China in Focus

The Trump Administration says the Chinese Communist Party has committed genocide against its Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. The US government gives China tens of millions of dollars every year. But a new report says Trump has slashed that amount by half. Wuhan’s Virology Institute reportedly received support from Western countries. It’s the same facility that may have close ties to the origin of the CCP virus. Biden’s selection for head of the intelligence community suggests the new administration sees China as a global competitor, instead of an adversary. And the CEO of one of the biggest firms on Wall Street says the Biden administration will adopt a softer tone towards China.

Chinese hackers hacked the new iPhone 13 Pro in just one second, allowing them access to the phone's system. And they won prize money for it—$300,000. China’s food supply may be at risk. But authorities are responding to the crisis with ease—and changing course within a month. Beijing condemned the United States and Canada after both countries each sent a warship through the Taiwan Strait. An American toymaker is working desperately to get its products in for the holiday season. Boxes of toys are currently stuck in Chinese warehouses. A Canadian publisher is accusing Twitter of censorship. Twitter recently suspended his accounts promoting books critical of Beijing.

Two Omicron cases in a near-by city put Beijing on high alert. It's weeks before the Winter Olympics start. A rare and courageous move. A Xi'an resident uses his real name in a video to criticize the lockdown measures, saying the authorities 'treat people like livestock.' Some English signs in Beijing subways and airports are replaced by Chinese Pinyin. Foreigners won't be able to understand them. But some say it's part of Xi Jinping's effort to show 'cultural self confidence.' The Chinese regime has named a new commander for its military force in Hong Kong. The man used to lead the crackdown on Xinjiang’s ethnic minorities. And U.S. chip company Intel appears to be walking back on a statement; where they called on partners to avoid sourcing from China’s Xinjiang. This is after getting backlash from China.

The pandemic isn’t the only disease plaguing China. State media outlets are reporting an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in a northwestern province. Tennis player Peng Shuai reemerges after vanishing for weeks. But she’s now singing a different tune, walking back on the statement that started it all. Now, she claims she never accused anyone of sexually assaulting her. Beijing is asking German auto-part maker Continental to turn away from Lithuania. It's one of dozens of German companies Beijing is trying to sway. Unease is rippling through many of China’s biggest industries, as tens of thousands lose their jobs. Tech, education, real estate are all hurting and trying to cope with the Chinese regime’s clampdown. A voice from a Hong Kong activist highlights those willing to fight for democracy—even at great personal risk.

A new CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak hits China. A man tests positive after three weeks in quarantine and testing negative nine times. A super typhoon is heading toward South China. It’s losing strength along the way, but coastal areas are still bracing themselves. Beijing’s World Robot Conference featured a Chinese-speaking Albert Einstein, backflipping dogs, and AI nurses. But controversy is stirring despite the grand displays. Investors who backed China's second-largest property developer are demanding their money back. Nearly 300 real estate companies reportedly filed for bankruptcy already this year. If their company joins the list, it could send shockwaves through China's economy. A Wall Street Journal investigation accuses Tiktok of allegedly promoting sexual content to minors.

A 60-foot-long bus was dragged out of a tunnel in flood-hit Zhengzhou city. It was completely submerged in water. Now, questions abound. Where are the passengers? A survivor that escaped the deadly tunnel is telling his story. He says the water rose too fast, and many people couldn't make it to safety. What made the flood in Zhengzhou so deadly? Analysts say it has to do with authorities discharging water from local reservoirs without warning. There are more natural disasters in China. The floods are continuing in central China, a typhoon hits Shanghai, and a Northwestern city is suffering a rare sandstorm. U.S. efforts to prevent Beijing’s technology theft are dealt a blow. The Justice Department dropped charges against five Chinese researchers. They were arrested last year, accused of hiding their ties to the Chinese military.

What’s all the buzz about Beijing’s hypersonic weapons, and why could they pose a nuclear threat to the United States? We break it down in this episode. A 12-year-old girl died after getting a shot of a Chinese-made vaccine. Her mother asked authorities for an investigation into the case, only to be beaten and detained. Chinese journalists must undergo so-called “continuous education” by the state—at least 90 hours every year—to learn how to develop news with a Marxist angle. China has a real-life version of the U.S. crime drama "Prison Break." Footage of an agile North Korean’s jailbreak in China is going viral. Taiwanese businesses are leaving China, and experts say a bigger wave of retreat is on the way.

China reports its fourth explosion in just one week—this time, at a chemical plant. China has a new military ambition. Party leader Xi Jinping is calling for new military equipment and weapons, part of his plan to build what he calls a "world-class" army. President Joe Biden is committed to avoiding confrontation with China, according to his top Asia diplomat. He said Washington and Beijing should “build confidence” and be able to communicate in a crisis. An NBA star player is calling out Nike. The player accuses the sports brand of using slave labor in China. A celebrity sex scandal rocks China’s internet. But some suspect Beijing’s propaganda system is fanning the flames, and redirecting the public's attention from other crises.

A Chinese teenager was found dead on his high school campus. Thousands of people are now joining his mother’s call for transparency. But police have started arresting protesters. Nearly 300 Chinese maritime militia ships sailing in Philippine waters. It marks Beijing’s largest-ever incursion in the area. China angers another of its neighbors. The regime warns Bangladesh not to join a U.S.-led alliance that’s working to counter Beijing’s influence. A U.S. Senate Committee votes in favor of a new bill. It seeks to prevent communist China from exploiting loopholes in key technology sectors. And, more construction problems surface in China. Glass is missing from a 850-foot glass-bottom bridge, and a pavilion is toppled by strong winds —leading to injuries and even deaths. The accidents are caused by the country's so-called 'tofu buildings' —known to crumble because of extremely poor construction.

Amazon cracks down on 50,000 Chinese sellers. Most of them are suspended for posting fake reviews or sending out gift cards in exchange for positive reviews. All three of America's most powerful nuclear submarines were reportedly sent into the Pacific Ocean—a rare move, as the three are all patrolling the same area at the same time. The U.S. Strategic Command is sounding the alarm, saying the strategic breakout of China's military is a cause for action. Chinese state media declares China the winner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, despite the United States taking home the most medals. Some elementary and middle school students in China must get vaccinated or they can't attend school, according to local authorities, even though Beijing claims the shot isn't mandatory.

More companies in the Chinese property sector are now caught up in debt. And the poster child for the sector's woes, Evergrande Group, has missed its third round of bond payments in a matter of weeks. More floods strike northern China. Heavy rain caused one river to overflow, drowning a dozen nearby towns. As for farmers, many are hard at work trying to rescue their harvests and livestock from water damage. Armed with sub-par equipment, some have resorted to manual labor. China limits video game access for children to three hours a week. But some may have already found ways to bypass the rule. In Taiwan, more deaths have been reported in those who got vaccinated than from the pandemic itself.

Several Chinese engineers, killed in a bus explosion in Pakistan. Before the accident —they had been working for Beijing's "Belt and Road Initiative." Eleven countries are carrying out a joint military exercise in Australian waters. Nearby, a Chinese spy ship has been spotted. The U.S. strengthens measures to counter Chinese telecom companies. A nearly $2 billion program is on the way to reimburse American companies for removing Chinese equipment, including that from Huawei. 67 Falun Gong practitioners have died because of the Chinese regime's persecution —in the first half of this year alone. Nearly 10,000 more were detained or harassed by Chinese police. And an eyewitness says the Chinese regime made a sophisticated industry of state-sanctioned organ harvesting. That’s as Beijing, for years, has flip-flopped on whether it takes and sells organs from executed prisoners.

The U.S. is strengthening sanctions on China over its genocide against ethnic minorities. A new bill from the Senate bans imports from China's Xinjiang region. An American military aircraft, stopped briefly in Taiwan. The move angers Beijing —while a Taiwanese lawmaker fights back. Biden’s new Navy secretary nominee says if confirmed, he’ll 'exclusively focus on the China threat,' and defend Taiwan 'as much as humanly possible.' China is becoming an 'evil empire,' and the U.S. may be enabling it. That’s according to former Vice-President Mike Pence. And China sells 550-million vaccine doses to the W.H.O.'s global vaccine program. But a U.S. agency is criticizing Beijing for not donating them instead.

The European Union and the UK are voicing concerns over media freedom in China. This, after two European journalists were forced to leave the country. One of China's latest efforts to defend its actions in the Xinjiang region, may have just backfired. A Xinjiang resident praising the internment camps seems to have been outed as a fake. Shanghai is tightening up public control. Anyone who stays in the city for more than 24 hours must report to authorities. Worries escalate over the global supply chain of microchips. It’s now extremely vulnerable, as suppliers become more concentrated in certain regions, with Taiwan leading them. A possible crisis there could put the production of everyday necessities like smartphones, fridges, and microwaves at risk. And the Chinese regime is ramping up efforts to challenge the U.S. dollar’s dominance. But experts say, that's not likely to happen anytime soon.

A Chinese spy and a British premier minister were seen together at whispering distance. Photos are now driving backlash over just how much the Chinese Communist Party's influence is cozying up to the West. The infamous phrase "Made in China" has been found on medical masks distributed by Congress in Washington. This find is sparking concerns among U.S. lawmakers—specifically on risks linked to supply chains. China says its economy saw the best growth in a decade last year. But is the figure reliable? And what’s in store for the coming months? The Beijing Olympics boycott grows. Two more countries announce they’ll skip the event, citing various reasons. The abuse methods used on Uyghur Muslims were perfected through the persecution of a Chinese spiritual practice, says an award-winning movie director. His new film aims to expose the realities of China’s human rights violations.

A Chinese man is on day three of a hunger strike. He’s protesting after police forcibly vaccinated him. Another man was pinned down on the ground by Chinese policemen, all because he refused to get tested for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Is China’s pandemic cure worse than the disease? The country’s strict lockdown measures reportedly played a major role in the death of one man. Victims in China are still suffering after major flood damage. They report receiving little compensation, despite massive destruction. That’s after authorities opened the floodgates of a local reservoir without warning. Chinese shopping giant Alibaba plans to invest more than $15 billion into helping the communist regime achieve its goals—amid Beijing’s clampdown on Big Tech.

A 90-year-old in China is detained by police. She’s been fighting for her rights for more than a decade, after her home was torn down by authorities. Some of China’s richest are now behind bars. That’s after they were recruited by the Chinese Communist Party, and got a little too involved in its internal power struggle. Is Xi Jinping the cause for the Chinese regime’s aggression? The daughter of Mao Zedong’s secretary says the CCP has long sought global domination. Beijing is pushing its digital currency to compete on the world stage. It’s going up against the world’s biggest cryptocurrency. And the U.S. Commerce Secretary is found to own a stake in a Chinese tech giant. The corporation owns messaging App WeChat, which is now under review by the Commerce department.

A Chinese internet troll who had a little too much to drink turned his back on the Communist Party. He slammed Beijing in a YouTube video, despite his reputation as an enthusiastic defender of the Communist regime. The U.S. and China hold their first high level meeting since Biden took office. And a former China policy advisor is raising a new point on what decides U.S.-China relations. For the first time in 30 years, the EU is sanctioning Communist China. It comes in response to the regime's human rights abuses in Xinjiang. And the Chinese regime often uses business and trade to leverage political gain. We look at what ancient Chinese politicians and culture would have to say about the tactics.

A Chinese expert says Beijing copied its way to the world’s front row. And now, it uses that leverage to get away with aggression toward the West. Hong Kong’s special status is still long gone, in keeping with Former President Trump's policy. The city is now considered no different than mainland China, a shift that holds severe consequences for the financial hub. Hong Kong's democracy has all but faded. This, after Beijing cuts down on opposition from the city's electoral system. A historic moment for Taiwan. For the first time in 42 years a U.S. ambassador visits the island. And China says it would welcome a visit from the United Nations to its Xinjiang region. But adds that it will not allow investigation into reported abuse of the Uyghur ethnic minority.

China tells Walmart to respect the feelings of the Chinese people after the retailer apparently removed Xinjiang-related goods from its stores. A bleeding woman was eight months pregnant, but a Chinese hospital refused to take her in in time, due to lockdown restrictions. Beijing takes another step to control Chinese cyberspace. Now it seems mobile apps that may "influence public opinion" will require a security review. Taiwan’s air force shows off its combat readiness amid heightened tensions with China. Military jets screamed into the sky, as they practiced a drill simulating a war scenario. Last year was a year of record losses for China's tech tycoons. Because of the pandemic, Beijing’s clampdowns, and U.S. sanctions, almost a quarter of China's tech wealth was wiped away.

China is fighting the biggest Delta variant outbreak so far. But drastic measures to prevent further outbreaks are sparking complaints. Beijing launches a new stock exchange. Experts say it could present a new way for the Chinese regime to strengthen its financial control and avoid foreign market rules. As the United States and China compete for microchip leadership, some American firms are boosting Beijing’s chip ambitions. A Chinese dissident shares his life-threatening story of how he managed to skirt death threats from China. Will Australia step up to defend Taiwan, in the case of a Chinese invasion? One of the nation’s top leaders says "yes," as long as the United States does, too.

Biden faces criticism for his latest remark on China. An expert explains the controversy behind it. A Chinese company claims 10% of New York City’s electricity runs through its equipment. An expert breaks down the potential risk. A number of Chinese human rights activists have been detained, sentenced to prison, or even sent to mental hospitals. All because they stood up for democracy. The US-China trade war is turning into a technology war. An important weapons component might be the next front. And the UK joins the US in criticizing China for withholding information about the CCP virus outbreak in Wuhan. Britain’s Prime Minister calls for a global coalition to ensure transparency.

A 15-year-old survivor is opening up after escaping a flooded subway in China. She says dozens of people died in front of her while trapped inside—and even more remains were seen lying on the subway platform afterward. Flooded subway cars in Zhengzhou city are taken away, with black cloth covering the windows. Netizens are questioning what the authorities are hiding. New evidence has emerged surrounding China's flood disasters. A video online shows Chinese authorities clashing with locals, who say the troops came to destroy local river embankments. China's Red Cross faces a serious accusation. A businessman says the organization embezzled thousands in donation funding. American investors are rushing to divest from Chinese companies in the health sector, as fears rise that Beijing's crackdown on private companies will hit the medical industry next.

Five million cellphone customers in China dropped their service in 2020. It’s raising questions about just how many people really died from the virus there. And the US has given out Chinese-made virus tests to Americans. The company that made them is linked to the Regime’s military.

Anger flares after brutal action by Chinese pandemic prevention workers. Their killing of a pet dog was caught on tape. The United States and China engaged in top-level dialog, but without a major breakthrough. President Joe Biden and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping formally met for the first time since Biden took office. But after the meeting, Beijing again sent military aircraft flying over Taiwan, in an apparent threat to the self-ruled island. An elderly mother seeks to visit her only son, imprisoned in China. But she’s faced multiple rejections by authorities, all because of her son’s human rights activism. And, reports say Beijing is again lobbying U.S. business communities—this time, to influence legislation that would boost U.S. competitiveness.