Voice of America Chinese Broadcast (October 24, 2026) U.S. midterm election day draws near as candidates scramble for support; 20 million ballots already cast early; the U.S. First Lady brokers a temporary ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine in the Oleshky area
This episode of the Voice of America Chinese broadcast covers several important international and domestic news items. Trump stated that the U.S. could quickly end the conflict with Iran and controls the Strait of Hormuz; the White House announced that the U.S. First Lady facilitated a local ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine regarding Oleshky; with the U.S. midterm elections approaching, candidates from both parties are actively campaigning, and the number of early votes has reached 20 million; the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the China-Russia joint communique for distorting the UN General Assembly resolution; a decline in wine consumption in California has led to a surplus of unsold grapes; the U.S. military signed a ten-year F-35 procurement framework agreement with Lockheed Martin; Freedom House released a global internet freedom report, pointing out that China's internet freedom ranks at the bottom; a delegation of legislative leaders from U.S. southern states visited Taiwan; and a U.S. House committee called for strengthened security reviews of federally funded research projects to prevent China from obtaining the results.
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Hello, dear listeners. Welcome to the Voice of America Chinese broadcast. I am Lin Sen. Reporting to you today from the U.S. capital, Washington. The main contents of today's program are as follows. Trump said that the amount of oil the U.S. helped transport through the Strait of Hormuz last week exceeded the volume of oil transported through the strait before the conflict with Iran broke out, and the U.S. has the ability to quickly end the conflict with Iran. The White House announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine have reached a local ceasefire agreement regarding a Ukrainian city under Russian control. With less than two weeks left until the U.S. midterm election voting day, approximately 20 million voters have already cast their ballots, and candidates and political figures are stepping up their efforts to win voter support. U.S. wine consumption is declining, and California grape growers are facing a difficult problem this year: they cannot find buyers for the grapes they worked so hard to grow. For more news, please stay tuned to the Voice of America Chinese broadcast.
President Trump stated that the amount of oil the U.S. helped transport through the Strait of Hormuz last week exceeded the volume of oil transported through this critical strait before the conflict with Iran broke out. He said the U.S. has the ability to quickly end the conflict with Iran, but the question currently pending is whether it should be ended completely or left to subside on its own. Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, October 23, that the U.S. could end all of this very quickly, but Iran is a failing nation, and we are getting the oil we want out. Trump indicated that against the backdrop of soaring inflation and the inability to export oil, Iran is suffering from the impact of the U.S. naval blockade and economic pressure. Trump said that Iran cannot do anything at all right now, and if we wanted to, we could take all the oil, we could even occupy the entire country, and as you know, the Strait of Hormuz is completely in our hands, and it will remain so in the future.
Russia and Ukraine have reached a partial ceasefire agreement regarding the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Oleshky. The White House announced on Friday that this ceasefire agreement was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. The agreement includes temporarily halting combat operations, delivering humanitarian aid to the city, and allowing willing residents to evacuate. Ukrainian Chief Negotiator David Arakhamia stated on the Telegram platform that humanitarian relief operations will begin once the ceasefire takes effect. He also specifically mentioned the efforts made by Melania Trump and Pope Francis in brokering the agreement. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the civilian evacuation is expected to take several days to complete, and he praised the US First Lady's involvement in the process, noting that she made a significant contribution to coordinating the humanitarian operation. The White House pointed out in a statement that the ceasefire will begin on October 29 and described the local situation in Oleshky as extremely dire.
With less than two weeks remaining until the US midterm election voting day, approximately 20 million voters have already cast their ballots, and candidates and political figures are stepping up their efforts to win voter support. In the 2022 midterms, total turnout was 112 million. In the battle for control of the US Congress, early voting has been more active than in 2022 in several closely watched districts. Early vote counts have increased at this stage in states such as Kansas, Maine, and North Carolina. President Donald Trump traveled to Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Iowa this week to campaign and rally support for Republican candidates. He plans to continue attending rallies and giving speeches next week, including a campaign stop in Mississippi to support Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's reelection bid. Former Vice President Kamala Harris also campaigned this week, traveling to Mississippi on Thursday, October 22, to support Hyde-Smith's Democratic challenger, 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 of Representatives from the Republicans. Vice President JD Vance also attended a rally in Ohio this week, a state featuring several critical elections this cycle, including contests for a US 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 and Democrat Amy Acton are competing.
The 2026 US midterm elections will be held on November 3, with control of both houses of Congress becoming the focal point of the two parties' contest. Republicans are fighting to hold onto their majorities, while Democrats hope to regain control. The focus of the 2026 midterms is who will control Congress during the final two years of President Donald Trump's second term. Republicans are striving to retain their majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, while Democrats hope to win control, thereby changing the political power dynamic in Washington. President Trump has campaigned for Republican candidates in multiple key battleground states, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer stated that voters want the country to move in a new direction. Senators returned to their respective home states to campaign during the Washington recess. The 2026 midterms will take place on November 3, when 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be contested. Prior to the election, Republicans held 53 seats in the Senate, Democrats held 45, and two independent senators caucused with the Democrats, making the partisan split 53 to 47. Closely watched Senate races include Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas. House members have also returned to their districts to campaign for reelection and mobilize potential voters. All 435 House seats are up for election. Prior to the 2026 elections, the chamber had 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent, and two vacant seats. From Bill Clinton to Joe Biden, four out of five presidents saw the political party to which they belonged lose its House majority in their first midterm elections in office; the sole exception was the 2002 midterms during President George W. Bush's administration. In 2022, Republicans wrested House control from the Democrats of President Joe Biden. In 2018, during Trump's first presidential term, Democrats captured the House from Republicans. In 2026, 36 states are also holding gubernatorial elections, alongside state legislative elections. Members of Congress elected in the 2026 elections 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 its rhetoric in a joint communique signed with Russia, which Taiwan described as a departure from facts, a serious infringement on Taiwan's sovereignty, and a factor 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 communique issued after the meeting claimed that both sides emphasized the authority of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 is beyond question or challenge—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 representation of the People's Republic of China at the United Nations, but completely failed to mention or resolve the issue of the representation of the 23 million people of Taiwan at the UN. In the joint communique, Russia also reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China principle and its opposition to any form of Taiwan independence. The Russian side further stated in the communique that it firmly supports 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 joint communique for distorting the interpretation of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. The Ministry sternly condemned the government of the People's Republic of China 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 continued 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 and the People's Republic of China have never been subordinate to each other. The statement added that any claim intended 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 as recognized by the international community.
With wine consumption in the United States declining, 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. It is currently the harvest season in California's wine regions, but not all grapes will end up in bottles this year. This is because the decline in U.S. wine consumption and reduced consumer spending on alcohol have left California grape growers with a large backlog of unsold grapes. Taylor Serres, a fifth-generation grape grower at Serres Ranch in Sonoma County, typically produces 500 to 600 tons of grapes annually on their 130-acre vineyard, with about 80% of their grapes sold to other wineries. This year, about 30 tons of grapes went unsold, worth approximately $100,000. By 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 market demand is not that high. Taylor Serres said, "We are not just here for this year, after all. We hope to be here for another hundred years, so this is a downturn for us, but diversified operations have helped us. I believe the situation will improve; we just need to grit our teeth and hold on."
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 drinking less overall, but the Wine Market Council's survey shows that older consumers have reduced their wine consumption more than other age groups. "We found that the reduction in drinking was actually higher among Baby Boomers, higher than among Millennials or Gen Z." On the streets of Oakland, some consumers also admitted that their alcohol intake has decreased. At the Saffire 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 past 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, and they really don't need to buy more wine."
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 a procurement volume of at least 850 aircraft over 10 years. According to a fighter force structure report submitted to Congress by the U.S. Air Force on October 16, the U.S. Air Force needs to possess 1,509 combat-capable aircraft by 2035, with stealth fighters accounting for 60% of its total fighter fleet, of which the F-35A will account for 40%. This milestone agreement sends a signal of stable, long-term procurement, which will help the United States achieve the modernization and scale expansion of its fifth-generation fighters. Michael P. Duffey, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, 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 they need in combat. This framework agreement is an important operational milestone in the Department of Defense's procurement 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 for the F-35 program. The agreement also secures a procurement volume of at least 850 aircraft over 10 years, covering initial spare parts, modification kits, and sustainment services for the global F-35 fleet, which can continuously support Lockheed Martin's production pace of 156 aircraft per year.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated in a speech regarding the arsenal of freedom on the 20th that providing companies with long-term, predictable contracts can achieve large-scale, high-speed delivery of military goods. As I said before, we are providing companies with larger, longer-term, and more predictable contracts to help them achieve large-scale, high-speed delivery. We are reshaping the military by equipping it with the most advanced equipment and the best leadership, ensuring that our warfighters have an absolute advantage, so that they always have overwhelming odds in combat and will never fall into a hard-fought battle of equals. According to reports from U.S. media outlets Defense News and Air & Space Forces Magazine, a newly released fighter force structure report submitted by the U.S. Air Force to Congress on October 16 shows that by 2035, the Air Force needs to possess 1,509 combat-capable aircraft. About 40% of the fighters in the fleet will be F-35As, 20% will be F-22 Raptors and sixth-generation F-47s, and the total share of stealth fighters will reach 60%, with the remaining 40% composed of F-15 and F-16 fighters, each accounting for half. The execution of the F-35 fighter procurement framework agreement still requires congressional authorization and appropriation approval.
Regarding the three major stock indices on Friday, 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 latest annual global internet freedom report released on October 22 that authoritarian internet control has led to a decline in global internet freedom for the 16th consecutive year, with China and Myanmar continuing to be among the countries with the worst internet freedom in the world. The report points out that Chinese netizens are even suppressed for engaging in the most basic online activities, such as sharing news reports and discussing religious beliefs. The report, titled "Freedom on the Net 2026: The Great Shift in the Global Internet," points out that as new technologies reshape how the internet is accessed, democratic governments and technology companies should resist the efforts of authoritarian forces to cut off the connection between the public and the global internet, and defend the relevant rights of the public. In the section concerning China, the report points out that for more than a decade, the internet freedom environment faced by Chinese internet users has been the worst in the world. The report notes that Chinese netizens face severe legal consequences and even extrajudicial punishment for their online activities, even though these activities are the most basic online behaviors, such as sharing news reports, discussing religious beliefs, or communicating with friends and relatives overseas and others. The report points out that human rights lawyers and journalists in China are often sentenced to many years in prison for their online activities, and the authorities have immense power to censor and manipulate online content, attempting to purge any dissenting voices from the Chinese internet. The report revealed that in August 2025, there was a nationwide internet outage in China that lasted for one hour, 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 on the state of global internet freedom. This year's report investigated and ranked the level of internet freedom in 38 countries around the world. As of press time, the Chinese Embassy in the United States has not responded to an email from Voice of America requesting comment.
Among the 8 countries in the Asia-Pacific region participating in the evaluation, Taiwan ranked first with 78 points, 3 points higher than second-place Australia, while Myanmar tied for last place with a total score of 9 points along with China. Regarding the United States, the report noted that compared with 2025, the U.S. total score remained unchanged at 73, but concerns regarding freedom of speech online persisted, and monitoring of online activities as well as legal penalties continue to pose challenges to freedom of speech. The report stated that global internet freedom has declined for the 16th consecutive year, with Iran ranking among the countries with the worst internet freedom globally 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. Key findings of the report also include that authoritarian governments have accelerated efforts to isolate their citizens from the global internet, age-verification regulations have created new hurdles for internet access while also introducing risks to privacy and security, and measures targeting artificial intelligence-generated content, while addressing substantive harms, have also raised concerns about censorship. Kian, a co-author of the report and research deputy director at Freedom House, stated in a press release that after enduring 16 years of decline, democracies must take the lead and fight to maintain a free and open internet environment, saying that dictators spare no effort to implement measures that isolate the public from the outside world, whereas we must be committed to making censorship a complete failure.
A delegation composed of legislative leaders from states in the American South met with officials from the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan on October 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. The Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release on Thursday stating that Political Deputy Minister Chen Ming-chi, during his meeting with the legislative leaders from various southern U.S. states, expressed gratitude for the continuous passage of resolutions by southern state legislatures this year supporting Taiwan's international participation, and emphasized the democratic values shared by the U.S. and Taiwan. Chen Ming-chi said that last year Taiwan's agricultural delegation announced the procurement of over USD 10 billion in U.S. agricultural products, and the prospects for U.S.-Taiwan agricultural cooperation are promising. He also welcomed the establishment of an office in Taiwan by Oklahoma and welcomed various states to set up offices in Taiwan to further expand bilateral industrial exchange opportunities. Delegation leader Lonnie Paxton, President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, stated during the meeting that the friendship between Taiwan and the southern U.S. states is profound, with fruitful cooperation outcomes in areas such as economy, trade, agriculture, and education, and that Oklahoma's establishment of an economic and trade office in Taiwan is an important milestone in bilateral relations, demonstrating the state's emphasis on its partnership with Taiwan and looking forward to expanding mutually beneficial business opportunities on this basis. The delegation included legislative leaders from the senate and house of representatives of four states: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it will continue to deepen friendly relations with U.S. states, consolidating the mutually beneficial U.S.-Taiwan partnership through multi-level, cross-domain substantive interactions.
Among the delegation, Oklahoma is the latest state 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 last August. 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 event at the state capitol building on June 30 this year. Alex Yi-Fang Shiao, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, stated while attending the announcement event that Oklahoma's opening of a Taiwan economic and trade office not only demonstrates the profound friendship between the two sides but will also continue to deepen bilateral trade and investment. Alex Yi-Fang Shiao also mentioned that the U.S. Department of State, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Commerce had previously sent letters to governors and business leaders across all U.S. states, encouraging them to expand economic, trade, and 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 industrial strengths in energy, defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing, as well as its logistical advantages stemming from its geographic location as a hub in the central United States. The Council of State Governments States and Nations Policy Committee is an organization aimed at promoting U.S.-Taiwan bilateral relations, and also serves as a joint platform for U.S. state representative offices in Taiwan to promote economic and trade relations and investment opportunities between their respective states and Taiwan. According to the council's official website, its members currently include 22 U.S. states and Guam, with Oklahoma not yet included.
A congressional committee focused on China in the U.S. House of Representatives has released a report calling for tighter security reviews of taxpayer-funded research projects to prevent Chinese-affiliated institutions from acquiring U.S.-funded research through undisclosed foreign appointments, funding arrangements, and research collaborations. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and a Republican representative from Michigan, released a report on October 13 titled "Stopping China from Stealing Research Funded by U.S. Taxpayers." The 40-page report primarily responds to arguments opposing enhanced research security measures, citing committee investigations, federal law enforcement actions, and inspector general findings to refute claims that increased scrutiny could harm academic freedom, stifle scientific innovation, increase administrative burdens on universities, and that universities can effectively regulate research collaborations on their own. In a statement, Moolenaar said that the arguments against research security reforms lack sufficient basis and that Congress should pass relevant legislation to ensure that U.S. taxpayer funds are not used to support research collaborations with entities identified by the U.S. government as national security risks. Moolenaar stated that America's scientific enterprise is one of our most precious national assets, and protecting it requires facing reality and taking action; 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 federally funded U.S. research has become a key national security focus for the U.S. Congress. Against this backdrop, in May of this year, Moolenaar and Indiana Republican Senator Jim Banks jointly introduced the "Protecting Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act." This bill proposes establishing uniform restrictions at the federal level to ban the use of federal research funds for collaboration with institutions placed on U.S. government restricted lists. The bill applies to universities, national laboratories, and private institutions, and includes joint research, co-authoring papers, data sharing, and personnel exchanges within the scope of research collaboration. It also allows for limited exemptions when national security, major scientific research, or public health interests are involved, provided that Congress is notified. Currently, the bill has not yet entered committee review or voting procedures. According to the U.S. legislative process, a bill must pass identical versions in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and be signed by the president before it can become law. The report released by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party also puts forward a number of policy recommendations, including strengthening post-award oversight of federal research grants, standardizing research security standards across government agencies, encouraging universities to proactively adopt stricter protection measures, and more effectively utilizing administrative measures such as suspension and debarment when investigative evidence is sufficient. Published alongside the report are more than 700 pages of previously undisclosed unclassified investigative records.