China's Response to Deadly Car Attack; Trump Picks Marco Rubio for Secretary of State

Welcome to China in Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story. Anger is mounting over Chinese officials response to a deadly car attack. More on why the incident points to a bigger problem at play. A glimpse into Trump's future policies on China. A cabinet filled with China hawks. The president-elect just announced his pick for the future CIA director. Chinese battery maker CATL is signaling interest in building a factory in the U.S. It's the same company that Trump's newly picked Secretary of State Senator Marco Rubio attempted to blacklist. More on his concerns. And the president of Microsoft has a warning for the Western world. China isn't far behind the U.S. in the tech battleground. What he suggests American innovators should do to stay ahead of the game. Before we dive into today's top story, we'd like to share an important update. You can now catch China in Focus on a Genjing World every Tuesday instead of YouTube. To watch, simply click the link in the description box below or search China in Focus at genjingworld.com. Dive into a world of uplifting content brought to you by Genjing World, a wholesome digital town square working to revolutionize the digital entertainment space. Anger is mounting over Chinese authorities handling of a fatal car attack that killed 35 people. Officials cleared away flowers that had been set out in respect for the dead and censored social media posts about the incident. Chinese authorities appear to be pulling out tactics from their old playbook, playing down disasters and quieting the issue. And a warning, some viewers may find the following footage disturbing. NTD's Juliet Song has more. No news conference, scrubbing online posts about the attack and almost a day to announce the death toll. This has been Chinese authorities response to a fatal car accident. A man drove a car into a crowd Monday, killing 35 and injuring over 40 people. NTD can't independently verify that number as Beijing has a record of covering up death tolls. There's little coverage of the incident by state media. Some people took to the internet to criticize authorities response and question what the attack means for Chinese society. China's censors were quick to remove those posts. Candles and flowers had been laid at the gate of the accident site. A Reuters reporter on the scene said the flowers were removed overnight. Security guards took over the wet side of the gate, blocking the site with metal barriers. Still, many kept dropping off fresh flowers. It was just a spontaneous feeling that I had when I came to lay the flowers. Even though I didn't know them personally, it felt like those times when I had family members pass away in the past. So I kind of understand that feeling and this is my feeling. Local police have arrested the suspect, a 62 year old who tried to stab himself following the attack. He's in the hospital now. Investigators say it seems he drove into the crowd out of anger over his divorce. This isn't a standalone incident. Another driver rammed into a crowd last year in a BMW, killing at least six people. Earlier this year, a Japanese schoolboy was stabbed on his way to school and four American college instructors were stabbed in a park in northeastern China. Sheng Xue is a Chinese-Canadian journalist. She said the incident points to a bigger problem in society. Similar incidents will erupt as the economy keeps going down. More and more people are growing desperate about their future. Plus, they might have encountered troubles in life, work and in society, all while living under an extremely cruel authoritarian rule. She added this forms a negative cycle as some would vent their anger and grievance on other innocent citizens or those who are weaker than themselves. China's foreign ministry said Wednesday that no foreigners were among the casualties. A spokesperson added China is one of the world's safest countries. In a rare public response, Chinese leader Xi Jinping asked officials to work to prevent extreme incidents and ensure social stability. The term social stability used by Chinese authorities translates to Beijing's absolute control meaning riots or other social unrest are often unnerving for the regime. The incident took place on the eve of a major air show where China rolled out a new stealth fighter jet, a jab at US military might. President-elect Trump has selected Senator Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State, the president's chief advisor on US foreign policy. In a statement, Rubio said he's honored by the Trump has placed in him, adding he would deliver peace through strength and put American interests first. Rubio is a longtime China hawk in Congress. He's been sanctioned by Beijing and is banned from traveling to China. Rubio has introduced a string of bills to counter the Chinese Communist Party. They range from seeking to loosen China's hold on critical minerals to preventing China from evading US tariffs to sanctioning those involved in harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners. He also took aim at TikTok, the Chinese owned video platform that has become wildly popular here in the U.S. An analyst said President-elect Trump's cabinet picks could make relations with China very difficult to manage. Stephen sound director of the so as China Institute said Beijing would be forced to lift sanctions against Senator Marco Rubio, the next Secretary of State in order to work with the U.S. But even if they are able to do that, conversations between Rubio and Wang Yi are not going to be easy. Some believes that in order to be seen as to accommodating of U.S. Senior officials like Rubio, Chinese leader Xi Jinping would have to engage more directly with Trump during his next term as president. China's big manufacturers making moves before a potential trade war between Washington and Beijing hit their businesses. The world's top battery maker, China-based CATL, recently said it would consider building a factory in the U.S. if President-elect Donald Trump allows Chinese investment. The company's founders of the company has previously showed interest in investing in EV manufacturing in the U.S. and noted that Washington blocked its efforts. But that could be linked to controversies surrounding the battery maker. Senator Marco Rubio, newly confirmed as Trump's choice for the next Secretary of State, has called on the Pentagon to blacklist CATL. So has Congressman John Muellenaar, chairman of the House-elect China Committee. Both lawmakers accused it of having positioned itself to become the primary battery supplier for the Chinese military. A recent Australian report pointed out that many Chinese suppliers are seeking to build plants outside Chinese borders to avoid tariffs. And as President-elect Donald Trump reveals more picks for the key posts in his administration Tuesday, Trump officially named John Ratcliffe, a China hawk and former top spy during Trump's first term, as his choice for CIA chief. NTD's Flora Hua has more on the story. Ratcliffe labeled China America's greatest threat since World War Two. His op-ed was published in the Wall Street Journal back in 2020. The comment aligns with the vice president-elect J.D. Vance's remarks while on the campaign trail. Ratcliffe made the remarks when he served as a nation's top spy under Trump. More recently, he served as co-chair of the Center of American Security, a think tank advocating for Trump's policies. He also advised Trump on national security policy during his most campaign. The former White House intelligence chief also highlighted focus areas like North Korea's nuclear weapon arsenal plus foreign interference in US elections. Flora Hua, NTD News. Trump is weighing multiple well-known China hawks for his cabinet. How is Beijing assessing these developments? Could rising tensions push China closer to adversarial alliances like Iran? To discuss, NTD's Steve Lance spoke with John C. DeLittis, geopolitical strategist and former diplomacy consultant for the State Department. I believe the Chinese government has been expecting a tougher line from the Trump administration because candidate Trump, now president-elect Trump and soon to be President Trump, has made very clear his overarching goal in terms of foreign policy is to restore the credibility of American deterrence, to rebuild it, to strengthen it, to reinforce it and that hopefully from Trump's perspective will avoid any new hot wars. It's very important that we send a message to Beijing that they're very aggressive belligerent activity not only against Taiwan but also increasingly against Japan, against the Philippines and other Southeast Asian tiger countries bordering the South China Sea is unacceptable. John, I'd like to get your assessment on China's unrestricted warfare against the United States and could increased tensions between the US and China push the CCP closer to Iran? China is close to Iran. Several years ago they struck a 40-year deal for China to build supposedly billions of dollars worth of major infrastructure in Iran, none of which has substantively proceeded with yet and China is buying enormous amounts of Iranian oil at discount in violation of US and international sanctions and unfortunately it was the Biden administration's decision to not enforce those sanctions that allowed anywhere from maybe 80 to 100 billion dollars in oil exports primarily to China but also to other countries to fill up the coffers for Iran not to provide for the well-being of their own citizenry but to fund militia proxy groups and terrorists throughout the Middle East. So China and Iran already have a close relationship. Microsoft's president Brad Smith is sending out a warning. The West shouldn't assume that China is still lagging behind the US and Europe on the tech front. He told CNBC Tuesday that it's dangerous for people to underestimate China's tech developments simply due to a lack of familiarity with the country. He added that in many racing lanes China is close or even catching up with the US. To maintain an upper hand in the competition, Smith suggests American companies should collaborate with their European counterparts to develop AI and other technologies. Microsoft's largest overseas research center is located in Beijing. Smith mentioned that the tensions between Beijing and Washington during Biden's presidency have much slowed his company's technology exports. Coming up, President Biden hosts the presidents of Israel and Indonesia at the White House. Discussions focused on US goals in both the Middle East and the South China Sea. United States for us is a very great friend. United States supported us in our struggle for independence. The president of Palau just secured a second term. The country's pro US stance is expected to continue, standing as a key American ally nearby Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression. And a report highlights transnational repression by the Hong Kong government, where they focus on digital rights and the impacts beyond its borders. More on that after the break here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. President Biden met Indonesia's new president, Prabowo Subianto, in the Oval Office Tuesday. According to Biden, they discussed topics like supply chains in the South China Sea entities. Jason Blair brings us the story at the White House. President Biden and Indonesian President Prabowo met in person for the first time since Prabowo's October inauguration. United States for us is very great friend. United States supported us in our struggle for independence. Before the gathering, the White House said part of the meeting was to celebrate the 75th anniversary of U. S. Indonesian relations and pay tribute to those affected by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami as well as explore ways to strengthen U. S. Indonesian cooperation. Before coming to Washington, D. C. President Prabowo was in Beijing meeting with the leader of the P. R. C. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre was asked if the Biden administration was concerned with the deal Indonesia and the Chinese Communist Party made a couple of days ago in regards to the South China Sea. So we continue to encourage Indonesia to work with their legal experts to make sure any agreement they make with the P. R. C. Is in is in according with international law, especially the U. N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. Then on Monday, President Prabowo also called President elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his White House victory. I would like to congratulate you on your election as president of the United States of America. I would like if possible, I would like to call personally on you wherever you are. I'm willing to fly to congratulate you personally, sir. President Prabowo's next destinations are the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC summit in Lima, Peru, followed by the G 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. President Biden is also scheduled to attend the APEC summit in Peru. Reporting in Washington, D. C. Jason Blair Entity News. The alienation of Palau reelected President Serango Whips Jr. For a second term the same day as the U. S. Election. The final vote tally in the small nation show that Whips Jr. Gained more votes than his brother in law. Palau is important to the U. S. Military amid tensions with China. It is also among the dozen of diplomatic allies of Taiwan. He says his government will seek to diversify Palau's economy while protecting its ocean and forests. Palau this year renewed a deal with Washington that will see it receive $890 million in economic assistance over 20 years. In return, Palau must continue to allow U. S. Military access to its maritime zone, airspace and land. Palau's population of 18,000 is spread across an archipelago that sits between the Philippines and the U. S. Military base of Guam. Taiwan's president earlier graduated Whips Jr. via social media, saying there would be greater collaboration in tourism and infrastructure. The U. S. Sending a nuclear powered aircraft carrier to a joint drill with South Korea and Japan Wednesday. The exercises are taking place in South Korea's international waters. The drill comes one day after North Korea ratified a major defense pact with Russia. Under it, both countries would provide military assistance to each other in the event of an attack. The north has sent over 10,000 soldiers to eastern Russia. The State Department said those troops had started working with Russian forces in combat operations. The north also test fired a ballistic missile last month. The war head is capable of flying across continents. The United States will officially open a new air defense base in northern Poland Wednesday. Warsaw says it shows that Poland's military alliance with Washington remains solid. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says President Biden will continue to strengthen NATO until his term ends. Watch President Biden fully intends to drive through the tape and use every day to continue to do what we've done over these last four years, which is strengthen this alliance. It's so critical to the security of the United States, the security of countries throughout Europe. Uh, and we will do that. Uh, and as well to continue to shore up everything we're doing for Ukraine to make sure that it can effectively defend itself against the treasury. The base in Poland is part of a broader NATO missile shield. Other key shield elements are in Romania, Spain and Turkey. Moscow had already labeled the base as a threat as far back as 2007 when it was still being planned. NATO says the shield is purely defensive. Blinken met with NATO Secretary General Mark Ruta in Brussels Wednesday. They talked about how U. S. Allies can take greater leadership over support for Ukraine, with Washington's future role uncertain. On Tuesday, the State Department said North Korean troops were engaging in combat alongside Russian forces in the war with Ukraine. Blinken says North Korean involvement in Ukraine would get a firm response. A report is highlighting trans national repression by the Hong Kong government, with a particular focus on digital rights. Recent laws in the region have severely restricted Hong Kongers, with an impact that reaches far beyond its borders. Entities international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has more from London. Digital communications have played a key part of the Hong Kong pro democracy movement, notably to share information between activists during the 2019 protests. But as human rights have declined in the region, so too has freedom of speech declined online, even going so far as arrests for simple Facebook posts made while Hong Kongers were abroad. A report published by Hong Kong Watch, titled Invisible Decline, looked at the impact of transnational repression and threats to digital rights. Hong Kong Watch co founder Benedict Rogers said people are extremely cautious about what they post online. As we know, the crackdown in Hong Kong has dismantled pretty much all of Hong Kong's freedoms. But what we don't hear enough about is the impact on digital rights. And basically the crackdown on in the digital space is very serious indeed. 23 year old student Mika Yuan Ching Ting was arrested after returning to Hong Kong from studying in Japan. During her time in Japan, she made a number of social media posts, which the Hong Kong police force described as inciting Hong Kong independence. She was prosecuted under the 2020 National Security Law and sentenced to two months in prison. The report said Yuan's case sent shockwaves and led many people to close social media accounts and self censor for fear of repercussions and not just for themselves. There's a real risk that if somebody who's outside Hong Kong put something in the digital sphere that the authorities don't like, that can have repercussions for their family members back home who who may experience harassment, intimidation or worse. There have also been rulings that impact international digital companies. The Hong Kong Justice Department banned the popular pro democracy anthem Glory to Hong Kong. Following a legal battle in May this year, the song was removed from streaming platforms Spotify and Apple Music, not just in Hong Kong, but everywhere across the world. Despite the song only being banned in Hong Kong. These are two examples, but they highlight how the ability to peacefully criticize the Hong Kong government has been repressed on a transnational level. The report makes policy recommendations. One of the major recommendations is to hold the technology companies accountable to where they do comply or cave into pressure to restrict digital rights. He said companies should be called into Parliament in the UK Congress in the US or other similar institutions in other nations so that the companies explain themselves to governments. Rogers added that targeted sanctions should be imposed on Hong Kong officials who infringe upon the freedoms of Hong Kongers. And the report also recommends to improve social media safeguards to ensure these platforms are not used for transnational repression. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News London. 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 China in Focus NTD.com. We'd love to hear from you. Around the clock original news coverage. Visit us at NTD.com or download our NTD app. Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow. Coming up on NTD, stay tuned for America's Hope with Kelly Wright. On tonight's episode, Kelly highlights two guests with powerful stories. The first guest is Lieutenant Colonel Alan West, a former member of Congress that discuss America's political landscape and the path forward. And later, Heather Aiken shares her family's military legacy. Her father, an author on illegal immigration, was posthumously honored by the military, and her grandfather was a World War Two hero. That's tonight at 10 p.m. after China in Focus. Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow.