Washington is racing to cut its reliance on rare earths from China. We take a look at the pressure—and opportunities—facing a U.S. company at the center of that push. Boosting efforts to reduce America's reliance on China: $162 million is going toward new technologies to recover rare earth elements from industrial waste and byproducts. Japan is feeling the squeeze from Beijing’s rare earth restrictions. Here’s what Tokyo is doing to tackle the problem. More light has been shed on the controversy surrounding the origins of COVID-19 and the lab-leak theory. A former top adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and is now facing possible prison time. China is blocking a European Union probe into e-commerce giant JD.com. The investigation is looking into whether Chinese state-backed subsidies are distorting competition in European markets. Barred from leaving South Korea, a former U.S. ambassador speaks out. Morse Tan joins us to discuss his experience, South Korea’s political shift, and the Chinese Communist Party’s influence. 00:00 Intro 01:00 U.S. Lab Competes W/ China Over Minerals Needed for Jets 03:40 U.S. Invests $162M in Critical Minerals Projects 04:27 Korea Zinc to Boost U.S. Critical Mineral Supply 05:46 Japan's Imports of Two Rare Earth Elements Plunge 70% 06:39 NSA Blocked Intel of CCP Election Influence From Trump 08:58 Former Fauci Adviser Pleads Guilty 11:36 Dr. Fauci Under Fire Over COVID-19 Answers 11:56 China Orders Entities Not to Aid EU's JD.com Probe 13:32 Japan Reaffirms Military Ties With U.S., S. Korea 14:48 Fmr. U.S. Ambassador Barred From Leaving South Korea 17:47 U.S. Citizen Arrested for U.S.-Based Speech 18:50 Fmr. U.S. Ambassador on CCP Influence in South Korea

Source: How a US Firm Is Breaking China’s Dominance in Rare Earths | China in Focus

China’s middle class faces a growing threat to its primary source of wealth: expiring land leases. Under China’s system, citizens buy homes but only lease the underlying land—typically for 70 years for residential properties and 40 years for commercial ones. A quiet directive from Shanghai recently revealed how local governments plan to handle expiring commercial leases: requiring owners to extend their rights by paying at least 70% of current benchmark land prices. Driven by severe local government debt and a collapsed market for new land sales, this policy creates a precedent for extracting revenue from existing property. While residential leases officially renew "automatically," the law omits whether renewals are free. As 70-year residential leases begin to approach their expiration dates in the coming decades, millions of families risk being forced to pay exorbitant fees simply to retain the value of their homes.

Source: From Homeowners to Permanent Tenants: The End of China’s Housing Miracle | Digging into China

In June 2026, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning deployed to the western Pacific, drawing analysis from defense observers regarding its air wing composition. Footage released by CCTV shows folded-wing carrier-based aircraft parked along the angled flight deck. A launch bar on the front landing gear indicates these aircraft are the updated J-15T variant, designed for catapult-assisted takeoff. Based on visual examination of the deck, all visible fighters appear to be J-15Ts.

Source: China’s Carrier Fighter Nightmare: A “Joke” With Less Than 12 Years Of Life

CCP leaders seem all powerful in China right now, but they know their days are numbers, and that makes them very insecure. In this episode we discuss what Chinese leaders fear most, why China is desperately seeking sanctions relief from the US, and how the CCP is shooting itself in the foot.

Source: The CCP's Days Are Numbered…

The United States is cracking down on a Chinese strategy for avoiding U.S. tariffs. A new White House report zeroes in on what it calls the “transshipment scam”—moving Chinese-made goods through another country before they reach America. A separate big win for President Donald Trump—and bad news for some Chinese online retailers. A U.S. court is backing his decision to impose duties on goods worth $800 or less entering the country. Microsoft has shut 15 offices and joint ventures in China as the country’s economy slows. Plus, U.S. tariffs are driving Ford to move some SUV production from China back to the United States. Taiwan’s biggest annual war games are entering their final two days. We take a look at how civilians in the island’s capital are preparing. A new flashpoint in Northeast Asia. Vladimir Putin is making his first visit as Russia’s president to a disputed island claimed by Japan, triggering strong protests from Tokyo. 00:00 Intro 01:16 $60B Lost to Transshipment Scams Annually: WH Report 01:55 China Builds Transshipment Network to Evade Tariffs 02:56 White House Announces AI System to Detect Transshipment 03:48 Court Backs Trump’s End to ‘De Minimis’ Loophole 06:29 Microsoft Shuts 15 Offices, Joint Ventures in China 07:50 Ford to Move Some SUV Production Back to U.S. 08:24 On the Ground During Taiwan’s Air Raid Drill 09:11 What Is Taiwan Preparing for in Air Raid Drill? 10:32 Xi Orders China Military: Be Ready for Taiwan by 2027 10:44 Putin Visits Disputed Kuril Islands; Japan Protests 13:14 Taiwan Thwarts AI Cyberattacks 13:58 U.S. Must Rebuild Hard Power to Counter China: Col. Newsham 14:16 Philippines Wakes Up to China’s Political Warfare 18:50 “Don’t Help Them”: A Reagan Strategy for Today

Source: U.S. Cracks Down on China’s Tariff Scam | China in Focus

Newly released documents reveal how evidence of Chinese penetration of voter registration files and plots to interfere in the election were withheld or downplayed. The new files reveal one of the intelligence officers said they “deliberately massaged” the presidential daily briefing in 2020 to downplay election-related information, with another stating, “I’m basically running a shadow government across the FBI at this point.” John Solomon is chair of the White House Government Transparency Task Force, an award-winning journalist, and founder of Just the News. He breaks down key documents his task force has released—and what more we can expect to see in the coming days and months. Newly declassified documents also upend the prevailing narrative on the Biden–Ukraine story, revealing how the FBI allegedly ran a secret operation known as Round River. According to the documents, it labelled whistleblowers as Russian “conduits” and dismissed the evidence they provided on the Biden family as “Russian disinformation.” John Solomon places Round River within a broader sequence of FBI operations targeting Trump that included Crossfire Hurricane, Plasmic Echo, and Arctic Frost. This is “a wash, rinse, repeat cycle," he said, going all the way back to the 2016 election and the debunked “Trump–Russia collusion” narrative. In this episode, we examine questions of accountability, the extent of the cover-up, and whether FBI Director Kash Patel will be successful in building a “grand conspiracy” case. Note: This interview was filmed before the latest document drop related to former Rep. Eric Swalwell and alleged Chinese operative Fang Fang. 00:00 FBI’s Secret Election Operations 03:30 "Round River" Revelations 07:40 Mirror Image of "Crossfire Hurricane" 10:32 New Book: Killed To Order 11:34 The Intelligence Community’s Election Secrets 15:13 Election Machine Vulnerabilities 16:43 China’s Access to US Voter Data 19:38 Fake Registrations and Noncitizen Voting 23:00 The Maricopa County Breach 26:14 Politics Over National Security 39:33 The Grand Conspiracy Case 34:03 Operation "Oxferd C0mma"

Source: How Our Spy Agencies Hid Chinese Election Interference Operations | John Solomon

Zhu Rongji’s death comes at a highly sensitive moment for Xi Jinping—just after the Beidaihe meetings, during Jiang Zemin’s centennial, and ahead of the Fifth Plenum. But the bigger problem may be what Zhu’s passing forces China to remember: the reform era, rapid growth, greater openness, and a very different direction from Xi’s China.

Source: Why Zhu Rongji’s Death Is Bad News for Xi Jinping

The true frontline of U.S.-China rivalry is the American stock market, the core of U.S. wealth, consumer confidence, and political legitimacy. Beijing views Wall Street as a strategic vulnerability and seeks to crash it through asymmetric means: leveraging Iranian proxies to spike oil prices, reignite inflation, force higher interest rates, and amplify panic via financial intermediaries. Yet the campaign fails. Proxies prioritize their own interests—mirroring a real 2013 Guangxi hitman case where successive subcontractors diluted a contract until it collapsed. China spends heavily for only temporary market dips, accelerating its own fiscal strains while creating discounted buying opportunities for U.S. investors. American market depth and corporate resilience consistently absorb the shocks and rebound, turning Beijing’s costly effort into an unintended subsidy for Wall Street.

Source: The Ultimate Backfire: Why China’s Financial Warfare Is Bleeding Its Own Treasury

When companies look at the China market, they see potentially 1.4 billion consumers. That’s a lie, says our guest David Day, who is the Chairman of the Global Risk Mitigation Foundation.

Source: China’s Hidden Economy

India is transforming Great Nicobar Island into a major maritime and military hub, betting that its strategic location near the Strait of Malacca will strengthen its security and its role in the Indo-Pacific. The multi-billion US dollar project includes a deep-water transshipment port, a dual-use airport and expanded military infrastructure, giving India a stronger presence near one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The development has also drawn attention in China, where prominent analysts warn that India's growing capabilities could deepen Beijing's "Malacca Dilemma" by increasing the vulnerability of China's vital energy and trade routes. Is Great Nicobar primarily an economic development project — or a strategic counterweight to China's expanding influence across the Indian Ocean? In this episode, we examine why the island matters, how it could reshape the regional balance of power and what it means for China, Taiwan and the wider Indo-Pacific region. *Recorded on August 6, 2026 at 4pm Taiwan Standard Time Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat Producer: Suvam Pal Videographer: Celest Kao Our guests: S. B. Asthana Retired Indian Army Major General Roger Chifeng Liu Taiwan Thinktank DIMEs Center Comprehensive Diplomacy Team Director Hindol Sengupta O. P. Jindal Global University Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA) Executive Dean and Jindal India Institute (JII) Director Chapters: 00:00:00 – India Unveils Big Nicobar Investments 00:03:04 – Is India Complicating China’s Plans? 00:09:26 – New Delhi Builds Dual-Use Infrastructure

Source: India's Great Nicobar: Why Island 74km From Malacca Worries China | Taiwan Talks EP903

Cameras on British naval drones are sending data back to China. A look at how the West is trying to break free from a Chinese-dominated drone supply chain. A Chinese national pleads guilty to trying to smuggle U.S. military equipment to China. Cryptocurrency was also part of the case. A Chinese rocket exploded shortly after liftoff. Is it an isolated setback—or a systemic problem? Vietnam’s top leader is meeting with his Australian counterpart amid growing tensions across the Indo-Pacific. The two nations are deepening security and economic ties, with critical minerals and the South China Sea high on the agenda. One of Washington’s major allies in Asia is changing its defense strategy, with the Chinese Communist Party in its sights. What’s next for the U.S.-Japan alliance? Retired Marine Colonel Grant Newsham, a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy, says: “Now we do have the prospects of Japan becoming a much better ally, not just politically, but in concrete operational terms.” 00:00 Intro 01:14 Cameras on UK Naval Drones Sending Data Back to China 02:06 U.S. Reliance on Chinese Drones, Components 03:09 Chinese Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted U.S. Arms Smuggling 04:17 Chinese Rocket Explodes After Liftoff 05:12 AUS, Vietnam Deepen Security, Critical Mineral Ties 06:56 Japan Signals Urgency in Defense Shift: Newsham 08:43 Japan Moves to Become a Stronger U.S. Ally 09:59 Newsham: China Is Looking for a Fight With Japan 11:20 Beijing Views Iran as Proxy: Gaub 13:28 New Meta AI Model Aims to Compete With Chinese Rivals 14:37 China Uses AI to Influence U.S. Voters: Expert

Source: Cameras on Naval Drones Sending Data Back to China | China in Focus

China has built an arsenal of “carrier killer” missiles designed to threaten US aircraft carriers—but what happens if the US and its allies flip the script? A new CSIS report lays out five ways the US and its allies could put China’s growing aircraft carrier fleet at risk, from submarines and chokepoints to drones, cyber warfare, and long-range strikes. China may be building more carriers, but getting them safely out of its own backyard could be a much bigger problem.

Source: What If We Just Like, You Know…Sunk China’s Aircraft Carriers?

China’s military is facing growing questions over leadership, vacancies, and disappearing senior commanders. This video examines the deepening power struggle inside the PLA and Xi Jinping’s increasingly unusual relationship with China’s military. Are military orders going unsigned, and is Xi Jinping losing control of the Chinese military? As uncertainty grows inside the PLA, the biggest question may be whether anyone is truly in control.

Source: Why Are China’s Top Generals Disappearing?

While taking questions from reporters on Monday, President Donald Trump spoke about attempts to connect with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

Source: 'Did You Speak To Him?': Trump Pressed By Reporters On Request To Speak With Kim Jong Un

The Twin Crises Facing Xi Jinping: Economic Stagnation and Diplomatic Isolation | Digging into China China’s record-breaking July trade figures reveal a stark economic paradox: booming external trade contrasting with a sluggish domestic economy. While green-tech exports and tech-sector inflation propel headline values, volume growth remains modest. Beijing offsets Western tariffs through third-country re-routing and asymmetric currency devaluation against the Euro. However, this reliance on massive trade surpluses is accelerating international retaliation. The US is closing transshipment backdoors, while the EU moves toward comprehensive tariffs and security-based market barriers. This trade friction is compounded by geopolitical isolation. The quiet closure of Israel’s consulate in Chengdu highlights the fallout of Beijing’s transactional diplomacy in the Middle East. Facing growing protectionism and diplomatic retreat, China’s export-led model faces imminent, severe limits.

Source: The Twin Crises Facing Xi Jinping: Economic Stagnation and Diplomatic Isolation | Digging into China

On August 9, a bizarre incident reportedly occurred at a China Construction Bank branch in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. A person claimed that a gold bar he had previously purchased from the bank was sent to a gold shop for processing, where it was found to be made of copper instead of gold.

Source: China’s State Bank Gold Bar Found To Be Copper: $4 Billion Fake Gold Scandal Exposed

China Analyst Tony Fiddis examines Washington’s aggressive Section 232 tariffs on Chinese drones, the slowdown in Chinese outbound tourism, and the global macroeconomic risks of China’s unprecedented trade surplus. Read the complete in-depth analysis on China News Update: https://chinanewsupdate.com/us-drone-… Please Support the Channel (It's just me making China Update): Patreon Link: / chinaupdate One-off Tips Here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chinaupdate Book a one-on-one video consultation with Tony Fiddis for tailored, independent analysis of China’s economy, political landscape and evolving regulatory environment: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chinaupd… Video Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:19 US-China Tensions 02:56 China’s Economy: Overseas Travel 05:18 Personal Announcements 11:07 Could China’s Overcapacity Trigger the Next Global Crisis?

Source: Is China About To Trigger the Next Global Crisis? | US – China Tensions | China’s Economy

Art historian Nathalie Trouveroy has shared never-before-seen footage of the Tiananmen Square protests with Le Monde, shedding new light on how the Chinese regime violently repressed the student protests in June 1989.

Source: Tiananmen Square: Unseen footage reveals how the Chinese regime turned to violent repression

The sixth-generation fighter race has officially begun. In this deep dive, we compare America's F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter with China's mysterious J-50 stealth aircraft. Which fighter has the superior stealth design? Which has the better engines, sensors, AI, electronic warfare capabilities, and loyal wingman drones? And which could dominate the skies in a future conflict? Unlike many comparisons based on rumors alone, this documentary explains what is officially known, what defense analysts estimate, and where the biggest unknowns remain. In this video you'll discover: • Why sixth-generation fighters are changing air combat forever • F-47 vs J-50 design philosophy • Stealth technology and tailless aircraft • Adaptive-cycle engines explained • AI-powered sensor fusion • Electronic warfare and next-generation weapons • Loyal wingman drones and network-centric warfare • Which fighter appears to have the edge—and why the answer isn't as simple as it seems.

Source: Boeing F – 47 vs. Shenyang J – 50: The Ultimate Sixth – Generation Fighter Deep Dive

The largest Chinese embassy in Europe is set to rise in the heart of London: a 20,000 square meter complex at Royal Mint Court. Local councillors rejected it twice. But the government approved it anyway, and a High Court challenge from residents was dismissed this summer. Standing against it is Luke de Pulford, founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China—an international coalition of lawmakers opposing CCP infiltration. Why does this embassy matter, and why should America care? The site sits directly above fiber-optic cables carrying sensitive financial data between the City of London and Canary Wharf, Britain's two main financial districts. The architectural drawings are also conspicuously redacted. "Nearly an entire floor is redacted, so we don't know what the use of those buildings are, and some of those rooms are in the basement area," de Pulford says. "If the Chinese were able to, in some way, sabotage or hack this cabling … They would be impacting any financial services from anywhere in the world who are located in those two financial centers, which of course includes the United States." MI5 lists China as one of the most serious national security threats facing the UK. So why was the embassy approved? "It's partly down to the leverage that China exacts, it's partly down to the carrots that it dangles around economic opportunities, and it's partly down to the blunt coercion it's willing to mete out."

Source: China’s Mega Embassy With Secret Rooms Beneath London | Luke de Pulford

Taiwan is getting ready for a Chinese blockade—and its biggest vulnerabilities could be energy and communications. Chris Chappell looks at Taiwan’s latest war games, China’s growing pressure around the island, and the preparations underway to keep Taiwan supplied if a crisis turns into a conflict.

Source: Taiwan Has 20 Days MAX

China’s economic engine is cooling rapidly, and a major policy rift is opening among top leadership over how to engineer a recovery. China analyst Tony Fiddis examines the growing split between traditional infrastructure spending and radical consumer stimulus.

Source: China’s Top Economist Warns: We Are In Serious Trouble | China’s Economy | US – China

Where is Hu Jintao? A shocking death rumor involving China’s former leader, his wife, and son has sparked intense speculation across the Chinese internet. In this video, we examine the viral Hu Jintao death rumor, the mysterious screenshot, the reported denial, and the questions surrounding its disappearance. We also explore why the rumor is putting Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party under pressure—and what it could mean for China’s political future. What is true, and what is political manipulation?

Source: The Death Rumor Putting Xi Jinping Under Pressure

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council minister says that China's new immigration rules are unclear and will induce panic if implemented. The rules also tighten entry regulations for foreigners.

Source: Mainland Affairs Council Weighs In on China's New Immigration Rules｜TaiwanPlus News

On August 6, water was reportedly seen dripping from the cabin ceiling of an Air China COMAC C919 passenger jet. A flight attendant was filmed walking down the aisle, using tissues to absorb water leaking from gaps in the ceiling panels. The awkward scene quickly drew public attention.

Source: C919 Turns Into “Rain Cabin”: Crew Blocks Leaks, Chinese Airlines Call It “Junk”

The US State Department says it firmly rejects China's efforts to enforce its territorial claim over Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Beijing has long claimed sovereignty over the reef, rejecting an international ruling in favor of the Philippines. Washington calls Beijing's declaration of a national nature reserve around the shoal "destabilizing" and says China has no right to deny Fillipino fishers access to a traditional fishing ground.

Source: US Rejects China’s Efforts To Cut Access to Disputed Scarborough Shoal｜TaiwanPlus News

In this hard-hitting opinion piece for *Digging into China*, I argue that the CCP under Xi Jinping has entered "historical garbage time" — the phase where a system's decline becomes inevitable, yet it continues accelerating toward failure. Drawing on Austrian economics, dynastic Chinese history, and current realities, I examine how extreme power centralization, massive subsidies, demographic collapse, and ideological rigidity have created unbreakable dead loops. Xi's leadership has accelerated these contradictions: from zero-COVID's self-inflicted wounds and property crises to elite capital flight and youth disillusionment. While the regime clings to control through surveillance and propaganda, legitimacy erodes. Individuals, however, do not have garbage time — personal agency, skill-building, and truth-seeking remain possible. This is not collapse prediction, but a call for realism. China's trajectory carries risks and costs for the world. True rejuvenation requires freedom and accountability currently absent. The sprint is underway. The question is how we navigate it.

Source: From Miracle to Meltdown: China’s Dangerous Descent Into Historical Garbage Time | Digging into China

Chinese fishing fleets are leaving behind a trail of abused workers, dead crew members, depleted fisheries, and environmental destruction around the world. In this episode of China Uncensored, we expose the horrifying conditions aboard Chinese fishing vessels—and how China’s massive fishing industry is devastating oceans and exploiting workers while expanding its reach across the globe.

Source: The Moment You Realize You've Made A Terrible, Terrible Mistake

The US, Philippines and Japan are joined by a growing group of allies in the largest iteration of the Balikatan exercise yet. With new participants including France, Canada and New Zealand, the drills are expanding in scale and complexity, from live-fire maritime strikes to integrated air and missile defense. For the first time, exercises are being held in the Bashi Channel, just over 100 miles from Taiwan. The strategic importance of the First Island Chain is further underscored by Japan’s larger than expected commitment of 1,400 troops. In response, Beijing has sharply criticized the allies and blocked air travel over wide swathes of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. In this episode, we examine what’s driving this expansion and what it means for Taiwan and regional security. *Recorded on April 21, 2026 at 2:30pm Taiwan Standard Time Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat Consultant: Max Yu Research Assistant: Ryan Pham Our guests: Tony Hu Former US Department of Defense Senior Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia Sana Hashmi Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation Fellow Renato Cruz de Castro De La Salle University Department of International Studies Distinguished Professor Chapters: 00:00:00 – Philippines Hosts Biggest-Ever Drills 00:01:47 – China, Japan Sail Through Strait 00:04:33 – US Allies in ‘Real World’ Exercises 00:13:38 – Japan Sends 1,400 Troops 00:19:20 – Beijing Locks Down Airspace

Source: Balikatan: China Fury as Japan, New Zealand Join US – Philippines Drills | Taiwan Talks EP817

This briefing will look at the construction of military facilities on Antelope Reef, Paracel Islands, and what it means for China’s military capabilities in the South China Sea.

Source: China’s New Base in the South China Sea – What’s its significance?

China’s new mission is the most advanced robotic lander we’ve seen so far, but it’s also just the first step in a Chinese plan that will build their own permanent outpost on a critical piece of land that NASA has already tried to claim, but failed to reach.

Source: What Is Actually Happening With China's Artemis Mission