U.S. Seizes China-Bound Oil Tanker | China in Focus

Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Paul Graney, in for Tiffany Meyer. Our top story. The US has seized two more oil tankers in waters near Venezuela. One, fully loaded with oil, was bound for China, while the other had previously been used to transport oil to China. A Chinese researcher at Indiana University has been charged with smuggling E. coli bacteria Japan is expediting its progress to increase its defense budget, comes amid escalating Chinese military aggression, plus pressure from Washington. Recently leaked footage from 30 years ago show a Chinese general refusing Beijing's order to fire on Tiananmen protesters in 1989. He lost his freedom for life, but remained a hero in the eyes of many. Since hit a record high, countries are quietly building up their reserves amid rising geopolitical tensions. The US Coast Guard seized two oil tankers in international waters near Venezuela over the weekend. These are the second and third tankers the US has seized in less than two weeks. The official told the Epoch Times that the vessel is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion. The second one, fully loaded with oil, was bound for China. US Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem published video on Saturday said to show the US intercepting an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela in international waters. Her post on X came with a statement confirming the move by the Coast Guard days after President Donald Trump announced a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. Noem also said the US will, quote, continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco-terrorism in the region. Maritime risk management company Vanguard said the vessel was believed to be the Panama Flag Sentries, which was intercepted east of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea. A White House spokeswoman said on X the tanker was a falsely flagged vessel used by Venezuela to traffic stolen oil. Sentries was loaded in Venezuela under a false name and carrying crude oil bound for China, internal documents from the oil seller Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA show. It's part of a so-called shadow fleet of tankers that disguise their location used by buyers of Venezuelan oil to get around US sanctions. PDVSA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement, Venezuela's government denounced the interception as a serious act of international piracy. It's the second time in recent weeks that the US has gone after a tanker near the South American country. It comes as Trump builds a pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. US strikes on suspected drug vessels in waters near the country have killed at least 100 people, while military forces have ramped up their presence in the region. Trump has said the US will soon start land strikes on Venezuela. The third vessel seized, Bella One, was added to the US Treasury Department sanctions list for alleged ties to Iran last year. The ship also transported Venezuelan oil to China in 2021 and roughly 70% of Venezuela's oil exports go to China. A Chinese researcher at Indiana University has been charged after allegedly using women's underwear shipments to smuggle E. coli bacteria from China into the US. You Huang Xiang, on a J1 visa, worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Indiana University's biology department since 2023. He allegedly received E. coli bacteria from China, and this kind of bacteria requires a permit from US authorities to be imported across the border. But he allegedly tried to circumvent the rules by hiding it in a package of clothes. Xiang's work included researching in genome editing in wheat. Court records show the FBI's Indianapolis office was alerted in November following a separate pathogen smuggling case in Michigan. That case uncovered suspicious shipments from China sent to Indiana University researchers studying disease resistance in wheat. The incident eventually led to an investigation of Xiang. FBI Director Kash Patel warned that E. coli bacteria could damage US crops and lead to major economic losses. He urged schools to remain vigilant and follow proper legal procedures, saying researchers must obtain correct licenses to import biological materials. And Japan is fast-tracking a major increase in defense spending, moving two years ahead of schedule. The country's parliament has approved plans for increasing its defense budget to 2% of its GDP. That's its largest military budget since World War II. The urgency comes amid China's increasing military aggression and calls from the Trump administration for Japan and allies to spend more on defense. Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takeichi said the security environment surrounding Japan has become extremely severe. She believes strengthening Japan's defense capabilities is indispensable. The move comes after a Chinese fighter jet locked its radar on Japanese jets, a provocative move since it could be a step taken just before launching weapons. Nuclear-capable Russian bombers and Chinese aircraft also flew near Japan earlier this month, China ramping up its aggression, after Takeichi made a comment saying Tokyo might intervene militarily if Beijing invades Taiwan. Now back to Japan's planned defense spending. Under the proposal, Japan would develop long-range missiles capable of striking targets in China and North Korea. The country would also produce hypersonic guided missiles, which are capable of evading missile defense systems and carrying nuclear warheads. Meanwhile, Japan has been strengthening ties with countries facing similar security threats from China. This year it reached an agreement to sell advanced warships to Australia. Japan has also signed a defense pact with the Philippines, allowing both countries to deploy forces on each other's territory. Japan's move to boost defense spending follows reports that a senior government advisor suggested the country consider developing nuclear weapons. Now on Friday, the Japanese government reiterated that it would continue to uphold its core no-nuclear-weapons principles. Despite Japan's firm stance on its no-nuclear weapons policy, China urged Japan on Monday to cease what it called provocative actions. And footage of a Chinese general's secret court trial from over 30 years ago is going viral, racking up millions of views. The clip was recently leaked out of China, and it's an extremely rare situation for such footage to go public. The clip revealed the divide within China's military before they were deployed to open fire on student protesters in the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. The bloody crackdown is one of the most censored topics inside China. And to this day, many Chinese people remain unaware of the full scale of the situation. The general who was tried is called Xu Qinxian. He famously refused an order from the regime. The directive would have sent tens of thousands of his troops to Tiananmen Square to suppress student protesters calling for democracy using machine guns and live ammunition. At the time, Xu led one of the most elite forces stationed near Beijing, the 38th Army. For him, it was a decision that could cost him his life. At the trial, he didn't appear afraid, just laying out his concerns before the judges. The protesters were running high on emotions and conflicts would definitely erupt between them and the troops. Once that happened, bloody conflicts would be unavoidable because the troops were armed. Xu expressed concerns over shooting ordinary citizens. The bad guys were mixed together with the good guys. The military troops were mixed together with ordinary citizens. How could I carry out the mission? Who should I open fire on? He noted a decision this serious required more discussion amongst the top officials. Xu also questioned why the order was relayed orally without documentation. At the time, I told my superiors that they can appoint me or dismiss me. I said, if I carried this out well, I could be a hero. And if I performed poorly, I might become a sinner in history. Rejections shocking the other generals at the meeting. Here's one of their testimonies read by a judge. After Xu finished his speech, the room was still for quite a while and the two superiors were stunned. Shortly after, the regime replaced Xu with another commander. The 38th Army marched into Beijing, opening fire at students and ordinary citizens. It became known as one of the units that killed the most people on June 4th. Hundreds or thousands of people are estimated to be killed at Tiananmen Square massacre. The actual death toll remains unclear. Meanwhile, Xu spent five years behind bars for his decision and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 85. But before he died, Xu said he didn't regret his decision. He'd rather have his head cut off than go down as a criminal in history. And a leadership reshuffle within China's military. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has promoted two generals to lead key theater commands. One will play a central role in any conflict over Taiwan, while the other will oversee the defense of Beijing. Both generals previously held leadership positions in China's air force. Comes after a major purge two months ago, where the Chinese regime ousted nine top generals, including the country's number two military officer. The former head of the combatant command facing Taiwan was among those ousted. As for the former head of the central combatant command, he disappeared from the public eye five months ago. China has remained silent about his whereabouts. And as geopolitical tensions continue to rise, countries around the world are quietly stockpiling gold, a traditional move during uncertain times. Gold prices surging to record highs on Monday. Many factors contribute to it. Renewed tensions between Iran and Israel, the potential U.S. Venezuela conflict, the ongoing war in Ukraine, potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific, especially the one between China and Taiwan. The price of gold has hit $4,400 an ounce on Monday. Behind the scenes, central banks are also adding to demand. Beijing has been purchasing gold for 13 straight months, as according to People's Bank of China. Since November of 2024, the central bank added roughly 30,000 ounces every month. The move is part of Beijing's broader effort to diversify its foreign reserves and reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar. Meanwhile, the World Gold Council reports that Poland has been one of the most aggressive buyers this year, adding more than 82 tons to its reserves. China follows with nearly 25 tons, as several countries look to strengthen their financial buffers. Gold is often seen as a hedge against inflation, currency risk, and geopolitical instability, making it especially attractive during periods of global uncertainty. Despite the recent buying trend, the U.S. still holds the world's largest gold reserves by far, with more than 8,100 tons. And coming up, a Chinese state-backed group hacked the British Foreign Office, potentially targeting the visa details of people from Hong Kong and other Chinese dissidents living in the UK. And China is ramping up tariffs on certain dairy products from the European Union, with the highest rate reaching 42.7%. More on that after the break, here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Paul Graney. The British government confirms their foreign office was hacked two months ago. Reports claim a Chinese state-backed group was behind the attack, potentially targeting the visa details of Hong Kongers and other Chinese dissidents living in the UK. NTD's international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has more. British Trade Minister Chris Bryant said the government had been hacked in October. This partly confirmed a report in The Sun newspaper, which said a Chinese group had breached systems to access foreign office data. I have to be a little bit hesitant because it is certainly true that there has been a hack and the investigation is ongoing. We believe that we managed to close the loophole, as it were, or the gap. I know there's been quite a lot of speculation out there about whether this is related to China and so on. I can't confirm whether that is true or not. We simply don't know as yet. The Sun newspaper named Storm 1849 as the Chinese cyber gang responsible for the server breach, claiming it had accessed information relating to visa details. The Chinese state-linked group has been accused of targeting politicians and groups critical of the Chinese regime. In March last year, the British government formally blamed Storm 1849 for cyber attacks on members of parliament and on the UK's election watchdog. The Electoral Commission said details of 40 million voters were accessed by Beijing's spies. The latest hack has fuelled warnings that China could have been targeting visa details of Hong Kong passport holders and dissidents who have fled to the UK. Bryant said the government was continuing to investigate, but said at this stage it is fairly confident that there was a low risk any individual would be affected. We've been talking to the information commissioner about precisely who may or may not have been affected, but though we think that it's a fairly low risk that individuals will have been compromised or affected. A UK government spokesperson said, we have been working to investigate a cyber incident. We take the security of our systems and data extremely seriously. British intelligence agencies have warned about increasing large-scale espionage from China, particularly targeting commercial and political information. The UK's cyber agency GCHQ said last year it was devoting more resources to countering threats from China than any other nation. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said earlier in December that China posed national security threats to Britain, but defended his government's decision to increase engagement with the country. Confirmation of a hack by a Chinese state group would be awkward for the government ahead of Starmer's planned visit to Beijing next year, which would be the first by a UK Prime Minister since 2018. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News, UK. And China announcing higher tariffs on certain dairy products from the European Union. The highest duty will be 42.7 percent. The increased tariffs take effect on Tuesday. It comes after Beijing concluded the first phase of an anti-subsidy probe, widely seen as retaliation for the EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. The spokesman for the European Commission said China's probe was based on questionable allegations and insufficient evidence, adding that Beijing's tariffs were unjustified. Watch. We are doing everything it takes to defend EU farmers and exporters, as well as the common agricultural policy against China's unfair use of trade defence instruments. The Commission already took action at the World Trade Organisation against China's initiation of this investigation on dairy. As always, the Commission will take all necessary steps to defend the rights of European producers. The tariff announcement follows a Chinese commerce ministry investigation opened in August 2024. Beijing said it reviewed subsidies provided by EU countries for their dairy and other farm products. Chinese officials say the tariffs on daily imports will range from 21 to 42 percent. This comes after the EU investigated Chinese subsidies on electric vehicles and later imposed tariffs as high as 45 percent on China-made EVs. The EU maintains a $350 billion trade deficit with China. And as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, questions about national identity and civic education are coming into sharper focus. That includes renewed attention on the influence of communism in America. To discuss it, Matthew Spaulding joined NTD's Tiffany Meyer at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. He's the Dean of the Van Adel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College and the author of The Making of the American Mind. Take a look. During the Cold War, Americans were keenly aware of the threat of communism abroad. Do you think Americans today fully recognize the influence of cultural Marxism here? That's a keen worry. You're right in the sense that there was a great national move against communism because they saw the threat more imminent. I mean, the effect of Stalin and the circumstances of the Cold War, the Soviet Union. Today, it's less apparent. We've created this divide. So we have two problems. We have communism very strong in China. It's doing more communism, not less. And yet at home, we don't see that for what the threat it might be. And there's a growing sense of cultural Marxism that's kind of filled the void of a very bad educational system that is increasingly threatening. And then you have students that really don't see these ideas as problematic. We haven't tried them before somehow, so we're willing to try them again. So I do worry about that, which is why I think this 250th anniversary of America, which is this unique moment when the national mind is going to be focused on a series of historical events, is a great moment to rediscover that history, to relearn it. But also by doing so, that history will inevitably point you towards understanding truths that transcend ourselves, that are outside of ourselves, to tell us something about the human person and human dignity that goes directly against that cultural Marxism, against those bad arguments and bad ideas. And in relearning that and recapturing that, I think we want to encourage our young people to see the great story, the nobility of it, and hope that captures their minds in a way that helps us push back against those things. Expanding on that in the positive realm, at Hillsdale College, it's known for its commitment to traditional education and a civic formation. When you look at the broader American educational landscape today, though, what concerns you the most? Well, I mean, we're all familiar with the particulars of how things are taught now and how universities are organized and how bad things are. I would probably say the deeper thing I worry about is actually the deeper moral rot, which we see reflected in this kind of intellectual rejection of truth. Once that takes hold, that becomes a real serious problem, and it's no longer education. Now it's all merely ideology. That, however, I think is most countered by a rediscovery of those truths, which we see in this growing educational movement, in the rise of religion and interest in religion among young people that is really unfounded in recent decades. I think this anniversary of the Declaration will be a moment to rediscover that more. So I think as much as I see that moral rot in these bad educational systems almost everywhere you look, you see signs everywhere in families and in classical education and all around us and people wanting to know the truth about things. I think we see actually right there the seeds, if you will, of a deeper and more important recovery of what is most important, the sense that there is a moral truth, there is a truth worth pursuing, and that pursuit of that truth should define what we are and what we do with our lives. And that's really the root of Western civilization, the thing we wish to conserve. Paul, thank you for that positive note. And Matthew Spaulding, thank you so much for your time. Thank you. And that's all for China In Focus. I'm Paul Graney. If you have any feedback on the show, maybe you have something you'd 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. See you soon.