Voice of America Chinese Broadcast (October 9, 2026) President Trump rules out the possibility of an attack on Iran before the midterm elections; Rubio says the Ukraine war is in a dangerous stalemate; the U.S. plans to sharply raise OPT fees for international students, making it even harder to stay and work in the U.S. after graduation?
This episode of Voice of America Chinese broadcasts mainly reported on several international and regional hot news items: US President Trump ruled out the possibility of attacking Iran before the midterm elections; Secretary of State Rubio stated that the Ukraine war is in a dangerous stalemate; the US Department of Homeland Security plans to significantly increase OPT application fees for international students; satellite imagery shows China establishing the Bangken Airport base in Laos; the US Department of State offered a reward for wanted Shanghai citizen Zhang Yu suspected of hacking activities and sanctioned Fiji Chinese man Zhao Fugang for bribery; Canadian writer Anne Carson won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature; it also focused on US lawmakers demanding New Haven University terminate its cooperation with Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications and North Korea criticizing US arms sales to Taiwan.
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Hello listeners, welcome to Voice of America's Chinese broadcast, I am Lin Sen. Broadcasting to you today's program from the US capital, Washington. The main contents of today's program are: US President Trump ruled out the possibility of taking a new round of military action against Iran before early next month's midterm elections. US Secretary of State Rubio said Russia's war in Ukraine is in a dangerous stalemate, and the US will remain committed to seeking a solution to end the ongoing conflict. The US Department of Homeland Security released a proposed rule on October 7 to significantly increase the fee mechanism for a work permit program targeting international students. The 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature was announced, with Canadian poet and writer Anne Carson winning the award. The Swedish Academy praised her bold and creative literary works for creating new forms for contemporary literature.
US President Donald Trump has ruled out taking a new round of military action against Iran before early next month's midterm elections. Despite media reports claiming Washington might launch a strike against Iran on or before the upcoming voting day, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, October 8, saying that the US is engaged in productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran and vowing to continue fully implementing the blockade against all ports in Tehran. Trump stated in the post that Iran is in a very poor condition both economically and militarily, and he also pointed out that oil is being transported via the Strait of Hormuz, with 22.1 million barrels of oil passing through the strait last night, but no oil entering or leaving Iranian ports. He said that at any time before the US midterm elections are held on November 3, the US will not attack Iran, but Iran will never possess nuclear weapons.
Earlier on Thursday, a White House official told Voice of America that President Trump holds all the cards on the Iran issue and is in the best position to act in the best interest of the United States. The official said that the Commander-in-Chief has all options at his disposal at any time, and the United States is in a very strong position, controlling the Strait of Hormuz while witnessing the collapse of the Iranian economy. Iran has been heavily hit, and the development of the situation could go one of two ways: an easy option or a difficult option. President Trump holds all the cards and will take the action most beneficial to the United States. President Trump has repeatedly stated to the media that the conflict with Iran will end soon in one way or another. On Wednesday, he said the conflict would end soon and assured Americans that once the conflict ends, oil prices will plummet significantly. Oil prices rose again on Thursday, with the international benchmark Brent crude priced at $104.75 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate crude at $92.28 per barrel, up 7.4% and 5.5% respectively compared to Tuesday's prices.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command said on Thursday that the volume of commercial shipping traffic transiting the Strait of Hormuz is increasing. U.S. Central Command posted on social platform X that it held an online briefing with international shipping partners regarding the strait, noting that participants emphasized the importance of strengthening freedom of navigation. According to Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, who attended the briefing, acknowledged that crews have paid a price due to unprovoked attacks by Iran, and incidents involving merchant vessels sailing in the Gulf region have also increased this week. The U.S. Maritime Administration reported on Wednesday that a tanker was struck by multiple projectiles about 51 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar. The organization recorded casualties and stated that the incident is under investigation. On Monday and Wednesday, two tankers sailing outward through the strait were struck by unidentified projectiles, while a fourth tanker was intercepted by Iranian forces in the Gulf of Oman.
U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, who is visiting Portugal, stated at a press conference with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel on October 8 that Russia's war in Ukraine is in a dangerous stalemate, and the United States will continue to work toward finding a solution to end the conflict. Rubio pointed out that an escalation of the situation could trigger a larger-scale conflict. Let's hear what Secretary of State Rubio had to say: This is an extremely dangerous war, and the reason it is extremely dangerous is that, frankly, the current situation seems to be in a stalemate. A stalemate is very dangerous because it can only end in one of two ways. The first is a negotiated settlement, meaning both sides must make certain concessions in exchange for peace. We have done and will continue to do everything we can to promote a negotiated resolution to this war. The other outcome is an escalation, where one or both sides intensify their actions in an attempt to defeat the opponent and break the stalemate, and this scenario is very dangerous.
On Wednesday, October 7, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a proposed rule that would significantly increase the fee structure for a work authorization program targeted at international students. If finalized and implemented, this rule will have a major impact on international students wishing to remain and work in the United States after graduation. According to the Voice of America report, under the proposal, schools would need to pay a fee of $70,000 per person for students applying for the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, and $30,000 for applying to extend the program. In contrast, the current application fee for Optional Practical Training is only about $500 and is typically borne by the international students themselves. According to a press release issued by the Department of Homeland Security, the department proposed this rule to address fraud and abuse identified in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, where some schools, school officials, employers, and international students participated in non-compliant activities exploiting loopholes in current regulations, including so-called pay-to-stay visa scams. The Department of Homeland Security pointed out that the proposed fee measures will prompt schools to strengthen oversight and conduct stricter screening when recommending international students for Optional Practical Training, thereby helping to reduce fraudulent behavior and maintain the compliance and integrity of the program.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a temporary employment authorization provided by the United States government for international students, allowing them to work in the United States for 12 months or even 24 months after graduation, provided that the work is directly related to their field of study. Under the proposed rule, schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program must pay relevant fees before recommending international students for OPT in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or before international students apply for employment authorization with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. All collected fees will be remitted to the U.S. Department of Treasury. The Department of Homeland Security will provide a public comment period of 30 to 60 days. After the comment period ends, the Department of Homeland Security will review all duly submitted comments and materials, and may revise the rules based on public feedback. Some critics have long criticized OPT and other programs that allow specific students and high-skilled talent from around the globe to enter the United States and remain to work, on the grounds that U.S. companies use these programs to circumvent hiring higher-paid U.S. university graduates. Since 2025, the Trump administration has implemented stringent restrictions on international student visas, including OPT holders, such as eliminating status validity periods, mandatory federal extensions, and shortening grace periods for departure.
Recent satellite imagery shows that the Chinese People's Liberation Army has stationed light attack aircraft and military supplies at the newly launched Ban Ken Airport base in Laos. Military experts analyze that while the Ban Ken Airport in Laos appears on the surface to be a joint support and training center, it is actually part of the Chinese version of the Indo-Pacific strategic layout. Although initially possessing only political symbolic significance, it may become an optimal stronghold for the PLA to monitor routine multinational military exercises conducted by the U.S. military in nearby northeastern Thailand. Listen to this Voice of America report: Reuters reported on October 6 that after the Chinese Ministry of Defense inaugurated the China-Laos Ban Ken Airport Joint Support and Training Center and the China-Laos Joint Aviation Academy in Laos, eight aircraft and more than 20 military vehicles were parked on its still-under-construction runway. Based on satellite imagery taken on September 30, experts judge that the aircraft are likely China-made Hongdu JL-8 twin-seat jet trainers. This move indicates that China now has the capability to establish its first fully functional overseas military base in Southeast Asia. Ban Ken Airport is located about 50 kilometers northwest of Vientiane, the capital of Laos. According to the well-known Chinese military blogger Junwu Cifangmian, the air base features a paved runway about 2,000 meters long, built within a year, in addition to an apron, a flight control tower, and several new buildings. It is China's third overseas base following the support base in Djibouti and the Ream base in Cambodia. The blogger noted that the location of the Ban Ken base is flat and suitable for training new Lao pilots, and is also situated along the China-Laos railway, facilitating future transport of aviation materials and personnel rotation by China. Its strategic intentions include providing transit logistics for the Chinese Air Force's cross-border exercises and projecting influence in the Indochina Peninsula, while also allowing China to sell fighter jets to the militarily lagging Lao Air Force, such as soon-to-be-retired J-10As or J-7Gs, thereby making all future equipment of the Lao Air Force thoroughly China-standard. Su Tzu-yun, director of the Division of National Security Research at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, stated in an interview with Voice of America that if the runway at Ban Ken Airport is extended to 3,000 meters in the future, China's large bombers, transport aircraft, and aerial refuelers will be able to take off and land. If J-16 heavy fighters are further deployed, with their 1,600-kilometer combat radius, their flight range could cover the Strait of Malacca. With the addition of refueling aircraft, China's military power projection to the west could reach as far as the southern Indian Ocean and waters near southern Iran.
The U.S. State Department announced that a Chinese-Fijian man suspected of local bribery to benefit the Chinese government has been banned from entering the United States, along with his family members. On Wednesday, October 7, the U.S. State Department announced the designation of Zhao Fugang, director of the Chinese Overseas Chinese Service Center in Suva, the capital of Fiji, placing him on the visa-ineligibility list because he was involved in significant corrupt acts on behalf of related Chinese entities, making both Zhao Fugang and his immediate family members ineligible to enter the United States. The State Department's statement also noted that Zhao Fugang abused his public office to advance the interests of the Chinese government, enterprises, and criminal forces by bribing Fijian citizens, acts that constitute significant corruption and undermine U.S. interests in Fiji. The statement added that the United States will hold accountable those who abuse public office for personal gain, and will continue to combat corruption that fuels drug trafficking, supports transnational criminal organizations, and threatens U.S. global interests.
The US Embassy in Suva issued a statement on Thursday on X, pointing out that public reports show that trans-Pacific criminals having links with China has become an established trend, and scholars describe China as engaging in systematic geopolitical crime. Jimmy Zhao's actions make Fiji vulnerable to malicious foreign influence promoted by the Chinese government, enterprises, and criminals both inside and outside of Fiji. The statement also said that records show links between China's United front system and criminals. Regarding Jimmy Zhao's corrupt behavior, it was reported and exposed as early as 2024. In March 2024, a report stated that Australian law enforcement and intelligence departments suspected Jimmy Zhao to be a senior member of a criminal syndicate involving drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking, and Australian law enforcement had listed Zhao as a key target as early as 2023. AFP reports indicate that Jimmy Zhao is a naturalized citizen of Fiji and also a local prominent businessman. Following the US State Department's announcement of sanctions against him, he sent a statement to AFP firmly denying the accusations, stating that he had written to the US Embassy requesting all details of the allegations against him.
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature was announced on October 8, awarded to Canadian poet and writer Anne Carson. The Swedish Academy praised his bold and creative literary works, which created new forms for contemporary literature in a playful dialogue with classical traditions. Carson's writing combines poetry, prose, and novel styles, and has created many works combining ancient Greek and Roman texts with modern themes. Ingrid Carlberg, Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy, said when announcing Carson's award that the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to Canadian writer Anne Carson in recognition of his bold and creative literary works, engaging in a playful dialogue with classical traditions to create new forms for contemporary literature. Anders Olsson, Chairman of the Nobel Committee, stated in a statement that this writing method has resulted in both wandering between classical and modern poetry and crossing different genres and artistic forms.
Let's listen to Anders Olsson's evaluation of Carson. Throughout his creative career, Carson has explored the various possibilities of writing with a light touch, and the literary-sketch-like writing form has unique value to him. Olsson also praised Carson's work in Greek translation and his collaborations in the fields of visual arts, dance, opera, and theater. The Nobel Prize includes a prize of $1.2 million. The prizes in medicine, physics, and chemistry were announced earlier this week, the Nobel Prize in Peace will be awarded on Friday, followed by the Prize in Economics on Monday.
Turning to the stock market, looking at the performance of the three major stock indices on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.10%, the S&P 500 index fell by 0.47%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index fell by 1.25%.
The chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party requested the University of New Haven in Connecticut to terminate its engineering education cooperation with Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications in China, stating that this Chinese university has extensive ties with the Chinese military and defense research system. Listen to the report by VOA correspondent Lin Feng. John Moolenaar, a Republican representative from Michigan and chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, made this request in a letter dated October 1 to University of New Haven President Jens Frederiksen, and the committee released the contents of the letter on Monday. Moolenaar said that this cooperation provides American courses and instructors taught by a university located in China, while the related fields involve sensitive technologies, thus endangering US national security interests. However, this letter is not legally binding and does not accuse the University of New Haven of violating US law; nor does the letter present evidence that the school has transferred classified materials or export-controlled technologies to China. The University of New Haven and Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications currently jointly run an undergraduate engineering education program in Xi'an. According to the University of New Haven's website, students can complete four years of study at Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications and obtain a Chinese degree, or transfer to the University of New Haven in Connecticut in their final year to study and obtain a University of New Haven degree. The University of New Haven is responsible for teaching about one-third of the courses, and teaching methods include remote instruction and American teachers traveling to Xi'an for face-to-face teaching. The University of New Haven said that in the autumn of 2025, a total of 344 students participated in the three joint undergraduate programs. The school's Tagliatela College of Engineering described this cooperation as a way to provide American-style engineering education to Chinese students while increasing school revenue at a time when the number of international students on the University of New Haven's US campus was declining. According to Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications and Moolenaar's letter, China's Ministry of Education approved the establishment of the jointly run New Haven Information Engineering College by the two schools in May 2025.
Moolenaar said this arrangement goes beyond traditional student exchange programs because the University of New Haven provides courses and faculty to a joint college regulated by Chinese laws and government. In an eight-page letter, Moolenaar stated that the college affiliated with Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications openly supports China's military-civil fusion strategy, which aims to promote civilian research and commercial technology to serve China's military modernization. Citing faculty resumes and academic paper records on the university's website, the letter listed the institution's cooperative relationships with the National University of Defense Technology of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the Xi'an Branch Laboratory of the BeiDou Open Laboratory. The letter stated that the BeiDou Open Laboratory had provided Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications with satellite navigation simulation software and receiver source code valued at 300,000 RMB, approximately 42,000 USD, to support the research of teachers and students. Moolenaar also claimed that faculty members from the relevant college at Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications had conducted research with multiple PLA military academies, state-owned defense enterprises, and other military-affiliated institutions. Research fields listed in the letter included communication jamming and anti-jamming, drone target recognition, covert communications, missile tracking, satellite navigation spoofing, and malicious network traffic identification. Citing internal documents of Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications, the letter also stated that the school possesses the relevant qualifications to participate in the research, development, and production of weaponry and equipment, and has established confidentiality management procedures required for engaging in classified projects. The English introduction of Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications states that the school was once designated as a training base for reserve officers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and has established cooperative relations with Chinese telecommunications companies such as Huawei and ZTE. Public information shows that some institutions of Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications participate in defense-related research, but this information does not prove that the faculty and students of the joint program between the two universities participated in military projects, nor does it prove that the courses or other materials provided by the University of New Haven have flowed into the PLA system. Moolenaar said this cooperation is particularly concerning because the University of New Haven has been designated by the National Security Agency as an Academic Center of Excellence in Cyber Operations since 2019. Voice of America reporter Lin Feng reporting from Washington.
On Wednesday, October 7, North Korea criticized US arms sales and military support to Taiwan, accusing Washington of exacerbating tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Last week, two new F-16V fighter jets sold by the US to Taiwan arrived in Taiwan, and White House officials reiterated in response to inquiries from the Voice of America that President Donald Trump will make a decision on new arms sales to Taiwan in a short period of time. Listen to this report from the Voice of America. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea's state news agency, quoted North Korean international affairs analyst Kim Myong Chol in a commentary on Wednesday, condemning the US sale of fighter jets to Taiwan. The article stated that the US should think twice about whether it is prepared to face off head-on against China's formidable power for Taiwan's security and whether it can handle the consequences. White House officials reiterated in an email responding to VOA's inquiries on Wednesday that President Trump will make a decision on new arms sales packages for Taiwan in a relatively short period of time, emphasizing the actions President Trump has already taken on the issue of arms sales to Taiwan. White House officials stated in the email that President Trump approved 11.1 billion USD in arms sales to Taiwan in December 2025, which is the largest arms sales package to Taiwan in history. During his first term, President Trump approved more arms sales to Taiwan than any president in history, and in the first year of his second term, he approved more arms sales than President Biden's entire four-year term combined.
According to Reuters, KCNA's commentary shows that Pyongyang is aligning its position more closely with Beijing on the Taiwan issue. China has always been North Korea's primary trading partner, and China and North Korea renewed their mutual defense treaty in 2021, with China remaining North Korea's most important source of economic aid. Beijing claims that the democratically self-ruled Taiwan is part of Chinese territory and has never renounced the use of force to achieve reunification. The Taiwan government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and states that Taiwan's future can only be decided by the people of Taiwan. For years, the US government has repeatedly emphasized that Washington provides Taiwan with defense materials and security assistance in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure that Taiwan possesses sufficient self-defense capabilities. Last week, Taiwan received the first two of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets ordered from the US in 2019, and Taiwan's Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo stated at the time that subsequent aircraft deliveries are expected. Analysts pointed out that with the subsequent receipt of the new aircraft, it will grant the Taiwan Air Force greater tactical flexibility. When responding to inquiries regarding the progress of US arms sales to Taiwan at the Taiwan Legislative Yuan on Tuesday, Wellington Koo replied that President Trump has repeatedly stated he will make a decision as soon as possible, and the US Department of Defense has repeatedly stated that the arms sales plan to Taiwan remains unchanged, so we will wait for the US to officially announce our arms sales.
Last month, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit in Washington during Xi's state visit to the United States. Neither the U.S. nor China mentioned Taiwan in the statements released regarding the summit's outcomes. President Trump later told the media that he and Xi had discussed Taiwan, but did not spend much time on it, and that Xi was well aware of his feelings on the issue. U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad emphasized in an interview with Fox News after the summit that President Trump's position on Taiwan is the firmest he has ever known, and that the Trump administration's arms sales to Taiwan have surpassed those of many previous U.S. presidents. Branstad said, "We support the Taiwan Relations Act, the three communiqués, and the Six Assurances. President Xi has heard President Trump express this many times, and President Trump's arms sales to Taiwan have exceeded those of any U.S. president since 1979 by more than 50%." U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson also stated last week that U.S. support for Taiwan remains unchanged and that no one can question the U.S. resolve to support Taiwan. This is a report from Voice of America.
The Rewards for Justice program, under the U.S. Department of State, announced on October 7 a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of Zhang Yu, a hacker from Shanghai, China. Here is the report. According to the statement from the Rewards for Justice program, Zhang Yu is a Chinese citizen and a director of Shanghai Yuesheng Technology Co., Ltd. He worked on behalf of the Shanghai State Security Bureau of the Ministry of State Security (MSS) of the People's Republic of China. The Ministry of State Security and the Shanghai State Security Bureau are Chinese intelligence agencies responsible for domestic counter-espionage, non-military foreign intelligence, and matters related to Chinese politics and domestic security. The statement said that since early 2020, Zhang Yu and his associate Xu Zewei, then general manager of Shanghai Yuesheng Network Co., Ltd., gained unauthorized access to COVID-19 research data conducted by U.S. universities and top immunologists and virologists, and stole sensitive information. The following year, Zhang Yu and Xu Zewei exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Exchange enterprise email and calendar collaboration service system to launch indiscriminate hacking operations against thousands of computers in the United States and around the world. Victims included a university and a law firm located in the United States. Xu Zewei was arrested by Italian law enforcement last April and extradited to the United States, where he faces nine charges. Zhang Yu is currently still at large. The Rewards for Justice program statement said that China uses a broad network of domestic private companies and contractors to conduct hacking and steal information in order to cover up the Chinese government's involvement. The Rewards for Justice program is a national security and counter-terrorism reward program established by the U.S. Department of State and managed by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. That concludes this edition of the Voice of America Chinese broadcast. Thank you for listening, and we will see you in the next program.