VOA Today’s Focus (October 22, 2026): Taiwan Accuses China of “Cross-Border Repression” Against Xi Jinping-Mocking Comedian
This edition of VOA Focus Today primarily reports that US Envoy Witkoff brokered trilateral US-Russia-Ukraine talks and secured the release of American citizen Hubbard, while noting that the US State Department updated its China travel advisory due to the risk of unlawful detention. At the same time, the program focused on voter concerns in the US midterm elections, Taiwan's National Security Bureau warning regarding Chinese disinformation, and the assault on xiangsheng comedian Huang Yi-hao. In addition, it reported on the upcoming Quad summit and the UK's plan to carry out defensive air operations over Saudi Arabia.
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Welcome to VOA Focus Today on October 22. I'm Fan Dongning, broadcasting live to you from the US capital, Washington. Every day here, we bring you up to speed on the latest US and global developments in 15 minutes. Here are today's top stories.
Trump administration officials told the Voice of America that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to hold trilateral talks with the US aimed at ending the war. President Trump has once again facilitated the release of a long-detained American citizen from Russia. The US State Department has updated its travel advisory for China, determining that American citizens face a serious risk of unlawful detention in China.
A US official disclosed to the Voice of America on Wednesday that following meetings held by President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff with leaders of both Russia and Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have agreed in principle to hold technical-level trilateral US-Russia-Ukraine talks. Witkoff met with Russian President Putin on Wednesday in Saint Petersburg, where the two sides discussed how to end the Ukraine war, the recent diesel agreement reached between the US and Russia, and the Middle East conflict between the US and Iran. In addition, Witkoff met in Russia with detained American citizen Stephen Hubbard. The 74-year-old Hubbard had been imprisoned in Russia for more than four years; he was sentenced in 2024 on charges of acting as a mercenary in the Ukraine war. President Trump publicly called on Putin at the White House on Tuesday to release Hubbard, who was subsequently released on Wednesday pursuant to an order issued by Putin.
Early Wednesday morning, President Trump posted on his Truth Social platform announcing that American citizen Hubbard, detained by Russia, had been released by Putin and was on his way home. Just now, while hosting a roundtable meeting in the East Room of the White House, President Trump once again mentioned how he secured Hubbard's freedom. VOA reporter Huang Yaoyi is still reporting on site; let's turn to his dispatch from the White House. The reporter is currently in the East Room of the White House. On October 21, when taking questions from reporters in the East Room, President Trump specifically addressed the release of American citizen Hubbard today. He said that during his conversation with President Putin, he brought up releasing Hubbard. A few days ago, I spoke with Vladimir Putin about resolving his war with Ukraine. By the way, I think we are getting closer and closer to that goal, and this might be the closest we've ever been to reaching a resolution. At the time, I also asked whether he could release Stephen Hubbard, and he agreed. Someone picked up Hubbard in Russia today, and he is currently on a flight returning home, accompanied by Steve Witkoff. His family is also with him, having traveled specifically to receive him.
President Trump then also mentioned that China and Russia have not been overly involved in the Iran issue. Furthermore, whether people like it or not, Russia could have played a much stronger role on Iran, and China could have as well. As everyone knows, President Xi Jinping visited a week ago; similarly, China could have engaged to a greater degree, but currently the level of participation from all parties is relatively low. In fact, both Russia and China wish to see this war resolved, so we are communicating with Russia on this matter, and China is also involved.
At the same time, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State also told Voice of America that the Russian government made a unilateral decision to release Hubbard. His release was not part of any prisoner exchange arrangement, nor did the U.S. make any other concessions for it. The State Department stated that Hubbard is among more than 100 American citizens whom the U.S. government has helped secure release from overseas detention during President Trump's second term. The State Department described this as an encouraging development and hoped it would lead to the release of all Americans who are unjustly detained.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State also updated its travel advisory for China this week. Although the overall travel risk remains unchanged, a "D" indicator was added. The State Department told VOA that Washington determined Americans face a serious risk of wrongful detention in China. The State Department outlined the latest travel advisory for China on its official website. Currently, the overall travel risk remains at Level 2, which advises exercising increased caution. The State Department reminded U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution when entering mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws and the potential imposition of exit bans without fair and transparent legal processes. The most critical part of this update is the addition of the "D" indicator. In an email responding to VOA's request for comment on Tuesday, the State Department noted that the addition of the D-risk indicator was made because the State Department determined Americans face a serious risk of wrongful detention in China. A State Department spokesperson told VOA that for the Trump administration, the safety and security of Americans is of paramount importance, and the Trump administration is committed to securing the release of Chinese-American seismologist Youlin Chen, Burmese-American scholar Min Zaw Oo, and all Americans wrongfully detained abroad.
Early voting for the 2026 U.S. midterm elections has already begun, stretching from Florida to Georgia and Texas. What issues are voters focusing on when casting their ballots? Some hope to see lower gas and grocery prices, while others place high importance on the oil and gas industry and border control policies. Below, let us hear what American voters have to say. In Florida, voters stated that the cost of living is one of the key factors influencing their voting decisions. I believe people should consider what they care about most, and I think many feel the same way I do: gas and grocery prices are simply too high, and measures must be taken to address this problem. The persistent high prices of gas and groceries have led some voters to hope that newly elected officials will take steps to ease the economic burden on the public. I hope whoever gets elected will bring down prices, stabilize the situation, and let gas prices drop back down.
In Georgia, voters have also started early voting. For some, early voting allows them to avoid the rush on Election Day and ensures they cast their ballots in a timely manner. This election is very important, especially given what is happening in the world today; we need to come out and vote. I like early voting because it gets the voting done early, ensures I vote in time, and frees me from worrying about the chaos on November 3.
In Texas, voters' views on the economy and policies lean in different directions. A voter supporting the Democratic candidate stated that rising prices for gas, groceries, and rent have made life difficult for many people. I voted for James Talarico; he is clearly the right choice. Gas, food, and rent prices are all rising, and people are struggling. I work at a local food bank and see this firsthand every day, so I think it is crucial to come out today and vote for Democrats. Another voter expressed support for the Republican and conservative stance, specifically pointing to the oil and gas industry and border control. I think Paxton will at least support the Republican and conservative positions, and I hope so; that is why I plan to back him. I think Texas is great for business and work, and I also think it supports the oil and gas industry as well as stronger border control measures.
From the cost of living to industrial policy and border security, voters are focusing on diverse issues. As early voting unfolds, these concerns closest to the public will also serve as vital vantage points for observing this year's midterm elections.
Next, let's turn our focus to Taiwan, where local elections will also be held at the end of November. Taiwan's state security (MSS) has warned that China continues to influence Taiwan's election situation through online disinformation. Meanwhile, Taiwanese prosecutors have indicted five suspects accused of receiving money from Chinese individuals. They conspired to harm a Taiwanese cross-talk actor who had previously mocked Chinese President Xi Jinping. For further details, let's connect with Voice of America reporter Xu Xiangyun to give us a detailed report.
Taiwan will hold the nine-in-one local elections on November 28. What kind of warnings did Taiwan's state security (MSS) issue regarding China's information manipulation prior to the election? We know that the latest report released by Taiwan's state security (MSS) stated that as of September this year, China had disseminated over 2.5 million pieces of online disinformation targeting Taiwan. Taiwanese government networks experienced an average of 2.58 million cyber intrusions per day, with the number of detected intrusions exceeding 100 million in July. This disinformation was mainly concentrated on energy, food safety, defense policy, and the image of specific candidates. Taiwan's state security (MSS) pointed out that China might use social media, fake accounts, internet trolls, content farms, and AI-generated videos and text to amplify specific political narratives in order to create division among the Taiwanese public. China is using high-tech intelligent tools, human intelligence, and various other channels to monitor and gather intelligence on Taiwan's major current affairs topics, candidates' platforms, election trends, and polling data, using them to formulate strategies for cognitive warfare against Taiwan.
On Wednesday, Taiwanese prosecutors indicted five individuals suspected of receiving money from Chinese sources to attempt to harm cross-talk actor Huang Yi-hao. It is reported that the other party even wanted to beat him until his arms and legs were broken. What are the specific details of this case, and how does it relate to the current cross-strait situation? We know that Taiwanese prosecutors stated in a press release that cross-talk actor Huang Yi-hao was injured in a traffic accident last month. Since the venue of his performance had previously been splashed with paint and feces, an in-depth investigation by investigators revealed that a Chinese individual hired a Taiwanese private investigation agency for 450,000 New Taiwan Dollars to stalk Huang Yi-hao. Nine days before his performance, they staged a fake traffic accident attempting to severely injure him so he would be unable to participate in the scheduled September 20 performance. Huang Yi-hao had previously satirized Chinese President Xi Jinping during his performances, including criticizing China's political system and related policies. The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office indicted the five suspects on Wednesday on charges of attempted aggravated assault, accusing the five of selling out the nation's democratic line of defense and requesting sentences ranging from two years and seven months to five years and six months. Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) characterized the incident as serious transnational repression, condemning China for threatening the personal safety of ordinary Taiwanese citizens and thoroughly crossing the red line of democracy and the rule of law.
Additionally, there is another piece of news related to Taiwan: China's Taiwan Affairs Office praised Taiwanese singer Jay Chou on Wednesday for reposting and liking a video in which a host called him a Chinese singer, while criticizing the so-called pro-Taiwan independence forces for pinning "red hats" on artists. The Taiwan Affairs Office also criticized Taiwan for rejecting the application of Chinese artist Zhang Linghe to hold a fan meeting in Taiwan. What response did Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council have regarding this? We know that Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council stated on October 21 that Zhang Linghe had previously posted content on social media platforms multiple times disparaging Taiwan's status, and the Chinese side had also arranged for him to deliver a speech at the Straits Forum, which carries a united front nature. Since the purpose of his application to hold an event in Taiwan was unclear, it was ultimately not approved. Zhang Linghe had previously posted on Weibo in 2025 using expressions such as "Taiwan Province, China" and "Taiwan has never been a country." Regarding the Taiwan Affairs Office's criticism that the Taiwanese authorities were obstructing cross-strait cultural exchanges for political purposes, the Mainland Affairs Council brought up the intentional collision incident against cross-talk actor Huang Yi-hao, questioning who is actually using political motives to suppress and even intimidate artists. The Mainland Affairs Council stated that Taiwan welcomes Chinese artists to come to Taiwan for exchanges, but related activities must not carry united front undertones.
Returning to news regarding the United States, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Tuesday that the Quad leaders' summit—comprising the United States, Japan, India, and Australia, also known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue—will be held next month in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Secretary Rubio disclosed this news to local media during his visit to India. This will also mark the first time in two years that the Quad holds a summit; the last Quad summit was held in September 2024, hosted by then-President Joe Biden. Secretary Rubio stated that foreign ministers of the Quad member countries will also meet again in late October in Atlanta during the G20 senior diplomats' meeting to make final preparations for the leaders' summit in Manila.
Britain stated that it will conduct defensive air operations in the airspace of Saudi Arabia to help protect the country from attacks by the Houthi forces backed by Iran. The British Defense Secretary stated that Parliament has been notified that Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters will be deployed to carry out defensive counter-air operations in response to the outrageous escalation of actions by the Houthi forces over the past few weeks. The Defense Secretary also mentioned the recent lethal attacks launched by the Houthi forces against Saudi airports, including major international airports, calling this an intolerable escalation. He said that Britain is the kind of country that responds when allies ask for help, although the British Defense Secretary also emphasized that British warplanes will not strike ground targets of the Houthi forces.