Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Influence on US–China Ties | China In Focus

A look back on Senator Dianne Feinstein's political journey from advocating for China's most favored nation status to defending Beijing over a COVID-19 lawsuit. I think this is a huge mistake. What defines her Senate legacy and how did she help shape Washington's China policy? Are Chinese authorities complicit in Latin American crimes? A report says criminals from the country are backing cartels, drugs and trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean. An uptick in China's pneumonia cases as more in the country get reinfected with COVID-19. A large number of patients are visiting the outpatient clinic. And China's National Day met with a global wave of dissent. A look at how protesters are rallying around the world for what many call a day of mourning as the communist regime celebrates its founding. What do you think? Let us know below and subscribe if you haven't already. Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. California's longest serving U.S. Senator has died. Dianne Feinstein passed away at her home in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. She was 90 years old. What was her influence on U.S.-China relations? Let's take a closer look. Dianne Feinstein made headlines back in 2018 when reports surfaced that she had a Chinese spy on her staff for two decades. FBI agents showed up at Feinstein's office in D.C. and revealed her staffer was under investigation for possibly spying for China. Despite the staffer's sensitive position, the former Bay Area senator concluded he hadn't leaked anything. No charges were filed against him. Beyond that, Feinstein had pushed the Senate to approve most favored nation status for China. The status essentially grants China favorable trade terms like low tariffs and minimal trade barriers. Back in 1994, the U.S. Senate debated whether to withdraw the status from China because of Beijing's human rights abuses. By the time, Feinstein argued that punitive measures would only inflame Beijing's insecurities. Feinstein also had close personal ties with China. As mayor of San Francisco a long time ago, I had the honor of establishing a sister city relationship with Shanghai. Feinstein first visited Shanghai shortly after the U.S. and China opened diplomatic ties and established a sister city relationship with Shanghai, China's leading industrial city, and San Francisco. She also struck up a friendship with then-Chinese Communist Party head Jiang Zemin and described him as a good friend. But Jiang himself has been accused of human rights violations, mostly for launching a persecution campaign against those who practice a spiritual meditation system called Falun Gong in China. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Feinstein defended Beijing, calling it a mistake in 2020 to allow American citizens to sue Beijing over virus damage. And as a country growing into a respectable nation among other nations, and I deeply believe that. I've been to China a number of times. USA Today listed Feinstein as the sixth richest member of Congress. Local Chinese authorities are turning a blind eye to corruption between their country and Latin America and the Caribbean. And the officials could even be reaping benefits from it. That's according to a recent investigative article published in the magazine by the U.S. Southern Command. The paper cites the region's high rates for violent crime and corruption. Those issues are linked to transnational criminal organizations. But the paper suggests one group has far more influence there than the rest. Chinese criminal networks. It outlines four main illegal activities committed by the China-based groups over the past decade. Shipping fentanyl precursors to Mexico, using the flying money laundering method, convergence or illegally trafficking wildlife alongside other serious crimes, and smuggling illegal Chinese immigrants through Latin America en route to the U.S. The paper says the evidence does not directly link the Chinese regime to the activity. To help fight the crimes, the report offering up several suggestions, directing lawmakers in Latin America and the Caribbean to reconsider visa policy for Chinese nationals, urging Beijing to take down websites that sell fentanyl precursors, and block social media platforms that promote illegal migration, and encouraging the U.S. to boost police cooperation with the region. And use A.I. to get ahead of traffickers. Billions of dollars earmarked to spread disinformation from China. A State Department report found these efforts have expanded under China's Xi Jinping. NTD's Evelyn Li spoke to China analyst Antonio Graceffo for a breakdown. China always had extensive propaganda efforts, right? So the report says, though, that Xi was the one that significantly expanded it. Can you tell me more about those developments there? Sure. Under Xi, the United Front Works Department, which is the propaganda, the foreign propaganda arm of CCP, has been augmented. Their activities have accelerated under Xi. So they are, in other countries, dominating the information space both online and then also physically by doing things like keeping tabs on dissenters and people who speak out against the regime in foreign countries. Right. And how exactly does that, because you just touched on social media, but the report also talks about an information ecosystem. Now, what does that exactly look like? Basically, even under Xi, they even produce videos and documentaries and things like this that look like news or they are fake news or they publish something under the original post, like a news story, which is actually propaganda made by the CCP. This will appear on some blog or website somewhere. They will then get semi-legitimate journalists to cite that report. Troves of U.S. data flowing from American fingertips straight into Beijing's hands. Concerns over Chinese data collection are in the spotlight, with info from health data to personal details at risk. Beijing siphons American data in different ways. A report from the Hoover Institution says China has been trying to collect as much international data as possible. That's because it's a fundamental resource driving the future global economy. The report said Beijing has already built databases full of individual human genomes, map weaknesses in other countries' economies, mine telecom networks for commercial intelligence and profile foreign citizens through social media. To do it, China has a variety of means at its disposal. One example is Chinese genomics company BGI. The company sells prenatal tests around the globe, and a Reuters report found that through them, it collects genetic data from millions of women. BGI also bought an American genomics sequencing firm in 2013, gaining a foothold in the American market. Others are worried China might gather sensitive data through the Chinese-made cranes at American shipping ports. The Defense Intelligence Agency says Beijing could use them to find out what's being shipped in and out of the country when it comes to U.S. military operations. October 1st marks China's National Day, but protests against the ruling Communist Party are erupting inside and outside China, as many demand democracy in the country. Some Chinese nationals even chose the day to renounce their membership in the party. Let's take a closer look. Freedom of speech and demanding democracy. Slogans like these are showing up on banners across China, protesting the country's National Day. Similar demonstrations also appeared near China's capital city, complete with messages like, End the imperial regime, hinting at Chinese leader Xi Jinping's political system and his unprecedented third term in power. Local authorities erased the slogans quickly. Over in Taiwan, Hong Kongers who fled to the island say they haven't forgotten how Chinese authorities clamped down on their city's freedoms. It's not just for Hong Kong. It's for uniting all possible forces against the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party and hoping the day of its downfall will come soon. The protests even extended to U.S. soil. In San Francisco, a crowd protested in front of the Chinese Consulate General building on the eve of the National Day. Tibetan people who fled to India also stood up against the ruling Communist Party and Xi Jinping. We are here to remember the world that 74 years anniversary is the anniversary of a bloodshed, genocide, human rights violation, and genocide. Many Chinese nationals also renounced their membership to the Communist Party on this day. One of them said he was driven to quit after he learned about the regime's true nature. More than 400 million Chinese people have quit the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations. A new sickness wave is hitting China. At the same time, reports of people getting reinfected with COVID-19 for a third time are on the rise. With a week-long holiday kicking off across the nation, experts fear travel could drive infections. A Chinese citizen took to the Internet to share her sister's story. My sister tested positive. So did her daughter once again. They go to the hospital every day to line up for injections. Since September, hospital outpatient clinics across China have been full of pneumonia patients. Chinese media outlets say the illness is spreading. And just after school started in September, reports noted another small peak, showing an increase of more than 50%. Doctors from several areas have revealed similar situations on social media. A large number of patients are visiting the outpatient clinic. Many children have pneumonia. Some even have low-bar pneumonia, which is even more severe. Recently, there are more pneumonia cases, most of which developed into low-bar pneumonia. Another doctor expressed his concerns about the holiday being celebrated across the nation. This year's mid-autumn festival holiday is pretty long. Everyone wants to travel. This will inevitably increase the risk of COVID-19 infection. According to Beijing's official data, COVID-19 infection numbers are still rising, too. Dr. Li says he believes the virus is getting more contagious inside China and that some may face four or five repeat infections. The chairman of troubled property giant China Evergrande now under investigation. He's suspected of transferring assets offshore. That's according to a Wall Street Journal report Monday, coming as the company struggles to stave off liquidation. Here's the story. It follows news from Evergrande on Thursday that Chinese authorities were probing Hui for unspecified illegal crimes. Evergrande is the world's most indebted developer with more than $300 billion in total liabilities. Since 2021, its financial woes have weighed on the Chinese economy as well as global markets. The embattled developer has been working to get creditors' approval to restructure its offshore debt. But the process grew more complicated last week when Evergrande said it could not issue new debt because of police investigations. On Friday, Reuters reported sources as saying Evergrande had sold its luxury superyacht for about $32 million earlier this year. That further shrinks the developer's offshore assets coming at a time when Evergrande's bondholders are set to sharpen their focus on what the company owns overseas. Reuters also reported last week that a group of offshore creditors was planning to join a court petition to liquidate the developer if it did not submit a new debt restructuring plan by the end of October. Trading in the shares of Evergrande and two of its units was suspended on Thursday after media reported that Ho was under police watch. Britain's biggest defense firm, BAE Systems, winning an almost $5 billion deal. The money will help build a new generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines. Our ultimate national insurance policy is, of course, our at-sea nuclear deterrent. So we're building the new Dreadnought-class submarines that will carry Britain's nuclear deterrent into the middle of this century. It's part of AUCA's plan between the U.S., Australia, and Britain. It aims to provide Australia with submarines to help counter China in the Indo-Pacific. The first submarine is scheduled to be delivered in the late 2030s. Australian nuclear submarines are key to defending the country's over 22 miles of coastline and maintaining an edge against China. According to defense officials and government advisors, Beijing's growing military presence means conflict could erupt in the region without notice. The shift from Australia's diesel electric fleet to nuclear-powered subs brings additional range, stealth, and a strike capability. And in lighter news, our network has successfully concluded its first Miss Entity Beauty pageant. 32 young women won the hearts of audience members and judges over the weekend. But only one was crowned. NTD's Arlene Richards spoke to the winner and the runners-up. At NTD's Global Chinese Beauty Pageant on Saturday night, the big moment that all have been waiting for. The winner of Miss Entity 2023 is... Number 11. Sun brings home a $10,000 cash prize, 18-carat jewelry, and a critical mission. As a human rights and diplomacy researcher, she heard many accounts of women being persecuted for their faith. My goal is to uphold their universal rights through government advocacy and awareness campaigns. Why host a beauty pageant now? The event aims to drive a return to pure beauty, one that's inseparable from inner values. So contestants were judged on both appearance and the five virtues of morality, righteousness, propriety, benevolence, and faithfulness. What I love about this beauty pageant is that NTD focused on traditional women values and Chinese values, which I think is so important. Contestants presented a number of performances from classical Chinese dance, flute, and the erhu, a classical Chinese instrument. Following a demonstration of grace in evening gowns, top finalists shared their understanding of true beauty. I believe that the sincere act of putting others first will allow the goodness that people will recognize as beauty shine forth in a person. Third runner up, Fiona Ji, shared what impact she would bring to the world. I am a scholar of languages because I wish to use my skills to share the beauty of true traditional Chinese culture with the hearts of the world's people. Thank you, everyone. First runner up, Vicky Zhao, also won the Best Dancer award, while the Best in Fitness award went to Belle Meng, the second runner up. NTD's Global Chinese Beauty Pageant has come to a successful close. Our winner will now travel the world promoting traditional values and inspiring others. Reporting from Purchase, New York, Arlene Richards, NTD News. That's all for today's China In Focus on YouTube. We're now sharing a shortened version of our program here after being demonetized for two years. Here's what to look out for in our second half. 60,000 emails from the U.S. State Department now in the hands of Chinese hackers. It all began with the breach of a Microsoft engineer's account. According to a cybersecurity expert, the number is only a drop in a bucket. That's as Beijing seeks to infiltrate U.S. infrastructure through non-conventional means. What does this say about Microsoft? And is Washington prepared enough to defend itself? To find out, NTD's Chris Spears sat down with Casey Fleming, the CEO of Black Ops Partners Corp. This episode is available on our partner platform, Epic TV. To sign up, click the link down below. Thanks for watching China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. See you tomorrow.