U.S. To Lift Sanctions on China-bound Oil to Ease Costs | China in Focus

Welcome to China in Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story, Washington mulling a move that may free several hundred million barrels of oil. But the Treasury Secretary says about the possibility of lifting sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil back for China. In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water. It's about 140 million barrels. President Trump hosting Japan's Prime Minister at the White House, We have the key takeaways. U.S. intelligence is shifting its outlook on China and Taiwan, saying a 2027 invasion isn't expected. But warning the broader threat from Beijing is still growing. And senior Trump administration officials say Taiwan remains a top priority in arms sales, pushing back on concerns the Iran military operation has shifted focus. Washington is considering a new bold method to lower oil prices. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant announced Thursday that the U.S. may lift some sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil. The move will specifically target cheap shipments currently bound for China. Here's Besant speaking on Fox News. In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water. It's about 140 million barrels. So depending on how you count it, that's 10 days to two weeks of supply that the Iranians had been pushing out. That would have all gone to China. In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down for the next 10 or 14 days. And at Treasury, we unsanction Russian oil. We knew that there were about 130 million barrels on the water, and we created supply that is beyond the Straits of Hormuz. Besant says the move aims to balance global supply after the bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz, while calling out Beijing for fueling global terror by funding Iran. Iran is the head of the snake for global terrorism. They are the leading state sponsor of terrorism. And the Chinese have been buying 90, 95 percent of the Iranian oil. So they were funding the leading sponsor of global terrorism. They were getting a discount by buying that oil. The Treasury Secretary slammed China, saying it has once again shown its true colors amid global oil tensions. We have the Chinese who have once again proven themselves to be unreliable suppliers. This is why the U.S., you know, we are determined. We don't want to decouple via trade, but we do need a strategic decoupling. And what the Chinese have stopped exporting during the Iran conflict here is they've cut off all refined product exports to the rest of the world. President Trump hosting Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takeichi at the White House Thursday. It's the Japanese prime minister's first trip to the U.S. since taking office in October. Looming in the background, whether Japan would safeguard the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz and Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific. NTD's Iris Tao has the details. The president in his meeting today is praising Japan for what he calls is tremendous support, for quote, stepping up to the plate on Iran. It comes as Japan is joining five other nations, including for example, Germany, Italy, France, UK and the Netherlands to issue a joint statement today saying that they are ready now to support what they call appropriate efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Of course, it marks a shift in stances after these nations first showed reluctance upon being called by President Trump to join efforts to help secure the key waterway. And here's the president talking about that today. We're defending the Strait for everybody else. And then in the case of NATO, they don't want to help us defend the Strait and they're the ones that need it. But now they're getting much nicer because they're seeing my attitude. They're getting much nicer. But it's as far as I'm concerned, it's too late. As oil prices surge, President Trump also deterring attacks against energy facilities across the Middle East. Iran is right now retaliating against Israel after Israel struck one of Iran's major gas fields. And President Trump today while saying that Israel will stop launching attacks against Iran's gas fields. He's also warning Iran that if it continues to hit neighboring countries, especially if it again hits Qatar, the U.S. will, quote, blow up the entirety of Iran's gas field. Meanwhile, the president also reassuring Americans that gas prices will come down soon and that he does not plan to send U.S. troops on the ground. Watch. I thought there was a chance it could be much worse. It's not bad and it's going to be over with pretty soon. No, I'm not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you. But I'm not putting troops and we will do whatever is necessary to keep the price. Takaichi says Japan has been consistently open to dialogue with China and she hopes the U.S.-China relationship will support regional security and global supply chains. President Trump says he expects a great trip to China and that he'll be speaking in support of Japan when he meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. New U.S. intelligence is reshaping how officials see tensions between China and Taiwan. It eases concerns about an invasion as soon as next year, but warns the broader threat from Beijing is still growing. Officials say China wants to take Taiwan without using force even as it continues expanding its military. According to the latest annual threat assessment released Wednesday, China is not planning to invade Taiwan by 2027 and does not have a fixed timeline. That's a reassessment from earlier warnings that pushed the U.S. and Taiwan to ramp up military preparations. However, the report makes clear the threat hasn't gone away. China is still developing the capability to take Taiwan if ordered, but officials warn a full-scale invasion would be risky, especially if the U.S. gets involved. The Chinese regime considers Taiwan part of its territory and has set a goal taking control of the island nation by 2049. That's despite never having ruled it. Taiwanese officials say they are not easing up, warning the threat remains constant even if China delays its timeline. The military operation against Iran won't delay U.S. arms sales to Taiwan or change policy toward the island. That's what senior Trump administration officials told Congress on Tuesday. Here's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Stanley Brown. I would say that in regards to Taiwan, in the last 90 days we have moved $11.1 billion to Taiwan. So in regards to overall have we delayed moving things to Taiwan, we haven't. Michael Miller, Director at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, reiterated the Trump administration's priorities for deciding which countries get U.S. arms sales first. Division of Security Cooperation to assist Taiwan is our top priority. The hearing comes as lawmakers and officials raise concerns whether the Iran strikes may have pulled weapons from the arms package prepared for Taiwan. Senior officials overseeing U.S. arms sales responded, saying the Brown added that the administration is working to expedite shipments of an approved multi-billion dollar arms package to the island. Last week, Reuters reported that another major arms sales to Taiwan could be signed by President Trump following his trip to China. That was before the Trump-Xi summit was pushed back to the end of April. The sale is expected to break records at a $14 billion price tag and includes advanced interceptor missiles. These officials unanimously agree the administration's policy on Taiwan has not changed. The U.S. is bound by law to provide the island with weapons to defend itself from the Chinese military, and Washington does not have to consult Beijing on those sales. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have been missile delivery systems with nuclear payloads that can strike the continental U.S. That's what top U.S. intelligence officials told lawmakers at a hearing earlier this week. NTD's Chris Bach reports. The intelligence community assesses that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced or traditional missile delivery systems that put our homeland within range. It's meant to be capable of penetrating or bypassing U.S. missile defenses. China is the most capable competitor in the field of artificial intelligence. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard opening the annual threat assessment in the Senate warning of growing capabilities of U.S. adversaries. China and Iran front and center. CIA Director John Ratcliffe pointing to his agency's expanded intelligence collection, especially on China. Our foreign intelligence collection up by 25 percent overall and in important categories like China, for instance, up 100 percent. With regard to counterterrorism, those are classified numbers, but they're off the charts good. Senate Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton also raising concerns about Iran's missile capabilities. I've heard some analysts say that Iran could have had an intercontinental missile to threaten the United States in as few as six months. Would you agree? You're right to be concerned about Iran's development of longer-range ballistic missiles. We know that Iran is gaining experience through its so-called Space Launch Vehicle Program. Unimpeded? Yes, Senator. They would have the ability to range missiles to the continental U.S. Questions also turning to possible collaboration between U.S. adversaries. Russian intelligence sharing with Iran in the current conflict. What do we know? If there is that sharing going on, that would be an answer that would be appropriate for a closed session. Is it occurring? If it is occurring, that would be an answer appropriate for a closed session. Okay, that's sort of the first cousin of a yes. Chairman Cotton suggesting the FBI should investigate unlawful disclosure of classified information. Media is not a classification authority, and that kind of story, whether true or not, might be better suited for the FBI to investigate. It sounds like something Russia and China would do. Communist Russia used to do it during the Cold War, and Communist China has always done stuff like that. Senator Mike Rounds raising concerns about Iran building up offensive capabilities during negotiations. Were they building additional ballistic missiles? Yes. Were they continuing to develop them? Continuing to develop them, and at rates that were alarming. Were they building their offensive capabilities while they were negotiating with us at a faster rate than we could build defensive capabilities? Yes. Were they continuing to deliver additional resources to terrorist organizations in the region? Yes. The hearing moving into a closed session where senators say the most sensitive intelligence on Iran, China, Russia, and other threats will be discussed. Reporting from Washington D.C., Chris Bobb, NTD News. China is conducting explosive nuclear testing and is trying to hide it. That's according to the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration. His officials say China may be secretly conducting explosive tests despite long-standing global agreements meant to ban them. Administrator Brandon Williams told Axios at a Govini conference the suspected tests could reach yields in the hundreds of tons. It's raising concerns about whether China is following international agreements. Those tests would violate the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, a pact signed by nearly 200 countries that bans explosive nuclear testing. Even though China signed the agreement, it was never fully approved. In October, President Trump called for the U.S. to resume testing, setting concerns about foreign adversaries and saying America should remain on equal footing. The White House said on Wednesday that China had agreed to postpone President Trump's visit. Here's White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt. Give us an update on what you're hearing from the Chinese about when this trip might be rescheduled. We're working with them. They have agreed to postpone the trip. I think they understand the president's rationale for doing so. But again, we're working on those dates. The president has some things here at home in May that he has to attend to. And I'm sure President Xi is a very busy man as well. So we'll get the dates on the books as soon as we can, and we'll keep all of you posted. Leavitt said the White House was working to secure a new date for the visit as soon as possible. America's medicine supply chain is at risk. Roughly 90 percent of drugs that Americans use daily run through Chinese-controlled inputs. Lawmakers exploring the issue in a public hearing Wednesday. NTD's Melina Weisskopf has the takeaways. It's in the last five years, China went from zero to 48 percent of large global pharmaceutical licensing deals. Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP emphasized that for most of American history, medicines were made in our country or were made somewhere we trusted. But that's no longer true, and it's a problem many Americans are unaware of. Witnesses emphasized today that this didn't happen naturally through market forces. It was an intentional design by the Chinese Communist Party. They don't look at it as a business enterprise. I believe they look at it as a strategic asset that they can use to leverage against us. So the cost of production is irrelevant to them. They're going to drive, they'll work to drive anybody out of business if they have to. Patrick Cashman is the last remaining U.S.-based manufacturer of amoxicillin, the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. Through decades of Chinese state subsidies and low environmental standards, the CCP drove Western competitors out of the market. The goal? To put Western countries in a bind. In a conflict scenario or even a targeted export restriction, Americans are going to die because of this. I want this committee to understand this hearing is not about the supply chain vulnerabilities we've already accepted. As serious as those are, it's about where China is going next. The question at the front and center, how can the U.S. increase access to crucial medicines and protect Americans from the CCP leveraging public health in its unrestricted warfare against the U.S.? Whether the top targeted actions we should take right now to reduce our dependence on China for essential medicine, essential medicines that patients rely on every day. Full onshoring of those medicines, including figuring out ways to make the key starting materials here, either chemically or using synthetic biology is the way to do this. The witnesses emphasize that the keys to moving toward a loosening China's grip on our medicine supply involve investment in domestic manufacturers and working with allies. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weiskopf, NTD News. Coming up, how much influence does pro-Beijing and pro-North Korea factions have inside South Korea? An expert breaks it down. More on that after the break here on China In Focus. Young generation start to realize the dangerous situation of South Korea. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. We now turn to the Chinese Communist Party's expanding influence inside South Korea. How much influence does pro-communist China and North Korea factions have on the country's politics? David Kim, president of Truth Forum, breaks down the tension and divide inside South Korea over China. Take a look. I want to dig into that because often in the U.S., we see South Korea as a democracy, an ally, of course. But inside South Korea, there are a lot of factions or they have a loud voice that are pro-communist China, even pro-North Korea. How much influence do those factions have inside South Korea? I'm kind of very sad to say this, but the current ruling party and Lee Jae-myung, the current president, are very pro-North and pro-China. So, their influence at the moment in South Korea is immense because they are in power. I'm not exaggerating. The current ruling party and Lee Jae-myung have shown a lot of pro-China orientation in many different cases. For example, in Korea, under criminal law, we have espionage law. But the current regulation is only possible toward the enemy state, which means North Korea. So, the conservative party tried to revise and expand the application toward foreign countries targeting China. But the current ruling party rejected the revision and Lee Jae-myung as well. In another case, after Lee got in power and Lee Jae-myung got elected, many people started to realize the danger of the election integrity and China's influence in South Korea. So, people started to speak up. Young generations started to realize the dangerous situation of South Korea. So, they protested in front of the Chinese embassy in South Korea, but the government banned it, which means a lot, I think. This is the current situation of South Korea. They even tried to classify anti-China expression as hate speech by law. This is the situation of Korea, what is happening in Korea. I want to dig into that very quickly. So, if you protest against the Chinese Communist Party that's labeled as hate speech, what if you protest against the South Korean government, for example, is that labeled the same? The law is not yet passed, but there is movement to regulate it by law. And those kind of control is expanding. They try to expand those kind of control by law. For example, they try to control people's expression against the government, mainly currently raised by churches. Because churches are speaking up, leading this kind of protest. The government tries to control the churches and their political expressions. They claim to separate the state and church principle, but actually it's wrong application. I want to get into solutions in a little bit, but very quickly on the U.S. side, of course, South Korea is a very important ally in the region, and we're seeing growing Chinese aggression in that area, of course, economically as well. It's an important partner. With these pro-China factions, are you seeing or having a sense inside South Korea that that type of sentiment is undermining support for U.S.-South Korea alliances, especially the military presence, for instance, of U.S. troops there? One positive thing is that the general public in South Korea is aware of the danger of China's silent invasion. So, the recent poll shows that 80 to 90 percent of South Korean people is worried about China's expanding influence in South Korea. But the problem is politics. Inside politics, not many voices are coming out. Considering growing concern from inside public, in politics, no politician is active in dealing with China's challenge. So, that shows, in a sense, the dangerous situation of South Korea. You mentioned earlier that the churches have been trying to speak out, and at least it seems that most of the population understands the China threat, especially China's influence operations inside South Korea. Of course, there's the work of Truth Forum. Are there other efforts being done to counter the Chinese influence operations in South Korea? In all those kinds of protests against communism, Marxism, and socialistic policies, Korean churches have been the core of this protest. So, Lee Jae-myung and Moon Jae-in, which is a former leftist ruling party in Korea, arrested several pastors who protest against the policies. So, I'd like to mention to you that the majority of South Korean people is strongly supporting the ROK-US alliance, which is the foundation of our economy and defense. I truly appreciate that America has spread these basic principles of freedom and truth. South Korea is established after the example of the United States. So, I believe Korea can be this much prosperous. But, I'd like to mention that we, Korea, are getting through the same challenges as you take in the United States. Postmodernism and Marxism have spread a lot inside the society and universities. Those kinds of ideas are covered as democracy or DEI policies, whatever, but actually spreading those kinds of leftist agenda. This has been a very fascinating conversation. David Kim, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you very much. That's all for today's China In Focus. Tiffany Meyer, if you have any feedback on the show or how something you'd like to see us cover, send us an email at ChinaInFocusNTD.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.