Taiwan Fires Rockets Into Waters Facing China | China In Focus

Welcome to China In Focus, I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story, Taiwan using American-supplied HIMARS launchers to fire more than 30 rockets into waters facing China. What's driving the drill designed to simulate a Chinese invasion? Or, secondary Pete Hegseth visiting Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. What Hegseth says about communist Cuba potentially attacking the U.S. homeland. A missing phrase in a China-North Korea statement is getting attention. Experts say Xi Jinping's quiet shift on Kim Jong-un nukes is a calculated move to distract Washington. Palau, a key Pacific ally, is strengthening security ties with the U.S. and Japan. Why this small island nation is becoming increasingly important in the Pacific. And Microsoft slashing its workforce in China following in the footsteps of two other U.S. tech giants, Dell and IBM, which also cut back in China last year. Taiwan conducting a live fire drill on Wednesday to simulate attacks against potential Chinese invasion. This follows days of harassment from Chinese ships. For the first time, Taiwan's military used American-supplied HIMARS launchers to fire more than 30 rockets into waters facing China. HIMARS is a type of long-range precision fire launcher. The drill site was on Taiwan's west coast, an area seen as a possible landing point in the event of an invasion. In the past, Taiwan has only held live fire drills off its southeastern coast, the side farthest from China. This year, for the first time, we received orders to rapidly mobilize to the launch site and conduct live fire training from the north and south banks of Dajiao River. The Taiwanese military says the drill is meant to showcase the capabilities of the U.S.-supplied HIMARS system. HIMARS are truck-mounted rocket and missile launchers designed for precision strikes. The system allows forces to hit targets accurately and then quickly relocate to avoid counterattacks. Taiwan's message to Beijing appears calculated. During the live fire drill, Taiwan launched rockets within a limited range, about six miles off its coast. But the island also has missiles capable of striking targets on mainland China. The Trump administration previously approved the sale of more than 80 HIMARS systems to Taiwan, along with about 400 missiles that can reach China's southeastern coast. The drill also comes as President Trump signals openness to speaking with Taiwan's president, Lai Chi-de, while weighing a possible $14 billion arms sale to the island. Military officials involved in the drill said it was designed to simulate real combat conditions as closely as possible. This time, soldiers were given just one day to prepare for the live-fire exercise, compared to a full week in previous drills. Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office called Taiwan's drill a bluff meant to bolster confidence. The drill comes after a series of Chinese naval deployments near Taiwan this month. Just on Sunday, five Chinese ships claimed jurisdiction over waters near the island. They questioned three commercial vessels about their origin and destination. The Chinese ships have since been expelled. And prior to that, Beijing also sent four vessels east of Taiwan, calling it a special operation. Chinese and Taiwanese Coast Guard ships have also faced off near Pratis Island, a Taiwan-controlled island in the South China Sea. For a second repeat, Hexeth visiting Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on Wednesday. That says tensions between the Trump administration and Cuba's communist leaders are increasing. Hexeth spoke about Cuba potentially attacking the U.S. homeland. NTD's international correspondent Ariane Posidar tells the story. What happens with the future of Cuba is in the hands of our, of the president of the United States and the leadership of Cuba. No matter what, the Department of War is going to be prepared. Secretary of War Pete Hexeth on Wednesday, visiting Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Hexeth joined the Marines stationed there in a morning workout. No better way to start a morning than with PT. How about that? The secretary says Guantanamo Bay is a crucial part of U.S. territory, recounting how he was stationed there 20 years ago as a soldier. That American might, whether it's 9,000 miles away or 90 miles away from our shores, he's the greatest in the world and prepared to go on offense or defense at any moment to defend our interests. His trip comes as the U.S. continues an oil blockade against communist Cuba and following President Trump's warning to oust its leaders. Cuban Americans, many of whom live in Florida, mostly support the president as they have long pushed for U.S. intervention in Cuba. It would be unwise for the government of Cuba to try to procure or get access to the types of weapons that could reach this base or the American homeland. They would be inviting the kind of confrontation not only do they not want, but they could not stand. No country on earth can match the capabilities of the United States of America. About three weeks ago, the U.S. formally charged former Cuban President Raul Castro for four counts of murder, and American warships are currently operating in the Caribbean Sea. Ariane Pastor, NTD News. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has wrapped up his high-profile visit to North Korea. The joint statement released by Beijing and Pyongyang completely omitted the word denuclearization. When pressed by reporters, China's foreign ministry spokesperson said Beijing's policy on the Korean peninsula remains consistent and stable. The omission stands in contrast to his last visit to Pyongyang back in 2019. At that time, Xi said Beijing was willing to play a constructive role in achieving a denuclearized Korean peninsula. So why the change? Analysts see two possibilities. One view is that Beijing is now implicitly accepting North The other interpretation suggests China has changed its playbook, prioritizing stability first and worrying about nukes later. The silence stands in contrast to recent diplomacy. Last month, following the summit between President Trump and Xi in Beijing, the White House claimed both leaders reaffirmed their shared goal of a denuclearized North Korea. However, Beijing's official readout only noted that the two sides consulted on the issue. While in Pyongyang, Xi and Kim Jong-un paid a highly symbolic visit to the Friendship Tower, honoring Chinese soldiers who fought against U.S.-led forces in the Korean War. State media reports both leaders agreed to carry forward that anti-U.S. spirit. Some Taiwanese experts argue that while the trip appeared to focus on developments on the Korean peninsula, it also carries broader strategic significance. They say Beijing may be seeking additional leverage in the U.S.-China competition across the Indo-Pacific. If the U.S. increases pressure on China over Taiwan or trade, Beijing could potentially use North Korea's actions to divert Washington's attention and resources. Turning now to a major move to counter global economic uncertainty, meaning for their first summit in three years, the European Union and South Korea have signed a sweeping new digital trade pact. The two leaders are also locking arms on defense, agreeing to share classified security data and passenger manifests. It comes at a critical time as both sides seek to protect themselves from an increasingly fractured geopolitical landscape. That landscape is being shaped by rising U.S. tariffs, Chinese export curbs and ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. In today's uncertain world, stable and trusted partnerships like ours are more precious than ever. So today we have taken ambitious steps to advance our relationship even further. During our discussions today, I requested for the EU's continued support and constructive role in resolving the North Korea's nuclear issue and establishing peace on the Korean peninsula. And we agreed that our two sides will work together in cooperation. Chinese nationals convicted in naval spying case. A South Korean court has sentenced two Chinese nationals on Wednesday for illegally filming a naval base in Busan using drones and mobile phones. The court sentenced one man to 18 months in prison and the other to a suspended sentence. Both defendants were students in South Korea. They were caught filming the facility on nine separate occasions between 2023 and 2024. One of them was convicted of benefiting the enemy, referring to China. Judges rejected their claims of academic interest and said the case reflects a growing number of prosecutions over four nationals filming military sites. The island nation of Palau is calling for stronger security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan. It comes as China expands its military and maritime presence across the Pacific. Palau's president, Bruce Jr., says the country is working more closely with Washington and Tokyo on security and economic development. He also welcomed a new U.S. military radar system under construction in Palau. The radar is designed to detect aircraft and missiles and will become part of the U.S. surveillance network in the Pacific. One site is already complete with deployment expected next year. The project is significant because Palau sits along the second island chain, a strategic Pacific region seen as critical to U.S. defense and deterrence efforts. Speaking in Tokyo on Tuesday, President Whips criticized growing Chinese pressure in the region and reaffirmed support for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Palau has no military of its own and relies on the U.S. for defense, making it a key security partner in the region. Meanwhile, Palau also pushed back against Chinese pressure to cut ties with Taiwan. It's one of just 12 countries that officially recognizes Taiwan and has maintained diplomatic relations since 1999. President Whips says Beijing has offered economic incentives to switch recognition, but states the decision belongs to Palau alone. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited China alongside President Trump weeks ago, but actually he shouldn't be there since he's banned from entering China. Don Ma with NTD Insight explores Rubio's one-character ticket to Beijing. Take a look. Here's Marco Rubio. This is inside China. And here he is shaking hands with Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping. It looks like a normal diplomatic exchange. So why does this matter? He shouldn't be there. Rubio is banned from entering China. I'm Don Ma and this is NTD Insight. Let's go back to 2020. Marco Rubio was serving as a senator for Florida. At that time, China sanctioned him. Twice. The first time was because he criticized China's human rights abuses. And the second time was over his support over Hong Kong's autonomy. China imposed two major sanctions. They froze his assets in China, except as far as we know, Rubio doesn't have any there. And second, importantly, a travel ban. So Beijing was making one thing very clear. Rubio was not welcome. And yet, here he is in Beijing. He accompanied President Donald Trump on his visit to China. So the travel ban was lifted, right? End of story. Well, no. Because the Chinese Communist Party has a rule. It can never be wrong. Letting Rubio in would mean they made a wrong choice. So Beijing had three options. One, lift the sanctions. Risk looking like they back down. Two, enforce the ban. Then turn a high-stakes state visit into a diplomatic fight. Or three, bind a loophole. And for that, we need a quick Mandarin lesson. For years, mainland China wrote Rubio's name like this, pronounced as Lu Biao. But shortly before he took office as Secretary of State, Chinese officials and state media quietly changed it to this, pronounced as Lu Biao. To most Western ears, there's basically no difference. Ah, but to the Chinese, totally different characters. And just for fun, let's look at the meaning of Lu. It can show up in words like 粗鲁, rude, or 鲁莽, reckless. But there's also Lu Xun, a famous although arguably low-quality writer in modern China. And 火弩鲁鲁, or fire slave rude rude. Just kidding, it's actually Honolulu as in Hawaii. So it could be a dig at Rubio's character. More likely, it's just class CCP smoke and mirrors. I want to congratulate Secretary Rubio on breaking through the Great Firewall. And making the CCP blink. That kind of access isn't given freely. It goes to those with the wisdom to see the CCP for the paper tiger it is, and the courage to act on it. That was Terry Wu, host of China Watch, the place for China experts. Hear more from her on Epoch Time Podcasts. So back to China. The CCP never officially waived or lifted the sanctions on Rubio. It's just that the name on the band list now doesn't quite match the visitor. And that's how Marco Rubio became the first sitting U.S. Secretary of State under active CCP sanctions to set foot in the Chinese capital. An English analogy would be instead of Marco Rubio, he is now listed as Marco Lubio. Coming up, Microsoft slashing its workforce in China following the footsteps of two other U.S. tech giants, Dell and IBM, which also cut back in China last year. And one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, more than a third of people in this line of work have been sentenced to prison. They are the heads and deputy heads of an office established today, June 10th, 27 years ago in China for the persecution of Falun Gong. More on that after the break here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer, Microsoft cutting workforce in China. The South China Morning Post, one of Hong Kong's leading newspapers, reported that Microsoft plans to lay off between 200 to 400 employees. The paper cited a couple of employees who learned about the layoffs early on. Microsoft didn't provide the reason, but geopolitical factors are believed to play a role. The layoffs are happening as both the U.S. and China have strengthened data security since last year by restricting the transfer of data between the two countries. Last year, Microsoft laid off hundreds of employees in China and shut down its AI research lab in Shanghai. Microsoft is not the only major American tech company cutting back in China. After several rounds of layoffs, Dell, a U.S. computer giant, reportedly cut more than half of its workforce in China last year. And tech giant IBM withdrew its business completely from China last year. This might be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. More than a third of people in this line of work have been sentenced to prison, with the most severe penalty being a suspended death sentence. They are the heads and deputy heads of an office established today, June 10th, 27 years ago in China. The so-called 610 Bureau, an agency with authority above all government departments and even the legal system, yet it operates without any legal mandate. It was specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, a spiritual meditation practice. It was later expanded to persecute other religious groups deemed unacceptable by the Chinese Communist Party. On the 27th anniversary of this enforcement agency, we examine its record and why it offers a revealing window into the broader reality of communist China. The latest case involves Gao Yichen, a former deputy director of the 610 office. He was indicted in January on corruption charges involving an exceptionally large sum of money. Prosecutors did not disclose the amount, but the case underscores a reality. The persecution of Falun Gong was linked to money, big money. According to Freedom House, the estimated annual budget for all 610 office branches across China was $135 million. However, it's a small amount compared to two lucrative businesses involved in the persecution of Falun Products of Chinese forced labor can be found in many countries without being identified as such. Forced organ harvesting is a billion-dollar-a-year industry. Falun Gong practitioners are believed to be a major source of organs. The 610 office coordinates the persecution of Falun Gong. This communist party-based office is also a typical example of how the willpower of the totalitarian party is enforced on the state and its people. Witnesses from China said that Chinese judges, police officers, and prosecutors frequently cited the 610 office as the authority directing their actions. The new documentary, Unbroken, the untold story of Shen Yun was screened in Dallas, Texas over the weekend. NTD's Jason Perry was on the scene and got some reactions from audience members. Take a look. I'm here in Dallas, Texas for the screening of Unbroken, the untold story of Shen Yun. It shows the pressure and threats faced by the New York-based performing arts company. Right after the film was over, the two Shen Yun dancers and their father, all who appear in the documentary, held a panel discussion and answered questions from the audience. And afterward, some of the audience members shared their thoughts on the film. Well, the discipline that the two boys had, the two dancers, it's amazing what they were able to do. The love that the gentleman showed for his two children, he went to the ends of the earth, not only to protect his kids, but also to protect the future children that will come behind him. Look, the movie is inspirational and it's very revealing. It shows to the bottom, the bottom line, it shows why the Communist Party, China Communist Party is scared of Shen Yun. I'm familiar with Shen Yun, but I have not seen the musical, which I will, but I had no idea that there was so much controversy around it. And I completely understand why they did the documentary, just to get the truth out there. The Communist Party of China and their activities in this United States, using our own institutions against us, and the average American has no clue. We think that the Chinese Communist Party is just their little preferred choice of government when it is not. It's a totalitarian regime, and we definitely need to be aware of that. We're seeing a lot of that, the similarities and the persecution of people of their beliefs, being stripped away of their liberties. We see it not just in foreign countries, we see it happening here in the United States. So inspiring, heartbreaking at the same time, and inspirational to see that they did not allow that China regime to bring them down. Because it takes a lot. I mean, not only their physical ability, but their mental, knowing that where they were performing could have been, as you know, put at risk. The NTD documentary, Unbroken, The Untold Story of Shen Yu, is available to watch for free at NTD.com. Jason Perry, NTD News. That's all for today's China In Focus. 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 chinainfocusandtd.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.