Trump's NASA Pick: Moon Return Is Urgent | China in Focus

Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story. Jared Isaacman, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead NASA, warning senators it's time to take action to counter Beijing in space. He says the consequences of falling behind are severe. If we fall behind, the consequences could shift the balance of power here on earth. Evidence appears to show how a former New York aide manipulated Governor Hochul's agenda and schedule to aid Beijing. Prosecutors say she successfully blocked interactions with Taiwan and messaging on persecuted minorities in China. We have the latest on the foreign agent charge against Linda Sun. Skilled foreigners will soon have to go through stricter social media screening before they get an H-1B visa. The latest in Trump's efforts to reform immigration. Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreeing to invest more in France after meeting President Emmanuel Macron. We have the key takeaways from Macron's China trip. Jared Isaacman, Donald Trump's nominee to lead NASA, warning senators of the consequences of falling behind China in the new race to the moon. In his second Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, the billionaire and private astronaut stressed what he called the urgency of the moment. Watch. This is not the time for delay, but a time for action. Because if we fall behind, if we make a mistake, we may never catch up and the consequences could shift the balance of power here on Earth. Republican Senator Ted Cruz, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee that oversees NASA, sought assurances from Isaacman that he would prioritize returning astronauts to the moon. He cannot lose the moon and lose the race to the moon to China. Isaacman made his fortune in e-commerce and payment processing technology. He has flown to orbit twice on all private astronaut missions as a customer and collaborator with Elon Musk's SpaceX. On Wednesday, he rejected notions that he is a close friend of Musk, someone who advocated for his nomination. Here's Democratic Senator Ed Markey. Was Elon Musk in the room when President Trump offered you the job? Senator, my interview, my conversations with the president, and there were dozens of people moving in and out of the room. And I don't think it's fair to bring any of them into this matter. So you once again, you're refusing to tell us whether Elon Musk was in the room that day. Trump first nominated Isaacman to head NASA last December, but then withdrew his nomination in May after a falling out with Musk. He was re-nominated by Trump in November. If confirmed to the post, Isaacman would oversee some 14,000 employees and a roughly $25 billion budget that the Trump administration has proposed cutting by 25% for 2026. U.S. leadership in space at risk as China narrows the gap. NTD's Jack Bradley spoke with the chairman of the space and aeronautics subcommittee, Florida Republican Congressman Mike Herodopoulos. Watch. Well, first and foremost, you can't be number one on earth if you're number two in space. Not just, of course, on commercial ventures, but most importantly, on military ventures as well. Fortunately, at this point, we are still dominant in space, but the Chinese are making a concerted effort, a strong effort in order to supplant us as the number one country in the world. And now we need to do everything possible working with not only NASA, but our private sector companies to make sure we stay space dominant, because as we've seen over the last few years, China will do anything to win. Well, first and foremost, the Chinese are a very big threat. And what's scary about their threat is they do not have the same concern for human life that we do. They do not have the same concern for safety, let alone environmental realities. And they also, unfortunately, also even steal technology. So we're dealing with a rival who doesn't play by the normal playbook, let alone the normal rulebook. This is a race for the survival of the United States because the Chinese simply do not share our values. And we need to win this race. And that's why in the big, beautiful bill we passed back in July, we put an additional 10 billion dollars towards NASA. And we also, of course, put a huge investment in A.I. leading the situation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And finally, of course, that the threat of China is a military threat. Potentially, we're in a de facto Cold War with them. They are trying to expand the communist influence around the world with their Belt and Road Project. And so it's important that we win the space race militarily as well. It is the ultimate high ground. And as I started to show today again, if we're not number one in space, we'll be number two on Earth. And so we need to win this situation. As New York Governor Kathy Hochul prepares for next year's re-election campaign, her former deputy chief of staff and go to person for all things China, Linda Sun, is sitting through a weeks long criminal trial. The U.S. government accuses Sun of acting on behalf of China in exchange for massive financial kickbacks. Prosecutors say messages between Sun and CCP linked individuals show her bragging about arranging Governor Hochul's schedule to benefit Beijing. She also called China her native home in messages with the Chinese consulate in New York. NTD's Floor Hua has more. Over the course of Linda Sun's three-week trial, prosecutors have sought to convince the jury that Sun and her husband enriched themselves by doing Beijing's bidding. That's as Sun was working as a high-ranking aide to former Governor Andrew In the Hochul administration, Sun was deputy chief of staff and a senior advisor on Asian-related affairs. During the trial, court-verified chat histories between Sun and the Chinese consulate in New York show that Chinese diplomats repeatedly asked Sun to arrange then-Governor Cuomo to visit China and attend Chinese events in New York. Sun responded that then-Lieutenant Governor Kefi Hochul was, quote, more obedient than Cuomo, and Sun could control Hochul's schedule. Messages also show how Sun told then-Chinese Consul General Huang Ping that she coerced the governor's speechwriter to remove a section on the Uyghur situation in China. The U.S. government has accused Beijing of persecuting this ethnic minority group using forced labor. In the messages, Sun called China her native country more than once and said she can help her native country do more things. But it appears Sun behaved differently towards Taiwan. Court evidence, including digital records and government employees' testimony, indicate Sun turned down almost all requests from Taiwanese officials to meet with the New York governor. She also blocked a dinner invitation from former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to Cuomo. Beijing strongly opposes any official interactions between the U.S. and Taiwan. Justin Yu, a New York district leader, told us that Sun's case shows how a mid-level official can influence high-level exchanges between Tsai and Cuomo simply by blocking information. Other chat records show a Beijing-linked Chinese businessman directing Sun to arrange Hochul to visit China and to invite Chinese official delegations to New York. Sun managed to deliver on many of his requests. More strikingly, Sun allegedly forged Hochul's signature on Chinese officials' travel documents. Sun's efforts didn't go unnoticed by Beijing. Government evidence shows that Sun was appointed to be the chairperson of a Beijing-funded organization. She was also invited to high-level meetings the CCP arranged in Beijing for what it called overseas Chinese patriots. At one meeting, over 80 people from 45 countries gathered in Beijing. This is one way the CCP uses to influence overseas Chinese elites to advance its own agenda on the global stage. Highly skilled workers applying for H-1B visas will soon need to go through stricter social media vetting. The State Department is rolling out new online presence reviews for all applicants. All applicants and their dependents will soon have to make their social media profiles public. The new rules go into effect on the 15th of this month. The department says the expanded screening is meant to safeguard national interests and to make sure each applicant can credibly prove visa eligibility. H-1B visas allow U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in speciality fields and are crucial for tech companies in the U.S. which recruit heavily from countries including India and China. The new rules direct counselor officers to search resumes and LinkedIn profiles for any role linked to censorship or online content control. Applicants found responsible for suppressing protected expression in the United States could now be deemed ineligible for a visa. Senators pushed stricter chip export controls to keep China from outpacing the U.S. in the AI race. Witnesses at a hearing said it's essential to protect American values over CCP authoritarianism. NTD's international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has more. A Senate foreign relations subcommittee held a hearing on how to counter China's challenge to American AI leadership. AI advisor Gregory Allen said chip export controls are vital. I believe this is the single most important thing that the United States did in U.S.-China competition over the past years and it has roots in both the first Trump administration with limiting the exports of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and it has roots in the Biden administration cutting off access to advanced AI chips. Allen said if these export controls were not in place China would now have the largest data centers and best AI models, adding that that future was stopped thanks to the export controls. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last spring told Congress that China can produce only 200,000 advanced AI chips each year while the United States and its allies can produce more than 10 million. On top of this the U.S. Head of National Security Policy at Anthropic Tarun Chhabra said the U.S. should not help the Chinese Communist Party catch up. The access to advanced AI chips and the equipment needed to manufacture them is the single most significant factor that could allow the CCP to close the gap with the United States in the AI race. He said the U.S. needs to strengthen export controls on advanced chips and ensure allies close export loopholes on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, adding the U.S. should restrict the CCP from even accessing data centers which it would use to train AI models. Anthropic not only prohibits direct access from restricted regions including China but also access by companies anywhere in the world that are majority owned by entities headquartered in China or other restricted regions. We hope that other companies will follow. Senators Pete Ricketts and Chris Coons highlighted their forthcoming bipartisan Safe Chips Act. Ricketts said the act would codify the Trump admin's current red lines on which AI chips are allowed to be sold to communist China for 30 months. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News. Coming up, Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreeing to invest more in France after meeting President Emmanuel Macron. We have the key takeaways from Macron's China trip. Some attentions in the Pacific. Retired U.S. Navy Captain James Finnell joins us to unpack China's capabilities undersea. How does the CCP stack up against the U.S. and what will it take for the U.S. to maintain its lead? More on that after the break here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Chinese leader Xi Jinping says he's all for Chinese companies investing in France. French President Macron is in China pushing for more investment. Here's Macron speaking at the press conference. We must find a framework for increasing Chinese direct investment in Europe and in France in particular to create added value and opportunities for employment. Trade with China makes up over 40 percent of France's trade deficit. That's more than 50 billion dollars. The two leaders signed 12 cooperation deals ranging from bilateral investment nuclear energy and panda conservation. It's Macron's fourth state visit to China while in office. He called on China to transfer technology and batteries electric vehicles and solar panels. He also urged Chinese companies to take part in Europe's development. This highlights a widening technology gap between the two countries in certain sectors. Two decades ago China mainly exported basic consumer goods to France such as clothes tables and chairs. Last year top Chinese exports to France were EV batteries laptops solar panels and turbojet engine components. France still dominates in aerospace. Its top exports to China include aircraft engines and large aircraft followed by cosmetic products fashion and agricultural goods. Lyle Morris is a senior fellow on foreign policy and national security and Asia policy. He says that by doing bilateral trade deals with individual European countries China is trying to undermine the idea of a European Union and a break from tradition. The president of the European Commission one of the most powerful political figures in Europe did not join Macron on this trip. But while he was there the European Union rolled out an over three billion dollar plan to secure rare earth minerals to cut dependence on China. As for Taiwan the Chinese readout said Macron firmly upholds the one China policy a CCP policy that recognizes Taiwan as part of China. The French government statement did not mention Taiwan. Macron and Xi will visit the southwestern city of Chengdu on Friday where China breeds pandas. It's unusual for Xi to meet a foreign leader outside of the capital. Again a sign of their close ties. Amid China's increasing aggression in the Pacific concerns are rising over a possible hot war. If that were to happen where does the U.S. and China currently stand when it comes to naval power. And what about a domain that's not often talked about the undersea. Joining us to unpack it all is retired U.S. Navy Captain James Finnell former director of intelligence for the U.S. Navy specific fleet with nearly 30 years as a naval intelligence officer specializing in Indo-Asia Pacific security affairs. He's also the co-author of Embracing Communist China America's Greatest Strategic Failure. Captain James Finnell thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you back on the show. It's great to be with you Tiffany. So national security has a new piece out saying that the U.S. Navy just canceled its new frigate while China is building 370 ships. So there's a lot of focus on the disparity if you will about China shipbuilding capabilities versus the U.S. you see President Trump doing a lot in terms of trying to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry. But I want to go underwater if we can. There is a recent podcast by The Wall Street Journal with the author Seth Jones and he was saying that one of China's vulnerabilities is actually underwater. They don't really have those capabilities especially if you're talking about say a Chinese invasion of Taiwan trying to get troops to Taiwan. What do you make of this. How real of a vulnerability is this for China. Well the undersea is the great area of most folks when they talk about navies don't readily come to mind. They think of surface ships aircraft carriers and things of that nature. But both the United States and China understand the value and the importance of the undersea domain. And so the United States obviously with our nuclear carrier force of fast attack nuclear submarines and ballistic missile nuclear submarines that's been the staple of the U.S. Navy for you 80 years just about. And that's where we've invested our money. We when I joined the Navy and was commissioned in 1986 we were just getting rid of the diesel the last vestiges of the diesel boats a couple of years before. So we've been in all nuclear submarine force for 40 years. The Chinese they made a decision probably 30 years ago inside the PLA the Central Military Commission on where to expand first. And there were those that argued that they should expand into the aircraft carrier program. But the submarine community won out. And so what we saw starting in the early 2000s was the Chinese going into a production rate of submarines. So the Chinese have been working for a couple of decades to build up their undersea submarine force. It's still not as large as the United States but it is it's in terms of concentration power. It is the largest submarine force in the Western Pacific because our U.S. Navy submarine force is global. So we have half in the Atlantic and operating in the Middle East and in Europe. So they've got more submarines today inside the Western Pacific in diesel and air independent propulsion but not in nuclear. But in terms of you know the next generation of what's coming the unmanned undersea vehicles or UUVs, China is now moving into that. So is the United States Navy. The dominance or being able to dominate the undersea environment is critically important in any kind of invasion of Taiwan. And China's kind of at an advantage but a disadvantage when it comes to the Taiwan Strait because it's relatively shallow. It's not deep water. Deep water allows for more robust acoustic detection from undersea vehicles. In a shallower water with high salinity, lots of salt like the Taiwan Strait, it makes acoustic detections more difficult. But that doesn't mean China's not working on it. And we have documentation from the Chinese going back a decade talking about their undersea Great Wall and being able to put down sensors and arrays that would be able to detect foreign undersea vehicles that would come in, presumably the U.S. Navy. And that's like 10 years ago. So they've been working on that for 10 years. They're not where the United States is. They're probably approaching where the Russians are in some areas in terms of quieting and development of acoustic detection capabilities. There's been reports and we've seen oceanographic research ships operating outside the first island chain in that deep water of the Philippine Sea between Okinawa and Guam. And so there's probabilities that China's been operating there, maybe laying down their own arrays to be able to have hydroacoustic capability to detect U.S. Navy and other nation submarines. Like other areas where the PLA Navy has made great leaps, like in their carrier program, they skipped the whole generation. They went from ski jump ramps to electromagnetic aircraft launch catapults. They skipped steam altogether, which the U.S. Navy has done for 80 years about. So they skipped that and skipped the generation, skipped echelon technology. So they're probably working towards and trying to do the same in the undersea domain, whether it's through espionage, open source intelligence activities, or just their own developments. And America's plan, if you will, if there was to be a fight, would be to use our advantage in the undersea domain with our fast attack submarines with T-LAMs and other weapons systems to be able to inflict great damage on a Taiwan invasion force from the PLA, a PLA amphibious landing in Taiwan. We'd want to use our submarines to impact there. But again, Taiwan Strait's shallow, operating nuclear submarines in the shallow waters of the Taiwan Strait becomes much harder. So one of the things that I think that Admiral Papparo and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command are working on is that they talked about this hellscape and these replicator programs for drones and autonomous vehicles. Part of that will be the ability for the U.S. and Taiwan to lay and seed mines with unmanned vehicles in the Taiwan Strait that would cause great harm to an invasion fleet if you have mines floating in the Taiwan Strait. And we should, in my opinion, keep striving to stay ahead of them and be able to counter whatever they're throwing into the undersea domain. Captain James Finnell, as always, thank you so much for your time. Thanks, Tiffany. That's all for today's China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. If you have any feedback on the show or have something you'd like to see us cover, send us an email at ChinaInFocus.com. We'd love to hear from you. For on the clock original news coverage, visit us at NTD.com or download our NTD app. Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow.