ExclusiveIran Rejects China’s Proposal: Insider Sources

Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story, Iran rejecting China's bid to mediate the war. Insider sources say it's a setback for Beijing's global ambitions. The FBI is sounding the alarm for Americans traveling to China. What are the concerns? Shen Yun facing yet another fake bomb threat. A performance in Toronto was cancelled Sunday. Organizers say it's part of a pattern of Chinese regime targeting meant to deter audiences from attending. And in New York City, Shen Yun wowed audiences. I think the show lit the fire in the audience to go and spread the word about being sovereign, connecting to your creator and staying positive no matter how negative your surroundings. You own that flame inside and you keep it lit. China is using the carrot and stick approach on Taiwan, threatening the self-governed democracy while luring its senior politician into Beijing's arms. Meanwhile, Washington urging the island to boost its defense capability. And the Chinese regime tightening restrictions on drones in Beijing. An expert breaks down how concerns over Xi Jinping's safety could be behind the regulation. Iran rejects Beijing's attempt to play the mediator role in the war. That's according to insiders suggesting that the conflict is undercutting the Chinese Communist Party's global ambitions. One of the insiders with access to China's diplomatic circles, speaking on condition of anonymity to the Epoch Times, said that the CCP planned to leverage its special relationship with Iran to secure its leadership over certain developing countries. Insiders say Iranian leaders also rejected China's request for a safe passage of Chinese cargo ships through the Strait of Hormuz. They say Iran could only guarantee the safety of some of the cargo bound for Iran. The block on ships passage is driving up prices in China and the ongoing war is taking a toll on China's economy, hitting its export sectors especially hard. Many shipping containers are reportedly sitting at ports unable to be shipped out. One insider says China and Russia aren't as united as it seems. They don't fully align on Iran. Both countries are using Iran as leverage with the U.S., treating it as a bargaining chip to ease pressure on themselves. He adds that Iran's main demand is now clear. It wants concrete military support, not just verbal backing. The FBI is out with a new warning for Americans traveling to China. They're highlighting the security risks tied to surveillance, legal exposure and digital privacy. The guidance comes in a video released Friday titled, Working in China, What You Need to Know. It's part of a broader FBI counterintelligence series aimed at raising public awareness. In the video, FBI officials and intelligence experts explain how China's security environment differs sharply from that of the U.S. They point to tighter state oversight and increased scrutiny of foreign visitors. That includes Americans traveling for business, research or academic work. There is Chinese Communist Party presence in almost all activities and some level of oversight. It is really a top-down system and so you should have an expectation that the Chinese security apparatus will have an optic into what you do and that they report back to the Chinese Communist Party. Officials say that level of state involvement is part of a broader shift under Chinese leader Xi Jinping with more emphasis on maintaining control. They warn that this environment can mean greater scrutiny for foreign companies and individuals operating in the country. And one of the biggest concerns raised in the briefing is digital security. I think that if you're going to go into China and that includes Hong Kong as far as we're concerned, then try not to take the electronics that you hold near and dear to your because as soon as you cross those borders, they will have all of the opportunity to get into those electronics. The FBI is emphasizing awareness, urging Americans to understand the risks, stay cautious and plan ahead before visiting China. They're also advising U.S. citizens who run into trouble while abroad to contact American counselor services immediately for assistance. Although the show will continue its performances in Toronto, the company experienced a setback on Sunday. Another bogus bomb threat resulted in the cancellation of a Shen Yun performing arts show in Toronto. Organizers say the threat follows a trend of the Chinese regime targeting the show to deter people from going to see it. Canadian Member of Parliament Roman Barber was there to derail the show. This is most atrocious, especially on the days when we're talking about Chinese interference in Canadian democracy interfering in the last election, Michael Ma crossing the floor, bullying a witness on behalf of the Chinese government. Potentially this is unacceptable downtown Toronto. Shen Yun performing arts was formed in 2006 by leading classical Chinese artists in New York. It showcases China's traditional culture before it was suppressed by decades of communist rule. Organizers say the performance has been a target of subversion efforts by the Chinese Communist Party for years. Most recently, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was among six world leaders who received bomb threats if Shen Yun was allowed to perform in their countries. Apart from showcasing traditional culture, Shen Yun also depicts stories inspired by the courage of the current persecution of Falun Gong in China. Falun Gong is a meditation and spiritual practice rooted in ancient Chinese spirituality that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. This is also one of the reasons why Shen Yun cannot perform in China and why the CCP is trying to stop the show around the world. The Chinese Communist Party began its brutal persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999. Since then, millions of people who practice Falun Gong in China have faced torture, death and forced organ harvesting. This is not the first time the Chinese regime is targeting Shen Yun through transnational repression. Here's Cynthia Sun, senior researcher of the Falun Dafa Association, explaining the situation. They're describing that they feel disappointed by the cancellation of the show as they've been waiting for years to see this and some have even told me that they want to watch another show next week in Toronto and they hope that a bomb threat won't affect the performance in the future. And in New York City, another Shen Yun Performing Arts group has just kicked off the second week of performances at Lincoln Center. All six shows last week played to packed houses. Theater goers here in the Big Apple were impressed by both the skill of the dancers and the beauty of the tradition shown on stage. NTD is a media sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts and has been covering audience reactions since 2006. Shen Yun's mission is to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture from before communism. The culture the Chinese Communist regime has been seeking to suppress since taking power in 1949. There is a Chinese culture outside of what the CCP has imposed. So you get to see that history, you get to see you know traditional dances, ethnic dances, you get to see what China was before the CCP took over. They threaten these performances because they don't want people to see that there is a message from China that's not under the control of the CCP and this to me is a crime against all of us, against all of humanity and so it's a it's a brave and amazing thing that this show continues. I love the spiritual part, how they mix very well, how traditions and going back to your own roots and the ability to use like meditation, all traditions was blended into the show with the beautiful design of the costumes. Based in New York, Shen Yun has been touring the world since 2006 with this year marking its 20th anniversary. Each year Shen Yun brings an all I think the show lit the fire in the audience to go and spread the word about being sovereign, connecting to your creator and staying positive no matter how negative your surroundings, you own that flame inside and you keep it lit. Shen Yun will be giving performances in New York City until April 12th. NTD News, New York. And over in Asia, Taiwan's future is once again in spotlight, with the US and its Asian allies deeply involved. Meanwhile, communist China is again using a carrot and stick approach, seeking to annex the island without firing a single shot. So how is that playing out? NTD's Flora Hua brings us the latest updates on Taiwan. A couple of major updates around Taiwan recently. First, in an effort to curb technology outflow, the Taiwanese government announced Monday that it is probing 11 Chinese firms over allegations of poaching Taiwanese high-tech talent without permission. Taiwan says these companies hid their Chinese ownership by using shell companies or unauthorized offices. Their businesses include electronics, semiconductors, and printed circuit boards manufacturing. Taipei noted that these Chinese operations intensified after Washington restricted exports of high-end chips to China. More than 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductors are produced in Taiwan. That's one reason why the island's security matters so much to Washington and its allies. And notably, that includes Japan. On Monday, China sanctioned Japanese lawmaker Kiji Furuya following his recent trip to Taiwan, where he met with the island's president. Beijing accused Furuya of siding with those who support Taiwan's independence. Furuya is also a close ally of Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Nae. Takaichi has suggested that Japan could send troops to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion or blockade. She argues that such a scenario would pose an existential threat to Japan. The Taiwan Strait is a key waterway and a vital shipping lifeline for Japan. Meanwhile, Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping invited Taiwan opposition leader Chen Liwen to visit, and Xi accepted. The visit is expected to take place ahead of President Trump's mid-May visit to China. Chen's pro-Beijing ties are drawing mixed reactions at home. Critics say her close ties to the CCP could undermine U.S. relations with Taiwan. And while Beijing is courting Taiwanese politicians, a bipartisan U.S. delegation arrived in Taiwan earlier Monday. It's signaling Washington's commitment to the island. U.S. senators also urged Taiwan's legislature to pass a $40 billion additional defense spending proposal. That seriousness is noticed in Washington, D.C., and your efforts on the special defense budget are also noticed and supported. We will keep you posted on updates surrounding Taiwan. Flora Hua, NTD News. Is the growing use of drones and warfare putting Beijing on edge? China is tightening restrictions on flying unmanned drones in Beijing. The country passed new regulations last Friday, stating that starting in May, people will need approval before flying any unmanned drone outdoors in Beijing. In addition, all drone owners in Beijing must register their real names with authorities in a month. They are also required to report where their drones are stored. The regime is limiting the number of drones stored within 12 miles of the center of Beijing. Why is Beijing making such a big deal about drones? A military expert told NTD that it might have to do with ensuring Chinese leader Xi Jinping's safety, given drones are now widely used in warfare. Military analyst Xu Zhiyun says Beijing is a sensitive area for the Chinese regime since it's where Xi Jinping works. It's also where many of the regime's key institutions are located. Unlike other countries, China's new drone regulation isn't just about ensuring safety near airports or waterways. It's to prevent drones from turning into a tool to attack regime leaders or against Chinese authorities. Meanwhile, drones have proven to be a useful tool in warfare. In March, Iranian drones attacked the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia, causing a limited fire. And last year, Ukraine used small drones to strike dozens of strategic bombers at Russian air bases. Another military expert told NTD that drones can also be used to gather intelligence or monitor sensitive areas. It's easier for drones to bypass traditional radar systems. They are small and can fly at low altitudes, so radar often mistakes them for birds. Coming up, China's deep-seek AI goes down for a notably long time. So just how stable is Beijing's leading AI platform? And tracking Chinese influence in America's push to secure critical minerals, does the Chinese company Ganfeng still hold a stake in Lithium Americas, a Canadian company developing lithium mines in Nevada? An expert explains after the break, here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Deep-seek's chatbot went dark overnight in China, staying down for more than seven hours. It forced the company to push multiple updates to fix the issue. Users first reported problems Sunday evening, according to its status page. The cause of the outage is still unclear, and deep-seek hasn't responded to requests for comment. The long downtime is unusual for one of China's leading AI platforms, which has spent the past year leading Beijing's tech push. The outage comes amid growing speculation that the company is preparing a major update. Its debut last January also triggered a surge of competing AI releases from Chinese tech giants like Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent. Shedding light on China's shadow in the U.S. push for critical mineral independence, Lithium Americas is a Canadian company developing one of the world's largest lithium mines in northern Nevada. As of 2022, its largest shareholder is a Chinese company called Ganfen. For the latest updates, we spoke to Rex Lee, Cybersecurity Advisor at MySmart Privacy, for his insight. Take a look. And speaking of warfare and also the evolution of tech, a big need of both is critical minerals or rare earth. I know we've talked about lithium Americas in the past. What's the update on that and what that tells us about the mining sector more broadly? Now, regarding lithium Americas, that was a story that if you remember, we did a couple of years ago and I had done a deep dive on lithium Americas because they were awarded the mining rights to Thacker Pass over Ford and Tesla. So Elon Musk and Ford were bidding to get the mining rights for the largest lithium deposits in America. And as you know, it went to Lithium Americas, which is a foreign company based out of Canada, which people are wondering, well, how did that happen through the Inflation Reduction Act or Green New Deal, as it's called? They got 2.8 billion dollars of U.S. taxpayers to mine minerals within the United States, rare earth minerals in the United States that are essential to cyber security and national security as well, because we want to control our own minerals. We want to control them over companies based out of China and or Chinese controlled mineral mining that we see all over the world, like cobalt mining in Africa and in South America through lithium mining in South America. Well, come to find out when I did my investigation on lithium Americas, because they sound like an American company, I found out not only are they a foreign company, but at the time, gang thing, lithium out of China was their largest investor. They did divest from the U.S. division that's mining lithium in the Thacker Pass, but not totally. They were the majority stakeholder in that and they became a minority stakeholder. But then all they did was reposition themselves in lithium Americas mining operations in South America and became the largest investor in lithium Americas overall. So money's fungible. It doesn't matter if you divest from a little division in America, but move the money elsewhere. You're still the largest investor in lithium Americas. And they have a board member from China on there as well, who's a Chinese national on the board of the company. So nothing's changed in the last two years other than GM has taken a stake in it just so we have one American company, but they have a minority stake, not a majority stake in the lithium operations in Thacker Pass. And given the foreign ties you just mentioned here, especially I think the national security concerns if it is tied to China, even if it is a minority stake, are there talks of new legislation that would provide more visibility or transparency in terms of these supply chain dynamics? Yeah, they need to. But as you know, with all these bills, they get passed at the 11th hour and all these provisions and pork are shoved into these bills at the last second. So come to find out. I didn't know this at the time. If you remember when I originally investigated this story, I was at Syra Week and I had an opportunity to ask questions to Senator Dan Sullivan from Alaska and Joe Manchin from West Virginia. So they acted completely off guard by my question and the information that I gave them about Gang Feng. And they had asked me literally to stay after the press conference. And I'm in the press pool with the New York Times and Bloomberg and everybody else because Syra Week is rated the number two conference for the most powerful people in the world. It's literally the Davos or economic forum for the energy and tech sectors. And so I stayed afterwards and Dan Sullivan said, we're going to investigate this. They asked me for my source. And so did Joe Manchin. He acted surprised that he didn't know this. Well, after Syra Week, I did a little bit more digging only to find out as Joe Manchin was leaving the Senate and he announced that he wasn't going to run again. He was the one who championed the deal through at the 11th hour over Ford and Tesla. So this goes back to another subject that we've covered over and over, and that is influence by way of law firms and lobbyists on K Street in New York that are representing Chinese who lobbied for Huawei, as well as former presidential advisor for Trump, David Urban, who lobbied for ByteDance as well. Well, you have former senators like Trent Lott and all these other former House of Representatives, senators and presidential advisors. They're all representing Chinese companies. It's not just ByteDance and it's not just Republicans or Democrats. It's both parties. It seems to be a slush fund. So they're in there representing all these companies like Tencent, Baidu, ByteDance, Alibaba and all of these other tech companies that have their apps and platforms developed in Android, iOS and Windows and distributed by Google, Apple and Microsoft. Again, this ties back to civil military fusion programs and threats from China. So you can see through these lobbying efforts that it's not just in the tech industry, but we're seeing this in the energy sector as well via how it may have been indirectly, not directly through China, but how through Canadian companies, they're gaining access to our senators and our House of Representatives to lobby on their behalf over American companies. It just so happened that Lithium Americas has ties to China through investment and their board. Concerning indeed. Rexley, as always, though, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me on. 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 ChinaInFocus at NTD.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.