Trump Meets Japan Prime Minister Ahead of Summit With Xi | China in Focus

Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story. President Trump meets Japan's Prime Minister in New York as concerns grow over China, Taiwan and security across the Indo-Pacific. China is buying up gold at a record pace while cutting its holdings of U.S. government debt this year. We look at what the latest data shows. Prepare for the day the Chinese Communist Party suddenly collapses. Miles Yu, a China affairs advisor during the first Trump administration, is calling on the U.S. and its allies to do just that. Why? We take a closer look. And the U.S. is backing a new undersea cable worth billions to connect Southeast Asia, but the proposed route would notably avoid the South China Sea. We take a closer look at why that matters. President Donald Trump met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in New York Tuesday as Japan seeks closer U.S. coordination on China and Taiwan ahead of Trump's summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Here's more. The talks came on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Prime Minister Takaichi moved up her U.N. schedule to meet President Trump before his Thursday summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Meanwhile, Xi is due to arrive at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, skipping the U.N. Assembly. During the talks, Trump praised Takaichi's leadership and Japan's economy. The industry of Japan is doing very well. The country is doing very well. Very big improvement. And it's an honor to be with her. She's a friend of mine. We got to know each other very well over the last period of time. And she's going to be a great prime minister. She's going to go down as one of the great prime ministers. Takaichi thanked the president for what she called his strong commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance. Against a backdrop of increasingly severe security environment, including Asian security environment in recent years, I would like to seize this opportunity to demonstrate to the world how robust our alliance is through holding another round of meetings with Donald today here at this venue, U.N. headquarters. Japan has faced pressure from Beijing since Takaichi's remarks last year. She said a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could pose an existential threat for Japan and that Japan could respond militarily. Beijing retaliated to the comments, restricting rare earth exports to Tokyo and blacklisting Japanese firms. On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Japan's and South Korea's foreign ministers. They issued a joint statement stressing peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The three also stood against economic coercion and arbitrary export restrictions. They reaffirmed America's ironclad defense commitments to Japan and South Korea, including extended deterrence. Taiwan welcomed the statement. According to a Reuters report Tuesday, Xi Jinping is expected to press President Trump to halt U.S. arms sales to Taiwan when the two meet, citing a 1982 U.S.-China agreement. That agreement called for a gradual reduction in arms sales. But a memo from President Reagan made it clear that any cuts would depend on China's commitment to a peaceful resolution with Taiwan. Beijing has recently sharply increased military activities around the island. The Trump administration approved an $11 billion Taiwan arms package in December, but a separate $14 billion package remains on hold. Trump has called that deal a negotiating chip. I think Beijing is probably very happy about the ongoing suspension of that arms deal. But I also think Beijing is probably realistic about its ass on Taiwan going into this summit. I think the next step that China would really push for is maybe some change in the U.S.'s language towards Taiwan. But this is something I think that first of all would be domestically costly for President Trump, especially ahead of the midterm. And it's also an area that China might not feel 100 percent confident pushing on. I think we tend to see that on those really most sensitive issues, China is more comfortable pushing them on its home turf in Beijing, not necessarily in Washington. Senior Republican lawmakers are urging the president to hold firm and continue supporting Taiwan ahead of the summit. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it will continue to closely monitor high-level U.S.-China exchanges while maintaining robust communication with the U.S. Fentanyl chemicals, Boeing orders, and Chinese automakers are taking the stage ahead of this week's Trump-Xi summit. China is tightening controls on two chemicals used to make fentanyl. On Tuesday, the Commerce Ministry says exporters will now need permits to ship the chemicals to the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The Trump administration has repeatedly pressed Beijing to stop precursor chemicals from reaching fentanyl producers. At the same time, Beijing is moving forward on a commitment to buy 200 Boeing jets. U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer says about 140 orders are in a good state, with another 10 being finalized. And more than two dozen House Democrats, led by Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan, are urging President Trump to keep Chinese automakers out of the U.S. market. A potentially consequential week ahead with world leaders descending on the United Nations in New York, the gathering coming ahead of President Trump's planned White House summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday. Now, two members of Congress from opposite sides of the aisle are urging for a tougher approach to China. Republican Congressman Brian Mast spoke to Fox News yesterday, saying President Trump should make clear what Mast describes as a contrast between U.S. actions and alleged Chinese support for Iran and Russia. Everybody is at the United Nations this week. They're supposed to be all about peace, global peace. What President Trump needs to make clear there is that it's the United States of America that's defeating Iran. It's China that's arming Iran. It's the United States of America that's working to defeat Russia on behalf of Europe and NATO and Ukraine. It's China that's working to arm Russia. That is the juxtaposition. Separately, Democratic Senator Alyssa Slotkin urging President Trump to make reports of Chinese satellite support for Iran a centerpiece of his talks with Xi. Slotkin citing a Wall Street Journal report saying Iran acquired high resolution images of a major military base in Jordan from Chinese companies before and after Iran's July attack on the base. That attack killed three U.S. service members and wounded four others. The question now, whether President Trump will raise that issue during his scheduled meeting with Xi on Thursday. I spoke to Lieutenant Colonel Robert McGinnis for his take on Tiffany Meyer tonight. Yesterday, McGinnis is a senior fellow for national security at the Family Research Council. Colonel, thank you so much for joining us. Always great to see you. Now, Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House China Select Committee, wrote in a letter to the White House that the Trump administration has done more than any other to confront China and is urging the president to use this bilateral to defend American interests even more strongly. Moolenaar wrote that the Chinese regime's support for Iran should be met with, quote, the most severe consequences. What sort of response do you think is appropriate here? Well, we have a number of leverage points, Tiffany, certainly financial pressure. And we've heard from Treasury Secretary Bessett on a host of these tariffs. We've seen secondary sanctions that have been articulated, especially access to American markets. And of course, the whole putting the intelligence before the Chinese president, I think, is important. Like the story you talked about early on, that it's an allegation that high-resolution satellite imagery was provided by Chinese entities, perhaps, to Iranians who then used missiles and killed three Americans in Jordan. That's something that the president can use. Economic relationships, a lot of trade, a lot of critical minerals, agriculture purchases, tariffs, critical minerals that the Chinese have to trade, all of these plus, of course, China's own interests. It's not as if their economy is doing that well. So I think that the economic difficulties vis-a-vis the oil disruption from Iran, all of these are having a domestic impact on President Xi and the Chinese economy. And so those are all things that I'm sure will be discussed. And digging into that, what would you say are the most consequential ways China has supported Iran in its conflict against the United States? Well, I think economically it's very important. They continue to get oil. After all, prior to the war, 90 percent of Iran's oil was directly consumed by the Chinese government. And so that's an issue. Now, there are others that are alleged. There's suspicion that Hong Kong-based companies have provided Iran with military-related goods and have helped them to evade sanctions. All of that is part and parcel to be determined. We don't have any public evidence as yet that the president understands what is going on in the name of China, that his government has directed that assistance. There's a lot that needs to be outlined. And I think the presidents will discuss this. And to your earlier point on economic leverage, Treasury Secretary Besson has been saying that a lot of these conversations with world leaders about their support for Iran are happening behind closed doors and not addressed publicly. Now, we haven't seen any sanctions on Chinese banks so far. But in addition to that, what do you think the United States should be leveraging on this front? Well, certainly small banks are in the past. Big banks, you're right, have not been touched as yet. And I think that that's something that we're just going to threaten. There are a host of other things. I think both incentives, we after all control the Venezuelan oil, which China was getting dirt cheap before our invasion and taking over that. There are other incentives, I think, in relationships, especially vis-a-vis Taiwan. And of course, our presence and our alliance with the Japanese, the Filipinos, and others in the region. So there are a lot of geopolitical issues that are very sensitive to Beijing that I'm sure will be part and parcel of what's going to be discussed when the two presidents come together. And Colonel, on that note, as we know, the one-year trade truce, which includes critical minerals, is also coming up and will be discussed at the bilateral this week. What are the top things you'll be watching for coming out of the meeting? Yeah, well, obviously trade, Taiwan, Iran, artificial intelligence, which we haven't mentioned this yet, but I think that's a major issue, certainly in Washington over the last couple of weeks, because of the likes of Anthropic and OpenAI and others have talked about how we are not really controlling it as much. And of course, we have the whole AI ecosystem around the world. The two nations are in direct competition. The Chinese are using open models and trying to get countries across the world to embrace their ecosystem philosophy to include the likes of equipment from Huawei and other entities coming from China. And of course, we're in direct competition. That's why I wrote a book, The New AI Cold War, because the two nations are almost at fisticuffs about these issues. And I'm hoping that one of the outcomes will be the newly created AI czar in Washington will meet with his counterpart in China to work out things such as an AI red line or hotline so that in case something does get out of whack, out of control, that the two nations are talking rather than shooting at one another. Definitely a lot of focus on AI. I want to pivot a bit here to that Denmark security agreement because President Trump has highlighted Russian and Chinese Arctic infrastructure in his previous pitches to acquire Greenland. Now with this new security agreement, can their presence be removed or mitigated? Well, I don't think you're going to remove the Chinese unless you do the Russians. After all, the collaboration between Russia and China is very close. And Russia owns basically half of the Arctic coast because of their own territory. But Beijing calls itself a near Arctic state. It has what's called the Polar Silk Road. Of course, that's all about shipping, resources, scientific research, and Arctic governance, which is vis-a-vis associated with what the Russians are doing. Now, the Chinese have operated a number of vessels that the United States Coast Guard has seen operating near the Aleutian Islands into the Bering Strait over the past number of months. This is part and parcel to what the Chinese see as their right to be in international waters. But ultimately, this is about control, about economic exploitation. And as long as the Russians are collaborating with the Chinese, which I expect will continue, then we'll continue to see this sort of activity. Definitely a hot point there for sure. Colonel Robert McGinnis, as always, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you, Tiffany. China is making a major financial shift. It has been importing more gold while cutting back on its holdings of U.S. government debt. The country's gold purchases have hit record levels this year, while its treasury holdings fell to an 18-year low. China imported more than a thousand tons of gold through August, surpassing its total for all of 2025. The buying picked up as gold prices fell from their record high earlier this year, giving investors a chance to buy the dip. And the People's Bank of China bought the most bullion in August since 2023, extending its buying streak to nearly two years. Meanwhile, China has been reducing its exposure to U.S. treasuries. Its holdings fell to about $618 billion in July, down from roughly $633 billion the month before. That's the lowest level since 2008, according to data from a Chinese financial provider, Wind. China's gold buying spree started 22 months ago after Russia invaded Ukraine, when the West froze Russian currency reserves held at foreign central banks. The move cut off Russia's access to over $300 billion in foreign currency reserves. Will the Chinese Communist Party suddenly collapse one day? China expert Miles Yu is warning that the U.S. and its allies should be prepared for that day now. Miles Yu served as a senior advisor at the State Department during the first Trump administration, where he advised Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on China policy. Here's the story. For decades, Western policy toward China has largely been based on the assumption that the Chinese Communist Party will remain in power for the long term. But Yu says policymakers should also consider what could happen if that assumption suddenly proves wrong. In an article published last week, Yu raises the question what the world would face if the CCP suddenly lost its ability to control China. He points to the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe in 1989, and the breakup of the Soviet Union as examples of authoritarian systems that fell far more quickly than many expected. Yu argues that preparing for a possible post-CCP China should be viewed as a form of strategic insurance. Yu says the challenges could be enormous, including securing China's nuclear arsenal, determining what happens to its military and surveillance apparatus, preventing the country from breaking into competing local power centers, and dealing with the enormous state assets that could be up for grabs. Cheng Yifeng, an associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney, says sudden change may stem not from a single event, but from accumulated economic and social tensions triggering a chain reaction. The Chinese regime could collapse because it loses a war abroad, or even because its leader is killed. Another possibility is that the regime is overthrown by a bottom-up revolution, or there could be an internal coup in which Xi is ousted by the military or by other anti-Xi factions within the system. Feng pointed out that the real estate crisis has already triggered a financial and debt crisis, followed by waves of unemployment and bankruptcies. Miles Yu points out that the fall of an authoritarian regime does not automatically lead to democracy. He recommends that Washington establish a permanent interagency plan for a possible post-CCP era, working with U.S. allies, overseas Chinese communities, pro-democracy figures, and economists. A new internet cable avoiding water is contested by China. Washington is funding a feasibility study for a new undersea cable connecting Thailand, the U.S., and several other Southeast Asian countries. The proposed route would deliberately bypass the South China Sea, where Beijing claims much of the territory. The proposed cable announced this month could connect the U.S. with countries including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Undersea cables carry more than 99 percent of all internet traffic, making them critical to global communications. Operators have increasingly favored routes that avoid the South China Sea. Beijing claims nearly the entirety of the South China Sea, resulting in disputes with neighboring Southeast Asian countries. The proposed cable could cost more than $14 billion, according to estimates cited by Bloomberg. It would also be the latest U.S.-backed effort to keep critical internet infrastructure away from China. Washington previously blocked a proposed U.S.-Hong Kong cable connection over national security concerns. That cable now connects the U.S. with its allies, Taiwan and the Philippines. Meanwhile, China is developing its own undersea network, with state-owned telecom companies working on a cable to connect with Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. And the U.N. has once again denied press credentials to NTD, which we are watching now, and its sister media, The Epoch Times. Reporters from the two outlets will not have access to the General Assembly in New York. The move raises concerns over possible pressure from China. The U.N.'s accreditation office said neither outlets meet its requirements for media access. The Epoch Times says the denials follow a pattern that stretches back to decades. The Epoch Times was founded in 2000 in the United States by Chinese Americans in response to censorship and human rights abuses in China. NTD was founded in 2001 and has for years broadcast uncensored content into China by a satellite. Since 2022, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has directed Chinese security agencies to intensify their targeting of The Epoch Times and NTD. It's part of a broader transnational repression campaign. Coming up, China has been expanding its presence in the Arctic. Now, the U.S. Coast Guard says it's keeping a close eye on the situation, citing national security concerns. And China's humanoid robot boom is facing a reality check. Unitary Robotics started strong with its stock market debut, but its shares have since fallen by more than half, one of what led to the decline after the break here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. China's expanding Arctic presence is being closely monitored. A senior Arctic military official says the U.S. Coast Guard is keeping a close eye on that activity, warning it could raise concerns for homeland security. During an Arctic security conference, he pointed out Chinese research vessels are showing up more often in U.S. Arctic waters. So far this year, four Chinese research vessels have operated offshore in the Arctic region near the U.S. That compares with five Chinese vessels reported there during all of last year. Rear Admiral Bob Little on Monday said the ships have been operating around Alaska. They also traveled through the Bering Strait, located between the U.S. and Asia, and as far north as the North Pole. The vessels stayed in international waters, but did not notify the U.S. beforehand, as is normally done through diplomatic channels. Little says there are two main concerns with the activity. One is possible research into seabed minerals in areas belonging to the U.S. The other is whether the ships could gather information that gives Beijing a military advantage. He added that it could potentially pose a security threat to Washington. Unitree's AI robot hype is losing steam. Shares of Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics have declined over 50 percent since their Shanghai debut last month. The company made headlines as the first humanoid robot maker to go public in mainland China. Unitree shares opened last month at about 163 dollars per share, seven times the IPO price of about 22 dollars. It gave the company a market value of roughly 66 billion. But the stock has been declining, closing Friday at about 76 dollars. That's a drop of about 53 percent from its opening price. And at Beijing's recent World Humanoid Robot Games, no Unitree robots finish in the top five in either 100 meter dash. 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.