Voice of America Chinese Broadcast (September 16, 2026) US Air Force Secretary publicly admits that the US Space Force currently possesses "space control weapons" deployed in orbit
This program covers several international political and security news stories, including the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force publicly acknowledging that the U.S. military possesses orbital space control weapons; the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission releasing a timeline tracking China's support for Iran's nuclear and missile development; the U.S. Department of Justice announcing that two Chinese citizens residing in New York pleaded guilty to theft and interstate transportation of used cooking oil; mutual attacks on energy facilities by Russia and Ukraine; Chinese Minister of State Security Chen Yixin systematically elaborating on the risks posed by artificial intelligence to political security; and Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim making a whirlwind visit to Italy to attend a democracy forum.
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Hello everyone, welcome to Voice of America Chinese broadcast. I am Weizhi, bringing you today's program from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.
U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink publicly acknowledged that the U.S. Space Force currently possesses space control weapons deployed in orbit. This is the Pentagon's most explicit public statement to date regarding the deployment of weapons by the United States in space. Meink said on Monday at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference held at National Harbor, Maryland, that the Space Force now possesses on-orbit space control weapons capable of protecting joint forces from actions by hostile adversaries. Meink stated that publicly disclosing this capability was a carefully considered decision and that the wording had been very thoroughly scrutinized, but he declined to disclose the specific types, quantities, and readiness status of these weapons, nor did he state whether they are kinetic weapons or non-kinetic systems, or whether they have been tested. He said we will not discuss the specific details of what we are doing, including whether tests have been conducted or anything else. The Air & Space Forces Magazine was the first to report his remarks. Space control weapons is a broad military term that can refer to equipment used to protect one's own satellites or to jam and suppress adversary space systems. Potential technologies include electronic jammers, lasers, highly maneuverable satellites, and kinetic weapons capable of directly destroying other spacecraft. Meink's remarks did not indicate which specific system the United States has deployed, nor did they clarify under what circumstances these weapons would be used. At the same conference, Meink also addressed the space interceptors planned under the Trump administration's Golden Dome missile defense system; however, these interceptors remain in the research and development phase, and he did not link them to the weapons already deployed in orbit.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to the U.S. announcement at a regular press conference on Tuesday, saying that China has consistently adhered to the peaceful use of outer space, safeguarded outer space security, and opposed the weaponization of outer space, turning outer space into a battlefield, and arms races. We urge the U.S. side to stop military expansion and war preparations in outer space and take concrete actions to safeguard global strategic stability. Guo Jiakun did not directly answer questions regarding whether China has deployed space weapons, nor did he specifically respond to U.S. allegations that China is developing on-orbit anti-satellite capabilities. The U.S. military has repeatedly warned in recent years that China and Russia are rapidly developing capabilities to jam, disrupt, or destroy U.S. satellites. Modern military operations rely heavily on satellites to provide communications, navigation, missile warning, reconnaissance, and intelligence services; once these systems are attacked, U.S. operational activities on the ground, at sea, and in the air could be affected. China has already demonstrated several satellites capable of approaching other spacecraft and maneuvering in their vicinity. Chinese spacecraft have also conducted space rendezvous operations, capturing defunct satellites and moving them to other orbits, as well as experiments that U.S. officials described as suspected on-orbit refueling. A Reuters investigation found that researchers affiliated with the Chinese military are studying autonomous tracking satellites and multi-satellite networks capable of surrounding or capturing targets. These technologies also have civilian applications, such as satellite servicing, space debris removal, or extending spacecraft operational lifespans, but the same capabilities could also be repurposed to jam, control, or destroy satellites of other nations. Russia has also developed ground-based anti-satellite systems and electronic warfare capabilities. Washington previously accused Moscow of developing anti-satellite weapons carrying nuclear devices, a claim Russia denies. Meink's statement came before President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on September 24, but neither Meink nor the Pentagon publicly linked this disclosure to the U.S.-China summit.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an agency under the U.S. Congress, released an update on Monday, September 14, to its timeline tracking China's support for Iran's nuclear research and missile development. The commission's leadership stated that China remains Iran's most vital economic lifeline and that Chinese components serve as raw materials for Iran's war machine. Titled fueling Iran, the timeline tracking China's role during and after Operation Furious Rage follows significant Chinese actions, official statements, and other related developments since the climax of this U.S.-Iran conflict, with the latest entry running through August 30. The tracking information highlights the increasing U.S. scrutiny over China-Iran economic ties. China remains Iran's most important economic lifeline, far surpassing other nations, primarily through its purchases of Iranian oil. USCC Chairman Randall Schriver stated in a release that the latest developments highlight the importance of examining how Beijing's economic relationship with Tehran helps keep Iran running under U.S. sanctions, as well as how the United States should respond to the role of third-country enablers. Chinese components are the raw materials for Iran's war machine, USCC Vice Chairman Michael Kuiken said in a statement. Beijing formulated blocking rules in 2021 and had not used these rules for five years; in May, it invoked these rules for the first time to protect refineries purchasing Iranian crude oil. The components used for Iranian missiles and the oil paying for them form the very same closed loop, with the terms at both ends set by Beijing. The USCC initially released this timeline in July of this year, built on the release of the commission's 2025 Annual Report Authoritarian Axis and a fact sheet on China-Iran relations published in March of this year, starting from February 28 when the United States and Israel jointly launched Operation Epic Fury against the Iranian regime. This update highlights three main points: the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioning a procurement network linked to China and Iran; a sharp decline in China's oil imports from Iran during the conflict and under renewed U.S. pressure; and China's continued provision of critical economic, technical, and diplomatic support to Iran. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission was created by congressional legislation in 2000 as a bipartisan body tasked with monitoring and investigating the national security implications of bilateral trade and economic ties between the United States and China, and submitting reports as well as legislative and executive recommendations to Congress; the commission has been established for more than 25 years.
As the commission highlighted China's economic and technical support for Iran, the issue of Beijing's military support for Tehran has recently drawn significant attention from U.S. media. The Wall Street Journal recently reported, citing unnamed U.S. officials, that when Iran attacked a U.S. military base in Jordan in July this year, it used satellite imagery provided by Chinese entities, an attack that resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members. On Sunday, when asked aboard Air Force One whether he would raise this issue during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, President Donald Trump did not answer directly, instead drawing a comparison with U.S.-China surveillance activities. They are basically doing what we do, President Trump said. When they say China spies on our intelligence, I say you are right, and we spy on their intelligence too. Trump is expected to meet visiting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington on September 24.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa under the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday, September 14, that two Chinese citizens residing in New York pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to conduct organized illegal profiteering and money laundering, accused of stealing and transporting used cooking oil across state lines. A federal grand jury in October last year
In February, lawsuits were filed against several Chinese citizens accused of stealing used cooking oil from restaurants, commonly known as "gutter oil" in China. In the United States, this waste oil stored in restaurant grease traps can be processed into biodiesel and resold. According to the indictment, 19 defendants drove trucks across multiple states, including Iowa, Tennessee, and Minnesota, to steal or attempt to steal waste cooking oil from restaurant grease traps, stored the stolen gutter oil in warehouses located in various US states, and then sold and transported it across state lines while laundering the illegal proceeds. Federal prosecutors said on Monday that on September 9, the 33-year-old defendant Chen Tianzhu pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to engage in organized illegal profiteering and money laundering, while another defendant, 33-year-old Chen Yong, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in organized illegal profiteering, with each charge carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge scheduled the sentencing for the two on January 29 next year, and the trial for the remaining defendants is scheduled to begin on April 12 next year.
Russia and Ukraine attacked each other's energy facilities on Tuesday, September 15, a day after US President Donald Trump said the two countries had agreed to stop such attacks, and the Kremlin called Trump's proposal to suspend energy attacks a very good idea. Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 200 drones at Kyiv and other cities overnight, killing two people and destroying two gas stations in the capital, Kyiv. Ukraine's state energy company confirmed the damage, and city officials said Russia has attacked 16 gas stations in Kyiv this year, but there was no risk of fuel shortages. Officials said one person died in Kyiv and another in Zaporizhzhia. Kyiv Mayor Klitschko said on the Telegram platform that two more people were injured in an afternoon attack in Kyiv's Svyatoshynskyi district. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the Telegram platform that Ukraine attacked an oil refinery in Syzran, Samara Oblast, Russia, as well as drone production facilities in Taganrog and Oryol Oblasts. He said Russia continues to attack our energy facilities, conventional logistics, and critical infrastructure, and our response to this is practical and effective. Rostov Oblast Governor Slyusar said on the Telegram platform that a fire broke out in Taganrog, damaging apartment buildings, a school, and a warehouse of an online retailer.
President Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform on Monday that Ukraine had agreed not to strike Russian energy targets and Russia had agreed to do the same, though neither government has confirmed such an agreement. Zelenskyy said in his video address on Monday night that Kyiv is ready to support a de-escalation if Washington can ensure that Russia is genuinely prepared to stop this war, adding that he has not yet seen any real willingness from Moscow to end the war. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that Trump's proposal was a very good idea but required more measures. He said the safety of commercial shipping and navigation here must be ensured, including the safety of cruise ships, and added that sanctions on Russian energy exports should be lifted. The fighting has gradually spread beyond Ukraine into NATO territory. Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center said a NATO fighter jet shot down a drone that entered the country's airspace overnight, marking the first such interception in Lithuanian airspace. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told reporters at the Siauliai Air Base that the drone likely came from Russia, while Lithuanian Defense Minister Kasciunas said the drone probably did not carry explosives and the debris would be examined. Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on the X platform that Poland is strengthening its border crossings with Ukraine following drone attacks near the border over the weekend. Meanwhile, the United States renewed efforts to restart negotiations. On September 5, President Trump's peace envoys Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin in Moscow, and the next day met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, marking their first visit to the Ukrainian capital as negotiators. During the visits, both sides suspended attacks on each other's capitals before resuming them. CIA Director Ratcliffe visited Moscow in late August, and there have been no direct talks between the two sides since February.
Republican Commissioner Shriver and Democratic Commissioner Slavin, co-chairs of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, told Voice of America on September 11 that the US Republican and Democratic parties maintain fairly stable cooperation on China policy as well as US economic and national security issues. First, let's listen to Shriver's perspective: "Look at our annual reports. All of our reports are based on consensus among the commissioners, usually six Republicans and six Democrats, with an occasional difference of one or two people. But if you look back at the history of our reports, you will find that they make bold policy recommendations, and all recommendations are based on consensus. I think you can find similar situations elsewhere on Capitol Hill, such as looking at the Select Committee on China. I think there is a broad consensus, and I think the differences exist on the margins and do not always cross party lines. I know that when we debate within our commission—and I don't want to make our differences public here—it is usually not a fight between a Republican position and a Democratic position. A lot of times, you know, it's based on experience, based on your early career history. For example, I am in the defense field, while someone else is in trade, economy, and technology. So, I think this situation continues, and even if there are differences in the nuances, the bipartisan consensus in this area remains accurate."
Next, let's listen to Slavin's perspective: "I agree 100% with Commissioner Shriver. I can think of several issues that bring bipartisan members together at the public policy and congressional levels. Although it is not always so clear-cut, I think that as administrations change—we have four-year terms, at least 12 years—I think there is a cornerstone. The bipartisan approach taken by Republicans and Democrats on China policy, as well as our economic and national security issues, has always been quite solid. From a tactical level, I think whether they are members of Congress or other close observers, they will disagree with the approaches of the two administrations in some aspects, but I think fundamentally, both sides have a fairly solid bipartisan consensus on this point."
The US Department of the Treasury has intensified its crackdown on financial institutions suspected of helping Iran evade sanctions, re-adding a major Russian bank accused of having links with Iranian banks to the sanctions list. The US Treasury Department announced on Monday that it has placed Russia's VTB Bank on the sanctions list, the latest in a series of economic measures targeting foreign banks accused of providing an economic lifeline to the Iranian regime. VTB Bank, one of Russia's largest banks, was previously included in the sanctions list of the economic isolation campaign launched three weeks ago by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Bessent stated that the campaign aims to isolate Iran and cut off every economic lifeline supporting this tyrannical regime until Tehran is left isolated and helpless. The Treasury Department stated that VTB Bank is accused of participating in evading sanctions against Iran, including establishing correspondent banking relationships with sanctioned Iranian banks. In a statement, the US Treasury Department said VTB Bank has opened several banking offices in Iran in recent years, aiming to formally strengthen banking coordination with the Iranian regime and expand trade between the two countries. The Treasury claimed that over the past three years, VTB Bank has established correspondent banking relationships with sanctioned Iranian financial institutions and began taking steps to expand its business in Tehran in January 2025. The statement also accused VTB Bank of taking steps to transfer billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and establishing national currency settlement systems through correspondent accounts in Iranian rials and Russian rubles to facilitate bilateral trade. VTB Bank was previously sanctioned by the US in 2022 as part of punitive economic actions taken by the US in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. VTB Bank has not yet responded to this sanction; regarding previous sanctions, the bank stated that the US actions were politically motivated. On August 28, the US Treasury Department took related sanctions measures, proposing to restrict the US correspondent banking operations of Banque Misr, one of Egypt's major banks, in the UAE. The US accused the bank of processing approximately $1.8 billion in transactions over two years for 103 companies that may be affiliated with Iran's shadow banking network. In September, the US also sanctioned Turkey's Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi and its subsidiaries on the grounds that they provided services to Iranian financial institutions, including transactions allegedly involving accounts controlled by the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies. Banque Misr stated that it is reviewing the US Treasury's sanctions measures with extreme seriousness and committed to maintaining communication with the US Treasury, while Golden Global Bank denied any wrongdoing.
Chinese Minister of State Security Chen Yixin stated that the primary challenge artificial intelligence poses to China is its impact on the political security environment. This is the first time China's top intelligence agency has publicly and systematically expounded on the risks of AI and how it threatens the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s control of power. China views AI as a threatening force against regime security, which stands in stark contrast to the West's emphasis on the hazards of AI to human safety. On September 13, Chen Yixin published a signed article in the Cyberspace Administration of China, stating that AI is penetrating human society at an unprecedented speed, breadth, and depth, and that China must seize the initiative while also recognizing the risks and firmly guarding the bottom line. In the article, Chen Yixin incorporated six major risks that AI could trigger into China's national security system, with political security listed at the very top. He warned that hostile forces and those with ulterior motives
People may use generative artificial intelligence technology to fabricate political rumors, spread harmful information, incite confrontational emotions, and threaten our political security, institutional security, and ideological security. The other five risks ranked after political security, according to Chen Yixin, are in order: cyber offensive and defensive operations, theft and leakage of secrets, technological development, social governance, and military struggle. Unlike the official Chinese argument, Western artificial intelligence experts and executives generally emphasize the security threats posed by artificial intelligence to humanity itself. Warnings raised by Dario Amodei, co-founder of American AI company Anthropic, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and others state that as AI systems become more powerful, they themselves may become dangerous or difficult to control, regardless of who is using them. The focus is no longer on who will use it against us, but rather on what happens if the development speed of the technology itself exceeds our capability to manage it. Not only are the discourses on AI threats different, but there is also a clear gap between China and the West regarding methods to address AI risks. According to Chen Yixin, Beijing's solution is to strengthen national monitoring and control systems, without mentioning pausing or slowing down the development of AI. In contrast, the security recommendations proposed by Western AI executives focus on conducting research into pausing capability development, reflecting that China views AI threats as geopolitical and security threats that need to be guarded against, whereas the West views them as technical and governance problems that need to be resolved before further development. It is worth noting that Chen Yixin's article specifically named Anthropic's Claude as well as OpenAI's cyber large models, stating that their technology significantly enhances the efficiency of network vulnerability mining and malware development as well as weaponization levels, bringing serious risks and hidden dangers to China's critical information infrastructure. Just last weekend, Anthropic head Amodei published a long article mentioning that China's lead in artificial intelligence would pose a serious threat to the United States and the world. He supports Washington taking tough measures against Chinese companies to limit the sale of powerful AI chips to China in order to expand America's lead. Amodei's remarks drew a backlash from official Chinese sources; Chinese state media Global Times stated on Sunday that Amodei's claims of containing China were a delusion that is fundamentally impossible to achieve. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on Tuesday that China has noted recent comments by US industry figures, and that China attaches great importance to all types of endogenous and derivative risks caused by artificial intelligence and is committed to solidifying security baselines. As US President Donald Trump plans to hold a summit in Washington with Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24, US-China technological competition and artificial intelligence governance may become thorny issues in the talks between the two leaders. Analysts believe that both sides view China's technological strength as a matter concerning national security and global competitive status, meaning there is limited room for compromise in the short term.
Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim emphasized on Monday that no matter how difficult the situation is, Taiwan will continue to bravely walk a path of walking alongside the world. Hsiao Bi-khim made a surprise visit to Italy last week to attend a democracy forum, which met with firm opposition from China. The European Commission withdrew from the event after learning that Hsiao would attend. According to a Monday press release from the Taiwan Presidential Office, Hsiao Bi-khim, assigned by President Lai Ching-te and accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, attended the 2nd Ventotene European Freedom and Democracy Forum held on Ventotene Island in Italy. She returned to Taiwan after the visit and delivered the aforementioned remarks at the airport. This is Hsiao Bi-khim's second visit to Europe within a year. Previously, in November last year, she traveled to the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, to attend and deliver a speech at the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, making her the highest-ranking serving Taiwanese official to visit the European Parliament. Hsiao Bi-khim said that she attended the forum upon the joint invitation of Vice-President of the European Parliament Pina Picierno and Director of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Italy Carlo Corazza. The visit was not publicly announced prior to departure to minimize unnecessary interference. After departing from Taiwan, it took about 27 hours traveling by plane, car, and ferry to finally arrive smoothly at the destination under safe conditions. Hsiao Bi-khim mentioned the important symbolic significance of Ventotene Island in modern European history, pointing out that Italian anti-fascist political figure Altiero Spinelli was imprisoned on this island, where he and others proposed the Ventotene Manifesto, which enlightened post-war European Union federalist thought and ultimately facilitated European integration. She said the greatest significance of participating in this forum was allowing Taiwan's voice to be heard by more people in this historically significant place. She stated that both Ventotene and Taiwan, regardless of size, deserve to have their own voice and should be respected. Through this visit, she wanted to convey a firm message: no matter how difficult the situation is, Taiwan will continue to bravely walk a path of walking alongside the world. In her speech delivered on Friday evening local time in Italy, Hsiao Bi-khim mentioned Ukraine's difficult situation following the Russian invasion and expressed that freedom must never be taken for granted. She said that only after its people fought and sacrificed for freedom is Taiwan able today to enjoy freedom of speech and democratic elections, but current military pressure and gray-zone coercion are increasing daily, threatening the lives and survival of the people. To defend this hard-won freedom, Taiwan is strengthening its economic and defense capabilities while enhancing infrastructure and social resilience. Taiwan and Europe face some new shared challenges as well as common interests, both hoping to resolve differences peacefully and that aspirations for democracy will be respected. Hsiao Bi-khim said that we have a shared interest in ensuring democratic aspirations are respected, and that major powers cannot use threats and coercion to decide the future of smaller nations.