China Lists 4 'Red Lines' During Biden–Xi Meeting; Stabbing in China Kills 8 | China in Focus

Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Don Ma. And for Tiffany Meyer today, our top story. Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping lists four red lines that he demands the U.S. not cross in his final meeting with Biden. The question is, will Trump play by Xi's rules when he returns? While Xi Jinping is in Latin America for the G20, a group of Chinese Communist Party supporters is accused of blocking banners condemning Beijing's persecution. How will Trump's tariffs play out? House Speaker Johnson says they're likely a balancing act. We look at the potential pros and cons. The president and I have talked about this as recently as yesterday, the use of tariffs in the economy and how that might be done. It will be a balancing act as it always is. And a horrifying stabbing incident in eastern China has left at least eight people dead, marking the country's second mass attack in just one week. Now, before we dive into today's top story, we'd like to share an important update. You can now catch China In Focus on Ganjing World every Tuesday instead of YouTube. To watch, simply click the link in the description box below or search China In Focus at Ganjingworld.com. From Taiwan to human rights, Chinese leader Xi Jinping laid out four red lines for President Biden Saturday. The question is, will Trump cross them during his next term? Xi and Biden just met for the final time before Biden leaves office. During the talks in Peru, Xi told Biden that China is ready to work with the new administration. But he also listed four red lines that China demands that Washington doesn't cross. These issues are Taiwan, democracy and human rights, China's path and system, as well as the country's right to development. Of those four, Taiwan is the most sensitive. The Chinese Communist Party claims Taiwan as part of China, despite never having ruled it. It has pledged to take the island under control by force if necessary. Washington doesn't have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is bound by law to sell weapons to the island so that it can defend itself. Trump is vague on whether he would defend Taiwan in the case of a Chinese invasion, though he said he wouldn't need to use military force to deter Beijing from imposing a blockade on Taiwan. He said that's because Xi Jinping respects him and knows that he's, quote, crazy. Trump also said Taiwan should be paying the U.S. to defend it. He likened the U.S. to an insurance company and added that Taiwan does not give the U.S. anything, though he also approved over 18 billion dollars worth of arms sales to Taiwan during his first term, three times higher than the sales under Biden. As for human rights, Trump signed bills punishing Beijing for its abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang during his first term and sanctioned officials who infringed democracy in Hong Kong. His administration also declared that Beijing was committing genocide against Uyghurs, an ethnic group in China. Now, back to the key meeting in Peru. Biden and Xi agreed that humans, not AI, should control nuclear arms. He also urged Xi to help rein in North Korea and discourage the country from supporting Russia's war on Ukraine. What's more, Biden asked Xi to maintain peace on Taiwan. The U.S. military is gearing up for a potential conflict with China over the island, and U.S. forces have been reviving World War II-era airfields as part of that operation. To discuss how the Chinese Communist Party is using global summits to further its agenda and influence before Trump takes office, we're joined by retired U.S. Army Colonel John Mills. He's a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy and former director of cybersecurity at the Defense Department. John, as always, thank you so much for joining us. To start off, how do you think, how might the Chinese CCP be using the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, and the G20 summit to its own advantage? Thank you, Don. The Chinese Communist Party uses these engagement opportunities as a strategic priority. They prep in amazing detail for these meetings and have very strong negotiation points. They look at this as an opportunity to advance their agenda. And the challenge is the West is just oftentimes overwhelmed at these venues and has not done any modicum of preparation in a comparative manner to how the Chinese Communist Party looks at these events. So, the APEC summit just finished up over the weekend. I'm curious to hear what is your assessment of the dynamic between the CCP, of course, and the U.S. and other nations as well? Well, I think everybody is waiting for President Trump to be back in office. There is even some pictures, I wasn't sure whether it was APEC or the G20, where Biden, I mean, I don't know if that was a personal choice or that was an intentional snub, where he was placed in the back row, Xi was front and center. All these optics are so important. And I think this is just more evidence that the Obama-Harris-Biden team just doesn't understand how to advance an American agenda and allowing Xi front and center while we lead from the rear or the locker room. This is just, this is not the way to assert an agenda. All right. Let me also get your thoughts on what are you looking out for during the G20 summit beginning today in Rio in terms of the Chinese Communist Party and its play for greater global influence? They are going to swarm and essentially advance a hyper-CCP agenda. They want to get as much ground as possible. This is just like the Korean War, where everybody is scuffling in advance of the ceasefire. And that's what China is going to do. All right, John, I wish we had more time, but that's all for today. Thank you very much for joining us today. John, thank you so much. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in Rio this week. Practitioners of the spiritual belief Falun Gong held up banners in front of the G20 entrance Sunday night. Supporters of the Chinese Communist Party or CCP tried to block their message. The Brazilian Falun Gong practitioners said the CCP supporters told them to take down the banners and that the CCP supporters later followed them to their Uber and took a picture of the license plate. The practitioners of Falun Gong gathered to raise awareness about the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of their faith inside China. Staying with the G20 in Brazil, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Monday that China's relationship with Australia has achieved a turnaround and that the two countries are maintaining a positive momentum for development. Beijing is looking to promote Australia as a model for trading with China. That's as it braces for Trump's return to the White House and his pledge of a 60 percent tariff on Chinese goods. In contrast, Albanese traveled to Beijing to end a years-long dispute a year ago. China imposed tariffs on Australian goods after Canberra called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Albanese said he would not get involved in relations between Beijing and Washington. And the U.S. ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, today called Australia America's most glorious friend. She highlighted increased defense cooperation between Washington and Canberra and plans to develop Australia's critical minerals sector to break the Chinese regime's chokehold. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that President-elect Donald Trump's tariffs would be a balancing act. Take a listen. The president and I have talked about this as recently as yesterday, the use of tariffs in the economy and how that might be done. It will be a balancing act as it always is. But he has some ideas, aggressive ideas to grow this economy again and to reduce the cost of living. And there are a number of factors that will go into that. Trump has pledged 60 percent tariffs on all goods that come from China. The move aims to counter what he called China's unfair trade practices and to reduce reliance on China and mid-tensions. He also promised a separate universal 10 percent tariff on all products imported into the U.S. Trump has received mixed feedback on his trade policies. Some warned that sweeping tariffs could worsen inflation in the U.S. while others support his view of the potential benefits tariffs could bring. Next, for the latest update on the incoming China hawk selected to serve in the next Trump administration, here's NTD's Daniel Monaghan. Trump has tapped FCC Republican Brendan Carr as the agency's new chair. Carr is a staunch big tech and China critic. He vowed to protect free speech and push back on censorship. Trump calls Carr a warrior for free speech, signaling a bold shift in FCC priorities. Daniel Monaghan, NTD News. Tragedy struck at a vocational college in eastern China. A former student carried out a stabbing rampage, killing at least eight people. This comes just days after the country experienced its deadliest attack in Heavy security and floral tributes were seen outside a vocational college in eastern China on Sunday after a former student went on a deadly stabbing rampage, according to police, in the country's second mass killing in a week. The knife attack took place on Saturday at the Wuxi Vocational College of Arts and Technology in the eastern province of Jiangsu. At least eight people died and 17 others were injured. Police said a 21-year-old male suspect was arrested at the scene and confessed. Footage obtained by Reuters showed a person in an open field at the college being detained. Reuters was able to confirm the date and location of the video. Wuxi City Police said the stabbing suspect was angry over failing an exam, not getting his graduation certificate and his internship wages. It took place on the same day as authorities in the southern city of Zhuhai said they had charged the man who had rammed his car into a crowd Monday night. The attack outside a sports stadium killed at least 35 people, with eyewitness videos showing the chaotic aftermath. The 62-year-old suspect was reportedly angry at the terms of a divorce settlement, according to police. The killings have touched off a rare and heavily censored online discussion over mental health in China. That has also put in focus the Chinese society's deeper stresses, especially among young people, as the world's second largest economy slows. This Wuxi resident said she felt that people's mental health has been worsening. I think this is also a reason why most young people are reluctant to get married, because they may not even be able to guarantee their own survival in life, let alone their children's future, like their education and other things in their lives. To put it bluntly, there may be more of these deadly attacks to come, this man said. He added that he hopes those in charge will do a better job of putting preventions in place. At least six other high-profile knife attacks have been recorded this year across the country. Coming up, China's new port in Peru could face 60% tariffs from the US. That's through a proposal hinted by a senior Trump aide. The plan would target any and all goods that pass through the new Beijing-funded port. With China's aggressive policies causing tension in the South China Sea, the Philippines and the United States are deepening defense ties with the new pact. Dozens of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong are now facing possible life imprisonment. This comes as their trials have drawn a close under a Beijing-imposed law. You don't have to be a very hot-headed activist to find yourself at risk. More on that after the break here on China In Focus. The US, Canada and India are re-evaluating their trade ties with China. That's as Beijing faces accusations that it's flooding overseas markets with cheap imports and bypassing tariffs. According to a senior aide to incoming President Donald Trump, the US should impose 60% tariffs on goods not only from China but on any goods that pass through a port that China funded in Peru, no matter what country of origin the goods come from. To avoid high US tariffs, Chinese companies use a loophole known as transshipments. In other words, they first ship their goods to a third-party country before those same products are sent to the US. Outside US borders, growing Chinese investment in Mexico has also sparked concern in Canada. The amount of Chinese funds invested in Mexico has jumped to nearly three times over the past four years. China also claimed the title of Mexico's second-largest source of imports last year, only behind the US. After Trump returns to office, renegotiations, rather, are expected for a free trade deal between the US, Canada and Mexico. On the other side of the globe, India is also reviewing its trade pact with some Southeastern countries. That's after seeing a Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin continued his tour of the Indo-Pacific region after landing in Manila on Monday. It's his 12th trip into the Indo-Pacific region since taking up his post. Earlier Sunday, defense chiefs from the US, Australia and Japan held a trilateral defense meeting in Australia's Darwin. Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles disclosed that Japanese troops will begin regular deployments in northern Australia. Around 2,000 US Marines are already hosted in Darwin, a port city in northern Australia, for six months of the year. It's worth noting that Darwin served as a major base for Allied forces during World War II. During the meeting, Secretary Austin said the US will uphold its commitments under the AUKUS deal, which allows Australia to buy American nuclear-powered submarines and to collaborate with Washington and London on building a new fleet of nuclear submarines. He also pledged a smooth transition with the incoming Trump administration. Next, Secretary Austin will travel to the Philippines, Laos and Fiji for more strategic meetings. Zooming out, these deals come as Washington and its allies work to enhance strategic cooperation in the region, particularly to counter challenges from Beijing. China has been building its military capacity in the Indo-Pacific. Beijing carried out a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in the Pacific Ocean two months ago. It sparked concerns among several Pacific nations, including Australia and Japan. The Philippines and the United States signed a military intelligence sharing deal Monday. The two countries are deepening defense ties. This, in the face of China's aggressive policies in the South China Sea and near Taiwan. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the agreement with his Philippine counterpart at Manila's military headquarters. The pair also broke ground on a new construction project, a coordination center designed to allow for better collaboration between their armed forces. What's more, Washington said the U.S. would provide additional humanitarian aid to the Philippines. That's after the country was hit by six typhoons in a month. Sentences are coming this week in Hong Kong's landmark subversion trial. 45 pro-democracy activists face penalties and potentially life imprisonment under China's harsh national security law. The law was imposed in 2020. It has sharply curtailed freedoms in the former British colony. The charges against the activists stem from a peaceful 2020 primary election organized to select pro-democracy candidates. Arrests began in 2021, targeting 53 activists, including journalist Gwyneth Ho and former lawmaker Claudia Mo. They have undergone a kind of social death and they are temporarily dead in the political arena, just like that. They were all caught in a single net. And the trial of the 47th is clearly intended by the authorities to put a marker down that if you try to do anything like that, then you will face very severe consequences. And the range of people who are being caught up in this network of 47 will show that even people who are known to be very, very moderate indeed can be caught in the net. So you don't have to be a very hot-headed activist to find yourself at risk. Moderates are at risk too. Critics say the trial reflects Beijing's crackdown on dissent. The landmark case faces intense international scrutiny. Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai is set to testify in court when his trial resumes Wednesday. Lai is the founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. Both the US and Britain have called for Lai's immediate release, saying that the trial is politically motivated. In October, President-elect Donald Trump pledged to secure Lai's departure from China if he won the election. A poster spotted on the streets of Tokyo is getting attention. It bears a powerful message and a plea. Set my mother free. A young engineer working in Japan is trying to raise awareness for his mother who is detained in China because of her faith. NTD's Flora Hua spoke to him for more about the story. Gong Jingjun is a Chinese engineer working for a logistics company in Japan. He told me that a single phone call from a local Chinese police bureau just weeks ago changed his life. On September 20th of this year, I received a phone call from back home, saying that my mother had been arrested. I was very shocked at the time because I couldn't quite believe it. So I made a few calls back home, and eventually the news of my mother's arrest was confirmed. After confirming it, I felt extremely sorrowful, very sad and heartbroken. Gong explained that even before the arrest, his mother was displaced five years ago due to a large-scale clampdown on practitioners of a spiritual meditation system called Falun Gong, focused in the southern Chinese city of Xicheng. In the past five years, neither my family nor I have been able to see my mother even once. Her life must have been extremely difficult. Recently, hearing the news of her arrest has been a huge blow to her and to our family. Also known as Falun Dafa, the practice was introduced to the public in 1992. Gong's started practicing the discipline in 1995 while looking to improve her poor health. Gong said his mother has greatly benefited from the mind-body system. According to a Chinese media report, over 70 million people in China were practicing the spiritual discipline as of 1999. That year, the then-Chinese Communist Party leader launched a largely due to fear that the number of people practicing had surpassed the country's Communist Party membership. Over the past two decades, Gong's mother has spent a total of more than 12 years in prison and has been arrested multiple times, all because she refuses to renounce her faith. Gong says the persecution has deeply scarred his life and forcibly separated him from his mother. I am 29 years old this year, so it was about 10 years ago in 2014. Before I became an adult, I essentially didn't live with my mother. For a long time, I was in a state of constant fear. I think this had a significant impact on my life, whether it was going to school or interacting with people in society. I lacked so much, without a mother's guidance or family education. Life was often really tough for me, and I often felt very lonely. Some Japanese lawmakers and politicians have condemned the persecution after hearing Gong's story. Right now, Gong's mother is being held inside a Chinese detention center. She is 57 years old and, in Gong's words, being held in very bad condition. He hopes that raising more awareness about his mother's case will expedite her freedom. Fleur Hua, NTD News. And that's all for today's China In Focus. I'm Don Ma. If you have any feedback on the show or have something you would like to see us cover, send us an email at chinainfocus at ntd.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 and see you soon. Coming up on NTD, stay tuned for America's Hope with Kelly Wright. Tonight, Kelly zooms in on holiday blues and blahs. He welcomes Dr. Portia Lockett and licensed professional counselor Yvonne Lewis for insight on managing the season. They emphasize the importance of addressing mental health, especially grief and trauma, and encourage seeking therapy without shame. That's tonight at 10 p.m. after China In Focus. Thanks for watching. We'll see you tomorrow.