standards are met, to impose sanctions on foreign individuals credibly linked to cyber fraud centers located in Southeast Asia.
In a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Representatives Mast and Moolenaar stated that Americans are suffering from cyber fraud with extremely high frequency and increasing, which is mainly attributed to Chinese transnational criminal organizations operating in Southeast Asia. They said these criminal groups have established industrial-scale compounds specializing in complex cyber fraud activities, including cryptocurrency investment scams, often referred to as
Two Republican members of the House praised the Trump administration’s efforts to combat fraud criminals and their foreign facilitators, including sanctions, criminal prosecutions, asset seizures, and bounty rewards. In their letter they listed 26 foreign individuals and two foreign entities, the Freely Group Company and the White Palace Casino. The two representatives said there is credible information indicating that these individuals and entities are linked to the operation of online fraud centers within the Southeast Asian fraud industry. Representatives Master and Mulner demanded that the administration launch an investigation and decide within 180 days whether these foreign persons meet the legal criteria for imposing sanctions. The letter was also copied to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Welch. In a Wednesday statement, Representative Mulner noted that earlier this year the House China Issues Special Committee he led completed a bipartisan investigation into a massive network of fraud centers tied to China, and released a bipartisan report titled Crime, Corruption, and Power, addressing the rise of China‑linked fraud networks that target Americans and threaten U.S. security. The report states that the network defrauds at least $10 billion from Americans each year, while also fueling human trafficking, cybercrime, and illicit financial activities. It points out that these fraud centers are concentrated in Southeast Asia, especially Cambodia and Myanmar, as part of a distributed criminal ecosystem that links online fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering.
The report concludes that although these criminal networks are not directly controlled by a state nor a state‑sponsored conspiracy, China’s governance and law‑enforcement model facilitates their expansion. It says the networks heavily rely on China’s underground banking system, cryptocurrency intermediaries, and shell companies to move funds across borders and launder money. In a Tuesday statement, the House Foreign Affairs Committee noted that in December last year the House Foreign Affairs Committee led by Master passed the Disrupt Foreign Fraud Groups Act, which, if ultimately enacted, would legally strengthen inter‑agency coordination and bolster the U.S. government’s response to the fraud center crisis. Under U.S. legislative procedure, a bill must be passed in identical form by both the House and the Senate and then signed by the President to become law.