ExclusiveChina Builds US Destroyer Replica at Missile Test Site; US Breaks China Mineral Monopolies

Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story. Satellite images reveal a mock-up of a U.S. destroyer in a Chinese missile testing site on what the replica could be used for. China's most advanced aircraft carriers sail through one of the region's most sensitive waterways, the Taiwan Strait. Meanwhile, the island is speeding up preparations for a potential war. For the first time in almost two decades, Washington is allowing Iran to get paid in dollars for its oil sales. The temporary relief comes as Tehran allows nuclear inspectors to return. The pushback against Beijing's reach on U.S. soil. Two senators are voicing concerns over Chinese nationals having access to American national labs. And we take a look at the rare earth race with China and how an African country could be the game changer. Satellite images reveal a mock-up of a U.S. destroyer in China's western Xinjiang region. The replica sits at a missile testing site. Analysts told Bloomberg China may be using it to test anti-ship weapons. The replica has been there since June and resembles a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer. The U.S. 7th Fleet, which patrols the western Pacific and waters near Taiwan, operates these warships. The Department of War declined to comment. China has built several mock-ups of U.S. Navy warships in recent years. In 2021, China built missile targets in a remote desert shaped like a U.S. aircraft carrier and two U.S. destroyers. Meanwhile, the U.S. also uses replicas of Chinese service-to-air missile systems to train the U.S. Air Force. China has also built replicas of Taiwan government buildings at military bases. At its largest base in Inner Mongolia, China has a mock-up of Taiwan's presidential office. In 2015, Beijing released footage showing Chinese soldiers attacking a similar structure during a drill. China's most advanced aircraft carrier sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, according to Taiwan's defense ministry. But there is a catch with the carrier's name, Fujian. That's the name of the Chinese province directly across the Taiwan Strait from Taiwan. In the event of an invasion, Chinese forces would likely launch operations from there. The Taiwan Strait is the body of water separating China and Taiwan. At its most narrow point, it is only about 80 miles wide. While it is considered international waters, sailing through the strait is often viewed as a provocation. Western countries, including the U.S., Germany and France, also sail through the strait in response to Beijing's growing aggression in the region. Almost every day, Beijing sends military ships and aircraft around the island, putting pressure on Taiwan's democratically elected government. Taiwan's military must be able to react immediately if war breaks out, as the warning time before a potential Chinese attack continues to shrink, Taiwan's defense minister said Wednesday. Taiwan is currently conducting five days of immediate combat readiness drills, based in part on a scenario in which China turns a routine military exercise around the island into a real attack. The drills reflect growing concerns that Beijing could launch military action with little or no advance warning. Britain, France and Germany are raising concerns over recent Chinese Coast Guard operations in waters off Taiwan's east coast. They warn the activities could undermine regional stability and freedom of navigation. Earlier this month, China dispatched Coast Guard vessels to the area for what it described as a Beijing, saying the move was a response to Japan and the Philippines announcing formal talks on their maritime boundaries. Taiwan rejects China's claims of authority in the area, saying Beijing has no jurisdiction over waters off Taiwan's east coast. Chinese officials said Coast Guard crews inspected 198 passing vessels and rectified violations involving three ships. Taiwan, however, says three merchant vessels transiting the area were harassed by Chinese Coast Guard ships. For the first time in almost two decades, the U.S. is allowing Iran to get paid in dollars for its oil sales. The Treasury Department issued a 60-day license allowing Iran to sell its oil. The move comes as Vice President J.D. Vance says Tehran agreed to let nuclear inspectors return as soon as this week. For years, U.S. sanctions on Iran have forced it to rely on a shadow fleet to sell its crude oil, with much of it going to China. And because the U.S. dollar dominates the global banking system, being cut off makes it far more difficult and expensive for Iran to collect payments. The temporary relief would make it easier for Iran to bring in revenue and reach new buyers other than China. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson said Venezuela will also begin invoicing its oil sales in dollars. He said that under Nicolas Maduro, the country sold discounted oil to China without receiving dollars. Besson also predicted Russia could do the same after the Russia-Ukraine war ends. The Iran war has been unfolding on and off for months. What does it mean for Iran's ally Beijing? We spoke with Anders Kor, publisher of the Journal of Political Risk, to get his perspective. I want to go to one of your recent op-eds where you described the Iran war as, quote, a war that cut both ways for Beijing. On one hand, it could create opportunities for China to increase pressure around Taiwan and in the South China Sea. On the other hand, the war also forced China to reduce its oil imports, given that roughly 80 to 90 percent of Iran's oil was going to China prior to the conflict, of course. In your view, should the U.S. use that leverage over the Chinese regime, the oil part, on top of the other economic pressures? I think so. The blockade of Iran's ports and oil exports, I think, was an excellent leverage point against Beijing. They seem to have ignored it in terms of their expanding in ways that they haven't done before in the South China Sea. For example, they've got a new floating quote, scientific station at Scarborough Shoal, which I visited years ago. They've also ringed Taiwan with destroyers, whereas they used to have just one destroyer up and down the Taiwan Strait. Now they've got about six that are permanently stationed all around Taiwan. They are definitely using the situation to their advantage. We're distracted by the Middle East war and the Iran situation, and Beijing is taking advantage of it. It's possible, I think, that we could use the blockade of Iran's ports to better leverage against China and get them to roll back some of the latest expansionism that they've been up to. A pushback against Beijing's long arm on American soil. Two U.S. senators are raising concerns about Chinese nationals accessing American national labs. Senators Tom Cotton and Mike Lee warning it could expose sensitive American research to Beijing. The lawmakers say Department of Energy data shows Chinese nationals made roughly 1,900 short-term visits and held about 1,300 long-term research assignments at the labs in fiscal year 2025. The senators also noting Chinese nationals physically and remotely access national laboratory user facilities more than 5,000 times during that period. Cotton and Lee say China is seeking an advantage in emerging technologies through the theft of American intellectual property and research. The senators say the level of access presents security concerns at some of the nation's most sensitive scientific facilities. They are asking Energy Secretary Chris Wright to explain what steps the department is taking to protect critical technologies and reduce potential security risks. The Trump administration has just scored a massive victory against Beijing. For decades, China has controlled the rare earth minerals which are needed for smartphones, electric vehicles and defense tech. But a new deal in Africa is changing the game. An American mining company is making a major move to break China's grip on critical minerals. Virtus Minerals just invested in a local copper and cobalt producer in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These metals are vital for everything from electric cars and smartphones to military fighter jets. Historically, China has been the heavy lifter of these metals. Virtus holds 56 mining licenses there which allow the company to pursue further deals. The company says that the goal is to build a secure auditable supply chain for the US and its allies. Processing plans are already under development and are expected to come online next year. China has detained two Japanese nationals on suspicion of smuggling restricted goods. Japanese government confirmed the news but didn't provide further details citing privacy concerns. The arrests in May come amid rising tensions between China and Japan. Japanese media reports one detainee works for a major Japanese electronics or heavy machinery company in China and that the case may involve rare earth materials under strict export controls. China has a right to target people outside of its borders who contravene its new law on ethnic unity. That's according to China's vice justice minister on Wednesday. China passed the law in March to create a shared national identity among the country's 55 ethnic minority groups which include Tibetans and Uyghurs. The new law goes into effect on July 1st. It includes a clause saying people and groups outside China's borders can be held legally accountable for undermining ethnic unity and progress or inciting ethnic separatism. Coming up, China's new supercomputer is raising questions about the global technology race. We'll hear from cyber security advisor Rex Lee about the bigger implications. There's a lot of significance for that because what we're seeing today through civil military fusion programs in China, Russia and here in the United States. And Taiwan's vice president sat down for an exclusive interview with the Epoch Times. She reveals the secret behind Taiwan's success not only economically but also in spirit while countering communist China. More on that after the break here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. The Falun Dafa Information Center is responding to the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in favor of Cisco systems. The case stemmed from allegations that Cisco helped develop customized surveillance technology for the targeted Falun Gong practitioners in China. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice in the Buddhist school that's faced brutal persecution in China for 27 years. So the Supreme Court just ruled that American telecom giant Cisco cannot be held liable under U.S. laws for aiding and abetting torture of Falun Gong practitioners and others in a foreign country such as China. The court's ruling has severely restricted the legal options for torture victims to seek justice in the U.S. and to hold indirect facilitators accountable. It also sends a troubling signal. If a company like Cisco can supply surveillance technology to foreign adversaries like the CCP, helping facilitate torture with zero consequences, what will the CCP and other companies be emboldened to do next? It is a troubling reality. Our lawmakers must step up, close these loopholes, and uphold justice as they originally intended. According to the Center, the technology allegedly helped authorities identify and arrest Falun Gong practitioners, many of whom reported torture and abuse while detained. The group says the ruling means U.S. courts cannot hear these types of claims against American companies accused of assisting human rights abuses overseas. It's calling on Congress to restore a path for victims to seek justice. The U.S. has long been the global leader in advanced computing, powering breakthroughs in science, A.I., and national security. But the global race for advanced technology is becoming more competitive. A new supercomputer in the Chinese city of Shenzhen has taken the top spot in global rankings. It's raising new questions about the future of the technology race between Washington and Beijing. The system LineShine surpassed the U.S. supercomputer Alkapitan, which had held the top ranking since late 2024. Supercomputers are some of the most powerful machines in the world, built to handle massive amounts of data and complex calculations. They're used for everything from scientific research and climate modeling to developing A.I. and designing nuclear weapons. For more insight, we spoke with Rex Lee, a cybersecurity advisor at MySmartPrivacy. Regarding China's, the announcement that China has the crown for supercomputing and that their supercomputers are 20% faster than supercomputers developed in the United States. There's a lot of significance for that because what we're seeing today through civil military fusion programs in China, Russia, and here in the United States. Civil military fusion is the idea that technology developed for civilian use can also have military and intelligence applications. Experts say that means advances in areas like computing and A.I. can have implications far beyond the technology sector. What that simply means that all of the technology that we utilize as consumers can now be weaponized by militaries and intelligence agencies and other bad actors. And that's why experts say the race for computing power is about more than just having the fastest machine. It's also about the future of artificial intelligence, scientific research, and national security. China's progress highlights the growing competition in advanced technology and the challenge for the U.S. to maintain its leadership in critical areas. Taiwan's Vice President, Xiaobo Kim, sat down for an exclusive interview with Epoch Times' Janja Kellik on top of the cat war diplomacy that we aired yesterday. Today, we look at why Taiwan's GDP per capita is three times higher than China's, and why Taiwan not only partners with the U.S., but also has the ability to build in the U.S. You've actually been branded by the Chinese Communist Party as a separatist. I'm wondering your own sense of personal risk. I'm here for the first time, and I sense how close I am to Beijing right now, in comparison to almost anywhere else. What are your thoughts? First of all, we will not let the Communist Party of China define who we are. And secondly, I think these are tactics to intimidate, to threaten, and to prevent us from doing the work that we're trying to do. But from my perspective, first of all, like many others who have been sanctioned, too, we take it in stride. And secondly, it will not stop us from doing what we need to do to protect our country, to defend Taiwan, to defend our values, but also to really work with other partners internationally to assert the shared interests, the shared interest in preserving the peace and stability of this region, the shared interest in working together to support prosperity. And again, many others, and the list is growing, but I don't have any personal business in China. So again, many of us also take this in stride. And number five in economic freedom, looking at the Heritage Foundation rankings, just pretty significant, I would say. Yes, well, we appreciate that Heritage Foundation, as well as others, have consistently seen Taiwan as a bastion of economic freedom. And that freedom has also enabled the people of Taiwan, through their hard work, diligence, and innovation, to build a very robust economy, one that has, over the last year, grown by over 8 percent, and the first quarter of this year, over 14 percent. Of course, this growth is, in part, spurred by or supported by the growing demand for AI and other key technologies around the world. Taiwan is the hub for the vast, vast, vast majority of the highest-tech chip manufacturing. Actually, there's two plants that you're building in Arizona. I remember I passed them not too long ago, driving by. They're being spun up over there. So you are branching out with that. What happens in the case of a China invasion? Because this is another thing that we hear a lot about outside, that the Chinese Communist Party has this interest. Of course, it's in the rhetoric of the People's Liberation Army, the PLA. It's something that's expected to happen, from their perspective. What would happen to all of that manufacturing and that prowess? How do you keep that intellectual property from being lost? Well, first of all, everything we're doing today in strengthening Taiwan is to prevent an invasion, to prevent that scenario from happening. So building our strength. We also share the belief that peace has to be sustained through strength. That's from the painful lessons of history. So by preventing any kinetic scenario from happening, I think the peace of Taiwan, the security and stability of this region can also be maintained. Thus, the global prosperity that is ignited by the critical role that Taiwan plays in global technology supply chains. Essentially, Taiwan is embedded in every layer of the AI and technology supply chain, not only in the United States, but around the world. And one reality is that there is an overwhelming global demand for more. And so Taiwanese companies like TSMC, our chip companies, are expanding their global presence to meet that growing global demand. And they have considered the United States and specifically Arizona as a destination for rapid expansion. We are partnering, but we're also building in America. And that's an important effort. And I think that will further deepen our partnership in so many ways. So you've been described as this cat warrior. I think it's even on the official site, Cat Warrior Diplomacy. What is it that other countries can learn from cat warrior diplomacy when it comes to doing diplomatic relations with the United States? There's a lot of interest in this. The concept of cat warrior was an idea I assigned to myself in response to dealing with the wolf warriors of the PRC. But essentially, I think it embodies a spirit of Taiwanese people. That is the agility that we are small, but we need to be mighty and we need to be strong. And cats have incredible agility. Cats also have the ability to balance in very difficult circumstances, walking on tightropes. And they've got nine lives. But I think also a very important characteristic is that cats cannot be coerced. They have a mind of their own. And Taiwan can be soft and warm and cuddly if you're kind, if people are friendly to us. But at the same time, it's important to keep our claws sharp in order to bend ourselves. And cats, they're small, but they can jump 10 times their height or more. And I think all of these characteristics, the agility, the spirit of having a mind of our own is part of the Taiwanese characteristic. Now, when that's applied to diplomacy, it involves a lot of balancing. And we have to leverage Taiwan's strengths in the context of finding common interests and especially shared goals and aspirations. And that's where Taiwan and the U.S. are so much stronger together. One data point which I think is really under-talked about, which is that you have three times greater GDP per capita here in Taiwan than China. And that's pretty significant, given how China is sold as this incredible success story. What are your thoughts about that? Yes. Well, China has certainly grown significantly since their reform and opening process on the economic side in the 1990s. But at the same time, we have a strong belief that democracy delivers. It's not just an ideal, but we're talking about a rules-based order, a rule of law, basic rights, and the freedom to innovate, the freedom to be creative. And that's what really fosters economic growth. So PRC continues to champion their form of socialism and communism, while in Taiwan, we stand with our belief that economic freedom, market economics, in addition to the political freedoms that are so important to our society, are really what delivers to the needs of the people. 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.