What Rubio's Nomination Means for China Policy; Biden to Meet Xi for Final Time as President

Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story, what would Trump's China policy look like? A peek at his choice for Secretary of State Senator Marco Rubio could offer a hint. It's also a tremendous responsibility and the job of the Secretary of State is to execute on the foreign policy set by the elected president of the United States. Sensitive U.S. surveillance data now in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. U.S. authorities revealed that China-linked hackers intercepted key communications between American law enforcement agencies. How far did the intrusion go? President Biden and Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping will attend the APEC summit happening in Peru. More details on the meeting and why it's significant. And a contender for the 2025 Academy Awards is now screening in New York City. The film spotlights how China's secretive transplant industry targeted a faith group while amassing huge profits. Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been selected as the next Secretary of State. Does his nomination signal Trump's tough stance on Beijing could go beyond tariffs and trade? Trump's picks for national security advisor and CIA director are also hardliners on China. As for Rubio, he would be the first sitting U.S. Secretary of State banned from traveling to China. Beijing sanctioned him over his support for human rights in the country. Chinese currency and stocks declined after Rubio's appointment. It's a tremendous honor to the president would place his confidence in me in a position of such importance. It's also a tremendous responsibility and the job of the Secretary of State is to execute on the foreign policy set by the elected president of the United States. President Biden has called China the most serious competitor to the U.S., but the term competitor carries a different weight than strategic rival. David Feierstein is a former U.S. diplomat. He said Rubio believes in his heart that China is an enemy of the U.S. Feierstein also added that Rubio's belief will color everything he does with respect to China. As the incoming top diplomat, Rubio would help carry out, not set, Trump's foreign policy. But he has the president's ear on major foreign policy issues. The son of a Cuban immigrant, Rubio is firmly against communism. He's been big on calling out Beijing's human rights abuses. Rubio introduced bills to punish those involved in harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners and bills to uphold democracy in Hong Kong. He also co-sponsored a measure that bars Chinese imports over rights abuses in Xinjiang. Rubio pushed the U.S. to prevent Hong Kong's chief executive from traveling to San Francisco for the APEC summit last year. He also supports lifting diplomatic protocols between U.S. officials and their Taiwanese counterparts. A 14-year Senate veteran, he's almost certain to be confirmed. Authorities say hackers linked to China have intercepted communication between American officials and law enforcement. In a statement, the FBI, as well as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the hackers compromised a number of telecom companies. But officials didn't specify which ones. Reports recently published in the Wall Street Journal outlined that Chinese hackers may have found a backdoor into systems used by U.S. law enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security is set to investigate concerns around the security of U.S. telecommunications infrastructure. And there's more. Inside China, a decade-old directive from Xi Jinping aims to make China a cyber powerhouse. A D.C.-based think tank has warned that China has built the world's most comprehensive ecosystem for capture-the-flag competitions, also known as CTF. Over the past 20 years, China has held at least 120 CTF games. And the ones China's top spy body sponsored had over 300,000 participants. Many see the hacking contest as a pipeline used to funnel talents into Beijing's hacker army. President Biden is set to meet with the head of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping. They'll be in Peru for the APEC summit and Brazil for the G20. The meeting comes as Beijing prepares for Trump's return to the White House. This is their third and final in-person meeting since Biden became president. In previous meetings, they have repeatedly discussed topics like the Chinese Communist Party's aggression in the Indo-Pacific, fentanyl manufacturing and human rights abuses. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was asked in a recent briefing about America's greatest threat. The competition with the People's Republic of China is going to be defining for what the world looks like over the course of the next 10, 20 and 30 years. And so that has got to be a paramount priority for the incoming administration. And the person who's been named as my successor, the person who's been floated as the Secretary of State, these are people who have very much focused on that challenge. I will observe that transitions are uniquely consequential moments in geopolitics. A new Pacific gateway is opening for China right in America's backyard. Beijing is marking the grand opening of a megaport in Peru, right as the APEC summit starts. The port could further expand the Chinese Communist Party's sway in Latin America. The U.S. general also warned the port's opening could become a hub for Chinese military activity. NTD's international correspondent Ariane Pazdar has the story. China is transforming a remote fishing town in Peru into a huge deep water port. That's to cash in on South America's resources. The megaport of Chiang Kai is a 1.3 billion dollar project. The majority of it is owned by the Chinese shipping giant Costco. But although it's an expensive project, locals say it's not going to help their wallets. A third of all residents in the area don't have running water. Impoverished villagers say the port is depriving them of fishing waters, while bringing no economic benefit to locals. The usual fishing spots no longer exist because they have enclosed them. They have destroyed the bay. Advocates for the port argue it does benefit locals to some degree. The thing is that we create more jobs. Not enough, but this helps. But many of Chiang Kai's 60,000 residents are not convinced. Some even say that serious crimes might start increasing because of the port. It is going to increase human trafficking, drugs, many things, more bad than good. And those aren't the only risks associated with the port, according to newspaper The Maritime Executive. The U.S. Southern Command reportedly expressed concern that the new port will be suitable for Chinese naval deployments. It could also be used as a base for Chinese espionage activities here in the Americas. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is scheduled to inaugurate the port while he's in Peru for the APEC summit. Protests erupted a day before his arrival. We will have a look at APEC. Just like Congress and our authorities, the APEC only benefits themselves. Demonstrators protested against rising extortion and insecurity in the country ahead of the summit. Ariane Pastar, NTD News. As speculations that the U.S.-NATO alliance will change during Trump's new term rise, the head of NATO said Thursday that he is looking forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump. In particular, to counter the challenges from the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic. Here's NATO Chief Mark Rutte in Latvia. I look forward to work with Donald Trump. Russia, China, North Korea, Iran working together. The U.S. understands this, that NATO is there not only to defend Europe and the U.S., but also to work together to make sure that the Indo-Pacific and the transatlantic stay safe. We need more defense planning and we need increased defense production across the alliance to have the right forces, but also to have the right capabilities to keep our people safe. Rutte said that Trump will, quote, do everything needed to defend the United States and that the President-elect is fully aware of NATO's critical role in U.S. defense. Rutte's remarks broke the silence on whether Trump will reduce cooperation with the alliance. He also brought up North Korea soldiers being active within Russia's borders to aid the war. Plus, China's support to Moscow. Noting that those threats are directed not only at Europe, but also Japan, South Korea and the U.S. mainland. Rutte said he's confident that he and Trump will resume their work-friend dynamic, noting that they spoke over the phone just last week. The former Dutch Prime Minister has now been in office at NATO for roughly one month. A documentary exposing details of an unprecedented crime against humanity. China's forced organ harvesting. The award-winning film made its debut on Saturday in a Manhattan theater, sparking American audience discussions in the Big Apple. NTD's Flora Huang brings us the report. The documentary, State Organs, Unmasking Transplant Abuse in China, delves into the stories of two families in China. Yun Zhang and Shang Huang, two young Falun Gong practitioners, went missing under mysterious circumstances back in the early 2000s. Falun Gong is a spiritual meditation discipline that originated in China. In 1999, the Chinese regime launched a nationwide persecution against those practicing the system. But decades of evidence now shows the Chinese regime went much further in its efforts to eliminate the mind and body practice. Independent investigations reveal that Beijing created a secret industry to steal organs from imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners and sell them for huge profit. After two decades of searching for Zhang and Huang, their families gradually came to realize that their loved ones likely fell victim to the regime's hidden crime. I can only imagine, you know, a father looking for your daughter, just looking for answers, and thinking and knowing this terrible thing has happened to them. Kevin is the chief of staff to the CEO of Reddit, a U.S.-based social media forum. I guess I'd never been aware of a systematic way of sort of killing people, honestly, and persecuting them by the government. That was very powerful and something that, again, I was not aware of. And it's just tough to hear that and to think that at the government level, right, that something like this is happening. That's disturbing to hear and very shocking. Outside the New York City movie theater, another audience member is urging people to go see the movie. There's also receipts for what's happening and how this persecution is affecting millions and millions and millions of Chinese people. And the international world, it's relatively unheard of. So to have the courage to speak up, irregardless of what the repercussions could be for their families or for their friends, or even for them in their future, is incredibly brave, no matter how heavy it is. Some viewers said they saw hope in the movie's ending. I mean, humanity, since the time of Jesus until now, hope is all we have. So if you don't have hope, then you might as well just give it up and put it in the past. So it's good that people, they have hope, they keep on going strong. And hopefully one day we can put Communist Party in the past. State of Oregon has been officially listed as a contender for next year's Academy Awards 2025 in the category of Best Documentary Feature. This week, it's playing at Manhattan's Angelica Cinema. Flora Huat, NDTV News. Coming up, U.S., Japanese and South Korean forces join for final naval drills under Biden's watch as East Asia security plans soon shift to Trump. It's better to have allies because remember, in this area and region, we have a lot of allies and China does not. A top Russian defense official attending China's show of its latest stealth fighter jet. Is his presence a sign of reaffirming ties between the two countries? And Beijing is pushing back on the Philippines' claims in the South China Sea. Chinese Coast Guard spotted patrolling the Scarborough Shoal Thursday. More on that after the break here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. U.S., Japanese and South Korean naval forces held joint exercises in East Asian waters Thursday. They marked the final joint drills before President Biden hands over one of his signature national security initiatives to President-elect Trump. The drills were led by the U.S.'s George Washington aircraft carrier and its jet fighters. The Freedom Edge naval exercise comes after a pact brokered by Biden in 2023. The agreement helped Seoul and Tokyo put aside years of animosity. The countries agreed to trilateral security cooperation with Washington. Further exercises are planned for next year. Biden also pushed to extend the three-way cooperation to technology, supplies chain security and cyber defenses. If you look at the region and you want to project deterrence, you want to ensure the security of America's interests, it's better to have allies because remember in this area and region we have a lot of allies and China does not. It was not tied to the tenure of any one leader of a country. It was tied to a strategic objective of all three nations of projecting deterrence. Neither Trump nor his pick for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have outlined their national security plans for the sensitive East Asia region. According to Reuters, Trump's allies in June assured officials in Japan and South Korea that he would support deeper three-way ties. Trump pressured Tokyo and Seoul in his first term to pay more for the protection brought by U.S. forces they host. In Japan, that includes amphibious units and naval warships. Washington could deploy them to defend neighboring Taiwan in the event of an attack from China. A show of unity between China and Russia. A top Russian defense official visited China's premier military showcase Thursday. On display are Chinese stealth fighter jets that Beijing claims could rival their American counterparts. Here's more. The official is Russia's former defense minister and now leads Russia's security council. His visit comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine is stuck in a stalemate and Moscow has turned to North Korean soldiers to boost troop numbers. China has provided dual-use technology that could boost Russia's ability to target Ukraine. China is also a major customer of Russian oil and gas amid Western sanctions aimed at crippling Moscow. Beijing stepping up its presence in the South China Sea. The Chinese Coast Guard patrolled the Scarborough Shoal Thursday. It's an area Beijing claims as its own despite an international court ruling and the Philippines' own claim. Here's more. Chinese patrol comes a week after the Philippine president signed a new law claiming its sovereignty to parts of the South China Sea. The U.S. offered support for the Philippines' move seeing other countries have passed similar laws. Almost a quarter of global maritime trade passes through the South China Sea. Multiple countries claim parts of it including the Philippines but China claims almost all of it. Chinese forces also took control of the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 despite an international court ruling. Beijing's claim invalid. Chinese forces continue to militarize the island. What would a second Trump administration mean for U.S. allies like Japan and rivals like China? And how might leaders like Marco Rubio fit into the U.S. strategy on security and competition in the Indo-Pacific? To discuss, we're joined by Grant Newsham, senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy. Grant Newsham, thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you back on the show. I'm glad to be here. Thanks for inviting me. What does, you know, the second Trump administration mean to our allies like Japan or adversaries like China? How are they viewing this? Well, they're all trying to put out the fire which has been set in their hair and trying to sort of stop hyperventilating. But as a practical matter, when the United States is very clear about how it's going to deal with adversaries, with really enemies of freedom, well, they ought to welcome that. One of the problems that I think they're worried about is Mr. Trump may ask them to actually carry their weight, make more of a contribution to the alliances and to this joint effort that we're making. And the Europeans don't like that. The Japanese don't like hearing it. The Koreans either. So the time has long since passed when America could take care of everything while others made just minimal contributions. So they're going to have to really buckle down and get to work if they're going to, one, stay free. Now, you just had a recent piece talking about how the U.S. has been boosting its defense. But you mentioned military strength isn't enough, although it's a good start. We also need something known as political warfare. Talk to us about that and how you see someone like Marco Rubio fitting into that. Well, first, you've got to understand political warfare. And what it refers to is really every lever of national power short of actually using military force, short of actually shooting. So it means economic strength, financial strength, propaganda in the good old Jesuit meaning of the word, and psychological operational here. You've got the United States military, which sails all around the Pacific, all around Asia, and it makes port calls and stops in and does exercises and that sort of thing. And yet in a place like the Solomon Islands, we've been doing that. And yet Chinese commercial interests have come in. They have subverted the government in the Solomon Islands to the point it has stopped its alliance with Taiwan. It has signed up with Beijing. It has really become a Chinese proxy. And proxy warfare is an element of Chinese political warfare where you get prominent local people to do your bidding for you. You'll notice the Chinese haven't fired a shot. And that is political warfare for you. So we have not done anything really to block Chinese political warfare efforts. And at the same time, we don't even seem to have a political warfare scheme of our own that we're effectively losing despite everything that we're doing militarily. But I think that Mike Waltz, as I said, he's a special forces guy, and they understand this, very much understand it. Marco Rubio, I think he understands it as well. He has also put forth a law which requires the U.S. government to unearth the overseas financial holdings of the top Chinese Communist Party leadership. And that shows an awareness of the, once again, political warfare beyond just the hard military power. Grant Nishim, thank you so much for your time. Well, glad to be here. Thank you. The U.S. presidential election matters to the Taiwan Strait. With President-elect Trump set to take office in January, what does the future hold for U.S.-Taiwan relations? NTD's Joy Chiu reports from Taiwan. The de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan made a notable appearance here in Taipei today. This marked his first public appearance after the election of Donald Trump. It also demonstrates the important role that Taiwan plays in supplying connectivity throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The United States is committed to a clear and positive agenda for the digital economy and to a clean network of trusted ICT partners. The government of the Republic of China, Taiwan, is extremely grateful for the efforts made by President Biden and Vice President Harris, as well as the administration they led in promoting global relations and strengthening ties between the U.S. and Taiwan. We also look forward to and are prepared for the continuation and further enhancement of cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan once President Trump assumes office. Donald Trump recently said Taiwan should pay a protection fee to the United States as tensions in the Taiwan Strait continue to rise. People are closely watching how U.S.-Taiwan relations might evolve under the second Trump administration. Reporting from Taiwan, Joy Chiu, NTD News. 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 ChinaInFocusNTD.com. We'd love to hear from you. For around-the-clock original news coverage, visit us at NTD.com or download our NTD app. Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow.