Trump: Xi Won’t Attack Taiwan on My Watch

Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story was the U.S.'s strike in Venezuela, a blueprint for a Chinese attack on Taiwan. President Trump weighs in. The U.S. taking control of a fifth oil tanker in the Caribbean. Authorities say the vessel was smuggling oil to evade sanctions. Starting with Venezuela, President Trump's gaze is now turning to the cartels in Mexico. And demonstrations on American soil supporting Venezuela's ousted leader, Nicolas Maduro. Who's backing them? An American billionaire currently residing in China has been subpoenaed. We take a closer look. He is definitely someone that is anti-American in ideology. President Trump told the New York Times that Xi would not dare strike Taiwan under his presidency. Yet at quote, it is up to Xi, leaving analysts pondering how Beijing will interpret his comments. Trump rejected any analogy between the U.S. operation in Venezuela and potential Chinese military action against Taiwan. He said, quote, you didn't have people pouring into China. You didn't have drugs pouring into China. You didn't have all the bad things that we've had. You didn't have the jails of Taiwan opened up and the people pouring into China. There aren't that many people in the jails, but you didn't have hundreds of thousands of people coming from jails and mental institutions. When reporters pressed him on Beijing's insistence that Taiwanese independence threatens China, Trump gave a response that could lead analysts to a very different interpretation. He said, it's a source of pride for him. He considers Taiwan to be a part of China and that's up to him what he's going to be doing. He added, you know, I've expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that. And I don't think he'll do that. I hope he doesn't. He may do it after we have a different president, but I don't think he's going to do it with me as president. Some analysts believe Trump's words could encourage Xi Jinping to take action against Taiwan, but others argue we shouldn't take his statements at face value. Trump is a dealmaker and he's speaking to Xi, not the general public. He's actually sending two messengers. First, while I'm in the White House, you cannot attack Taiwan. Second, our relationship is strong. We can still do business. But we want to hear from you. What's your take? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. The U.S. has taken control of another oil tanker in the Caribbean on Friday. The Trump administration is curbing Venezuelan oil exports to U.S. adversaries following the capture of Nicolás Maduro. The vessel is the fifth to be seized by U.S. forces in recent weeks. U.S. Southern Command announced the seizure on X, saying Marines and sailors boarded the motor tanker Olena without incident. The Post went on to say that there is no safe haven for criminals. The U.S. military says it was unwavering in its mission to defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. imposed sanctions on the Olena last January when it was named the Minerva M. U.S. authorities say the tanker is part of a shadow fleet of ships that smuggle oil to evade sanctions. Also in a Truth Social Post this morning, President Trump said that he canceled a second wave of attacks on Venezuela following cooperation from the country. Trump said Venezuela started releasing a large number of foreign and Venezuelan political prisoners this morning, calling it a sign of keeping peace. Spain's foreign ministry confirmed that five of its nationals were released. Footage also showed two leading members of Venezuela's opposition reuniting with their families. Trump called the While Trump said a second attack will not be needed, he did say that all ships will stay in place for safety and security. His comments came hours after an interview on Fox News' Hannity program. Trump said on the show that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is coming to Washington next week. NTD's Dana Moynihan has more on that, plus major news on the President Trump was asked about Maria Corina Machado's visit during an interview on Fox News' Hannity program. Well, I understand she's coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her, and I've heard that she wants to do that. That would be a great honor. President Trump says the country has to be rebuilt before elections can be held. Right now the country has become third world, and they wouldn't know how to have an election right now. We're going to rebuild the oil and the oil infrastructure. We'll be in charge of it. It's going to do great and make a lot of money, and we're going to take it from there. The President discussed Venezuela's oil reserves. All the big oil companies are coming in. They're going to make a lot of money, and Venezuela's going to get some of that money, and we're going to get some of that money, and we brought stability to the region. Trump says Maduro's ouster has helped political prisoners go free. And in many cases, good people is what I understand. The prisoners, nobody ever thought they'd be released. So we're going to be working with them and leadership of the country. The government in Venezuela says it has decided to release a significant number of Venezuelan and foreign detainees as a gesture affirming its broad intention to seek peace. Two prominent Venezuelan opposition figures were among those set free yesterday. Approximately 2,200 people were arrested by Venezuelan authorities following the country's disputed presidential election in 2024, according to Amnesty International. President Trump says the United States will begin launching strikes on cartels in Mexico. The move comes after the president says the U.S. has knocked out 97 percent of the drugs coming in by water, speaking on Fox News. We are going to start now hitting the land with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico. It's very, very sad to watch and see what's happened to that country. According to the CDC, the rate of drug overdose deaths quadrupled from around eight deaths per 100,000 people in 2002 to around 32 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022. There were about 80,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2024, 110,000 in 2023. President Trump also discussed the widespread protests in Iran, saying in the past the regime has murdered protesters en masse. So they played rough. And I said, if they do that, we're going to hit them very hard. We're going to hit them hard. We're ready to do it. If they do that, we're going to hit them hard. And so far, for the most part, there's been some of it. But for the most part, they haven't. The president expressed admiration for the Iranian people and repeated his warning. These people are totally unarmed people, and they love their country. They want something to happen. Look at their country. They've gone back 150 years. But I've told them that if they do anything bad to these people, we're going to hit them very hard. Iran has been in the midst of a nationwide internet blackout since yesterday, according to the internet monitoring group NetBlocks. The tactic has been used in the past by the regime during violent crackdowns to prevent footage from showing the killing and to shut down communication. Daniel Monaghan, NTD News. There are claims that the Chinese Communist Party is backing left-wing protests in America. The topic is back in the spotlight as anti-ICE demonstrations and rallies supporting Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro have picked up again. The congresswoman this week subpoenaed a pro-Beijing billionaire who is suspected of bankrolling the organized protests. Notably, this American businessman lives in China. NTD's Malia Weisskopf reports. Anti-ICE protests starting up again in Minnesota and protests opposing the capture of communist dictator Nicolas Maduro popped up in New York City. We saw it in the protests that were pro-Maduro, supposedly, where everyone showed up with the exact same protest sign paid for by individuals largely based out of China. There's a real concern here that we have a vivid fifth column approaching on U.S. shores that are trying to advance a pro-Beijing agenda. The groups behind these protests, like the Party for Socialism and Liberation, are suspected to be a socialist network bankrolled by a China-based billionaire named Nelva Roy Singham. But when those things happen and they're sensitive and they try to support, quite frankly, our enemies and China is not a friend of the U.S., then my guess is there's probably some illegal activity. Congresswoman Ana Paulina Luna described Singham as the funding arm of the CCP. He is definitely someone that is anti-American in ideology and regardless of where you might stand, even on topics like Israel versus Palestine, is funding certain groups that actually sow discord in this country with no efforts to actually resolve the issues, only to get us to fight one another. Congresswoman Luna has moved to subpoena Singham to testify before the House Oversight Committee, emphasizing that if Singham doesn't comply, lawmakers will hold him in contempt. What we've uncovered is I feel like the tip of the iceberg still and so there's a lot more work to be done and then bring the swift arm of justice behind it. The committee will probe the links between Singham and the CCP. When she made the motion to subpoena Singham on Wednesday, the top Democrat on the committee urged his side of the aisle to support it. I understand his concerns. I'm going to recommend that we vote yes on the Luna motion. The pro-Beijing billionaire has been under the microscope for several months. The Oversight Committee opened their investigation into Singham last summer and former Senator Marco Rubio previously referred him to the DOJ. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weisskopf, NTD News. Before we take a closer look into who Neville Singham is and his ties to China, let's first look at one group deeply involved in the anti-ICE protests, the Party for Socialism and Liberation. It's a communist political party based in the U.S. that openly supports the Chinese regime. Over the years, Neville Singham has reportedly funneled more than $20 million to the Justice and Education Fund, a non-profit with leadership ties to the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The fund has also supported several other U.S.-based pro-Marxist groups. So who is Neville Singham? He's a pro-China tech mogul, an American living in Shanghai with his wife, Jodi Evans. Singham once worked as a consultant for Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant blacklisted by the U.S. as linked to the Chinese military. Beyond that, he also shares office space in Shanghai with a Chinese propaganda firm. A 2023 New York Times investigation revealed a photo from Singham's office showing young people gathered beneath a red banner that read, Always Follow the Party. Hanging nearby was a portrait of China's Communist Party leader, Xi Jinping. What's more, Singham's wife is a socialist activist. She co-authored a book called China Is Not Our Enemy with a researcher connected to Beijing-linked entities. She has also described Uyghurs as terrorists and pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong as rioters. In an interview with the New York Times, both Singham and his wife denied taking orders from the Chinese Communist Party. They said their actions reflect their own personal beliefs. This is the couple behind funding radical movements in the U.S. President Trump warning Iran that the U.S. is loaded and ready to go if the regime kills peaceful protesters. More protests have broken out in the country Friday after the regime shut down the internet and telephone networks, cutting the country off from the rest of the world. China's longtime ally faces its largest anti-government protests in decades. What triggered the massive protest in the country? NTD's Juliet Song has more. More protests erupted in Iran a day after authorities cut off the internet, fueling fears of a brutal crackdown. Iran's Supreme Leader is signaling he's preparing a crackdown on demonstrators. That comes as President Trump pledges to step in if Iran kills peaceful protesters. So far, a human rights group says more than 40 protesters have been killed, hundreds injured and over 2,000 detained. More than 390 protests have swept across at least 30 provinces. The sense of hopelessness in Iranian society is something today that we haven't seen before. I mean that sense of anger has just deepened over the years and we're at the record new levels in terms of how Iranian society is upset about where they are. A Tehran resident told CNN this wave of protests feels different. It's driven by shrinking buying power and the fact that many people can no longer afford basic goods. Iran's currency has fallen 33 times in value from last year, now trading at $1.4 million to the dollar. Prices have spiked on meat, eggs, cooking oil and other staples. Inflation rate is at a staggering 40 percent compared to the year before. Iran provides citizens with $7 per month for basic groceries. For context, that allows the average Iranian to purchase just a few pounds of rice. The protests started less than two weeks ago with shopkeepers and then quickly spread to other parts of the country. It's notable that Iran's merchants came out to protest. They have been loyal to the regime and were key to its rise to power over 40 years ago. Iran is at a vulnerable point. Its defense and nuclear infrastructure have been severely damaged by U.S. and Israel strikes last summer. And outside the country, Iran's allies and proxies have been weakened. Israel has crushed Hamas in Gaza and killed the top leadership of Hezbollah in Lebanon. The U.S. and Israel also struck Houthi rebels in Yemen. China has remained largely silent on the protests in Iran, aside from saying days ago that it opposes any external interference. We'll keep you updated as the situation develops. Juliet Zong, NTD News. Four ships from China, Russia and Iran arrived at South Africa's main naval base Friday. The three countries have begun a week-long joint exercise off the country's coast. The operation follows the U.S. capture of Venezuela's dictator Nicolás Maduro over the weekend. Meanwhile, each country participating in the drills is facing its own domestic challenges. NTD's Flora Huang has more. The joint exercise is described as the BRICS Plus Maritime Cooperation. BRICS Plus is a geopolitical group that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and six other states, like Iran. South Africa's second biggest political party called the statement misleading, saying major powers of the group, like India and Brazil, don't seem to be attending. It criticized the government for siding with sanctioned states like Russia and Iran. Ukrainians living in South Africa are also protesting to the naval drills. We ask South Africa to stop cooperation with Russian navy training because that is a part of Russian military and army that kills peaceful Ukrainians and attacks with aggression sovereign country of Ukraine. Looking at challenges facing Russia, Iran and China, this week, Washington seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker and labeling it as part of a shadow fleet transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil. At the same time, protests against the Islamic regime are growing across Iran. The latest U.S. military action in Venezuela is also widely viewed as a huge blow to the Chinese regime's influence in the Western Hemisphere. Flora Huang, NTD News. Coming up, Disney CEO in Beijing meeting one of China's top officials. The company is looking to strengthen its foothold in the world's second largest economy. And China is probing MENA's acquisition of Chinese-linked Mamos AI. Why is China targeting the company? And what does it mean for U.S. national security? More on that after the break here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Chinese state media said one of China's top officials met with Disney CEO Bob Iger in Beijing on Friday. It comes as Disney tries to strengthen its foothold in the world's second largest economy amid U.S.-China tensions. The country's vice premier has encouraged Iger to invest further in China. It's a shift from Beijing's threat last April that it would further restrict imports of Hollywood films in response to U.S. tariffs. China's $19 trillion economy presents a complicated business proposition for U.S. film studios. The country's young, affluent urban middle class offers a lucrative audience for theme parks but for three decades Beijing has capped Hollywood imports at just 10 films a year and that potentially constrains interest in the franchises that drives consumers to the parks. Iger built out Disney's media empire through high-profile acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel and the Star Wars franchise. Analysts estimate Hollywood films account for only 5% of overall box office receipts in China's markets. Still, Disney and Universal Studios have both opened theme parks in Shanghai and Beijing respectively. Iger's visit is likely to again drive speculation the entertainment giant has plans to open a second amusement park in the country. An artificial intelligence platform with Chinese origins is in the crosshairs. Meta wants to buy it and use it to boost AI on Facebook and Instagram. China doesn't seem happy with Meta's plan and is set to probe it. Manos AI introduced a product they call AI Agents which is capable of managing a person's financial and travel plans. On Thursday, China's commerce ministry said it will review the deal to determine whether it violates export controls or foreign investment rules. While Manos is now based in Singapore, the company originated from China and shares data with Chinese tech giant Alibaba. Those connections are raising red flags among national security experts in the US, including China analyst Casey Fleming. This should never have been approved. I would absolutely hope that the Trump administration bans it. Don't forget, we've got US military, we've got government people, we've got people of top secret clearance. All these people, every time you put an app on your phone and especially an app that's been married to a Chinese AI app, a communist Chinese AI app, you're weakening our national security and the safety of our military and our support people as well. And that's not just the military, it's government, it's business, it's everything. The probe comes as Manos relocated from China to Singapore and began receiving US investments. Meanwhile, Beijing warned other domestic AI firms not to follow Manos' path to being bought by Silicon Valley. Meta claims China will no longer play a role in Manos' daily operations. The headquarters and employees will remain in Singapore. Chinese firms have a history of moving operations to Singapore. One example would be TikTok. Security analysts say Manos could still be influenced by China through investors, technology or business partnerships in Singapore. Its reliance on Chinese markets gives Beijing leverage over the company's decisions, posing a potential US national security risk. After calls for tougher government oversight regarding Meta's acquisition of Manos AI, here's a case where lawmakers say too much regulation may have backfired. A bipartisan pair of House lawmakers on Thursday urged the Treasury Department to review a proposed deal. The deal involves American Roomba maker iRobot going bankrupt and its Chinese supplier wanting to buy it. Democratic Congressmen Rich Torres and Republican Zach Noon are asking Treasury Secretary Scott Besson to launch a national security review of the transaction. The deal would give ownership of iRobot to a China-based robotics company. They warn the deal could put sensitive American data in the hands of a foreign adversary. Modern Roombas map homes using cameras and sensors, collecting detailed floor plans from millions of US households. Lawmakers emphasize that under Chinese law, iRobot would be forced to hand that data over to the government if owned by a Chinese company. The company ran into serious trouble when Amazon failed to buy it in 2022. That deal fell apart due to US and European scrutiny, leaving iRobot struggling with supply chain issues and cheaper competitors. National security experts argue that tight US regulations helped push iRobot into bankruptcy and closer to Chinese ownership. Lawmakers say the case could set a dangerous precedent, warning that US firms facing regulations may become easier targets for Beijing. The representatives have asked the administration for a briefing on the review by early February. President Trump's tariffs remain undecided. On Friday, the Supreme Court delayed a ruling on a challenge to US authority to impose the tariffs. It's pushing a decision to next Wednesday. The high court heard arguments back in November. Trump had imposed tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. He says they are necessary to address what he has described as a national emergency regarding US trade deficits. The tariffs target China, Canada and Mexico, citing fentanyl and other illicit drug trafficking into the United States. Trump has also imposed reciprocal tariffs on goods imported from other nations that trade with the US. Businesses affected by the tariffs, along with 12 states, have challenged the measures in court. 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 chinainfocusatnd.com. We'd love to hear from you. We're on the clock for regional news coverage. Visit us at ntd.com or download our NTD app. Thanks for watching. See you soon.