When nations face a fiscal emergency they turn to the <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/About/Factsheets/Sheets/2022/IMF-World-Bank-New" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Monetary Fund (IMF).</a> When they need capital to build roads, energy grids, or water sanitation, they go to the <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/About/Factsheets/Sheets/2022/IMF-World-Bank-New" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Bank.</a>
Both institutions play essential roles in the international financial system. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0094#:~:text=First%2C%20we%20must%20make%20the,deficit%20in%20our%20nation's%20history." target="_blank" rel="noopener">believes</a> “mission creep has knocked these institutions off course.”
Earlier this year, Bessent warned that the IMF and World Bank have drifted from their mandates by devoting time and resources to work on <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0094#:~:text=First%2C%20we%20must%20make%20the,deficit%20in%20our%20nation's%20history." target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change, gender, and social issues</a>. On Wednesday, he acknowledged recent course corrections and urged both institutions to continue refocusing on their original mandates.
“At a time when countries around the world are tightening their belts, we should expect the same from public institutions that have been built with and supported by taxpayer money from around the world,&#8221; Bessent <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> this week ahead of both the IMF and World Bank&#8217;s annual meetings.
He criticized the board’s &#8220;ballooning salaries” and expanding administrative overhead, urging the institutions to impose financial discipline. “Resources must not be siphoned away from the core missions,” he added.
Part of that mission involves refocusing the IMF and World Bank’s relationship with China.
Last week, China sent a letter announcing large-scale export controls taking effect on November 1. President Donald Trump said the export controls would be on “virtually every product they make“ and “affect all countries.” He condemned the policy as a “moral disgrace” and responded with a threat to raise tariffs to 100% on all Chinese imports.
Bessent, echoing Trump’s concerns, urged the IMF and the World Bank to take another look at China.
“The IMF is uniquely positioned to provide bilateral and multilateral economic surveillance that identifies imbalances and risks, facilitates the balanced growth of international trade, and discourages harmful policies.”
Bessent called the IMF to examine China’s policies, focusing their surveillance “on macroeconomic and financial stability” rather than “climate and gender.”
Addressing the World Bank, Bessent pushed for implementing a graduation policy “supporting countries along the way to self-reliance and enabling the bank to concentrate its resources on poorer, less creditworthy countries where its support is most needed and most impactful.”
Bessent specifically named China as a country that should no longer be receiving World Bank assistance, saying it’s time for the institution to “graduate” China and focus its limited resources where support is truly needed.
Bessent’s stance matters. The United States is the largest financial contributor to both institutions, giving it considerable influence over policy direction and voting power.
The Treasury Secretary&#8217;s remarks also mark a sharp change in policy from his predecessor. At the 2024 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen praised the “record high of nearly $75 billion in climate finance to low- and middle-income countries in 2023, a 45 percent increase from 2021.”
“Confronting climate change, of course, remains at the top of our agenda,” she announced. She also supported an expansion of IMF funding through increased quotas.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent testifies before a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Capitol Hill

Bessent Pushes IMF And World Bank Focus On China, Not Gender And Climate Issues

China

Climate Change

Donald Trump

Scott Bessent

Treasury Department

JPMorgan Chase this week announced a $1.5 trillion initiative to reduce America&#8217;s reliance on China, with CEO Jamie Dimon cautioning that the United States has become &#8220;too reliant&#8221; on adversarial nations for critical supplies.
Dimon, one of the most influential voices on Wall Street, unveiled the firm’s <a href="https://www.jpmorganchase.com/newsroom/press-releases/2025/jpmc-security-resiliency-initiative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Security and Resiliency Initiative</a> to combat this issue on Monday. Through the initiative, JPMorgan will invest up to $10 billion in four key areas: supply chain and advanced manufacturing, defense and aerospace, energy independence and resilience, and frontier and strategic technologies.
&#8220;The U.S. has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products, and manufacturing — all of which are essential for our national security,&#8221; Dimon <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/investments-for-national-security-e954411c?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqcojq8v_IFiVE-mP1LoNEBJ97fJcA6JVlgr2gKwKrw7YrUeZHHoCoHedckFQGk%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68f01640&amp;gaa_sig=H1rn6_7YjpxQ3UEPrbXK_8VLOlrpWIDf_9-NqYg0ntF84Y3fsmguEEnm38cYZnd8FByrBCDlUrMpXLAe2dTp2w%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in a Wall Street Journal op-ed announcing the initiative.
&#8220;America needs more speed and investment,&#8221; Dimon wrote. &#8220;Our adversaries and potential adversaries aren’t waiting — we no longer have the luxury of time.&#8221;
&#8220;We need to act now,&#8221; Dimon stressed.
Currently, China produces 60% of the world’s rare earth minerals and performs up to 90% of the refining process to make them fit for everyday products. <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hr761_everyday_uses.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smartphones, defense systems, batteries, and medical devices</a> all contain critical minerals. Speaking on a press call, Dimon emphasized that this decision is a “JPMorgan initiative,” underscoring that it was developed independently of political or public-sector influence.
While not structured as a public-private partnership, the effort aligns with the Trump administration&#8217;s efforts to reduce American reliance on foreign governments for certain essential resources. In an effort to counter China’s dominance in critical minerals, the Trump administration took equity stakes in three mining companies: MP Materials Corp, Lithium Americas Corp, and Trilogy Metals Inc.
Public filings published by the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency show plans to stockpile <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/cd5244eb-a8e9-42bc-8939-71ba0fefa057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up to $1 billion of critical minerals</a>, underscoring their strategic importance.
Mining has not always been so politically favorable.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
“Today, my administration stopped a 211-mile road from carving up a pristine area that Alaska Native communities rely on, in addition to steps we&#8217;re taking to maintain protections on 28 million acres in Alaska from mining and drilling,” President Joe Biden said in 2024.
President Trump reversed that decision last Monday, citing that the project contains “extensive deposits of copper, silver, gold, lead, cobalt, and other strategic metals.”
Biden’s original pause followed a Bureau of Land Management report warning that the project “would require over 3,000 stream crossings and could impact at risk wildlife populations, including sheefish, the already-declining Western Arctic caribou herd, and other subsistence resources.”
During his first term, Trump faced backlash after finalizing plans for mining and drilling on national lands in Utah.
At the time, Kamala Harris said, “We cannot allow national treasures like these get opened to logging, mining &amp; oil drilling because of Pres. Trump.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) vowed during her 2020 presidential run to reverse Trump&#8217;s mining policies on her first day in office.
“Climate change threatens every living thing,&#8221; Warren said. &#8220;On day one, I’ll do everything a president can do all by herself to fight this crisis: Roll back the changes that Trump is putting in place, stop all new drilling and mining on federal lands, and end offshore drilling.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “These public lands belong to all Americans. Opening them up to mining and drilling against the will of the people is unacceptable.”
China’s metals and mining sector exceeded $10 billion in 2023, a 131% growth rate when <a href="https://www.energymonitor.ai/industry/weekly-data-china-seeks-to-extend-its-critical-minerals-dominance-with-overseas-investment-surge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compared</a> with the same period last year. This year, China’s metal and mining sector reached <a href="https://greenfdc.org/china-belt-and-road-initiative-bri-investment-report-2025-h1/#:~:text=Preliminary%20data%20on%20Chinese%20engagement,the%20previous%20record%20in%202024." target="_blank" rel="noopener">new investment records</a>, surpassing the previous record in 2024 in the first six months.

Jamie Dimon

‘We Need To Act Now’: JPMorgan Launches $1.5 Trillion Initiative To Reduce U.S. Reliance On China

JP Morgan

Minerals

President Donald Trump said Friday that his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping might be canceled following what he called “very hostile” trade actions by Beijing.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump said that China was sending letters to countries around the world, threatening to impose export controls on rare-earth minerals. 
“Some very strange things are happening in China! They are becoming very hostile, and sending letters to Countries throughout the World, that they want to impose Export Controls on each and every element of production having to do with Rare Earths, and virtually anything else they can think of, even if it’s not manufactured in China,” Trump said. 
Trump said he had been contacted by other countries that were “extremely angry” about the export restrictions China rolled out on Thursday.
The president added that his meeting with Xi at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in South Korea later this month might not occur due to China’s actions. 
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
“Things that were routine are no longer routine at all. I have not spoken to President Xi because there was no reason to do so. This was a real surprise, not only to me, but to all the Leaders of the Free World. I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” Trump said. 
Trump called China’s move “surprising,” saying the two countries had maintained a “very good” relationship over the past six months. Last month, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-tiktok-will-be-american-operated-all-the-way-under-new-deal?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+TikTok+Will+Be+‘American-Operated+All+The+Way’+Under+New+Deal">thanked</a> Xi for supporting a deal to make TikTok American-owned. 
“I have always felt that they’ve been lying in wait, and now, as usual, I have been proven right! There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the World &#8216;captive,&#8217; but that seems to have been their plan for quite some time,” Trump said. 
Trump added in his post that he would take financial countermeasures if China continued to move forward with the export restrictions. He said that for every element China tried to monopolize, the United States would have two. He also noted that there may be additional tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. 
“Ultimately, though potentially painful, it will be a very good thing, in the end, for the U.S.A. One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America. There are many other countermeasures that are, likewise, under serious consideration,” Trump said.

MixCollage-10-Oct-2025-11-15-AM-692

Trump Warns China Over ‘Hostile’ Actions, Xi Meeting In Jeopardy

rare earth minerals

Tariffs

trade

Xi Jinping

WASHINGTON—The State Department fired a foreign service officer revealed to have had a romantic relationship with a Chinese citizen whose father was said to be looped in with the Chinese Communist Party.
During a hidden-camera encounter with an O’Keefe Media Group reporter, foreign service officer Daniel Choi mentioned the relationship several times, acknowledging that he was supposed to report information about her but did not.
“She could’ve been a spy, even,” Choi said. “I don’t know.”
“Her dad was either a provincial or a federal minister of education,” Choi said at one point regarding the woman he dated. “So he’s, like, straight-up Communist Party.”
“I defied my government, for love,” Choi said.
https://x.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1953242589743714404
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a Wednesday statement that the White House signed off on Choi’s firing after Secretary of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-photo-captures-what-was-on-the-note-rubio-handed-trump-ahead-of-peace-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marco Rubio</a> initiated the termination process.
“After Presidential review and approval, the State Department has officially terminated the employment of a foreign service officer who admitted to concealing a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party,” Pigott said.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
“This termination is consistent with the executive order signed by President Trump affirming both his constitutional authority over our foreign policy and the State Department&#8217;s responsibility to carry out his directives. Under Secretary Rubio&#8217;s leadership, we will maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any employee who is caught undermining our country&#8217;s national security,” he continued.
This is presumably the first termination as a result of Executive Order 14211, which says that those responsible for executing U.S. foreign policy are working “under the direction and authority of the president” and says employees could face “professional discipline” for not doing so, the department said on background.
Relations between<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senior-republican-senator-wants-to-boost-pressure-on-china-over-taiwan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> China</a> and the United States have been a focal point for decades, and most recently, there have been concerns domestically about the CCP’s influence in American institutions, such as universities. Over the summer, a debate unfolded over visas for Chinese students in the United States amid trade talks with China.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are likely to meet in South Korea at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering toward the end of the month, according to<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/09/china-expands-rare-earth-export-restrictions-ahead-of-possible-trump-xi-meeting.html#:~:text=Bargaining%20leverages,U.S.%20at%20a%20later%20date." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> CNBC</a>.
The federal government announced in April that U.S. government employees in China cannot be in relationships with Chinese nationals, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-beijing-honeypot-spies-diplomat-agent-intelligence-c077ef57b0f7ae43dd0db41bea92238b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>. The rule also applies to certain contractors and families of employees, the outlet added.
China has long been rumored to deploy “honeypot” traps in the United States. California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell <a href="https://www.axios.com/2020/12/08/china-spy-california-politicians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">infamously</a> came under fire for his relationship with alleged Chinese operative Christine Fang.
In 2023, the House Ethics Committee ultimately did not take further steps following an investigation, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/4018047-house-ethics-concludes-swalwell-probe-into-link-to-chinese-spy-taking-no-action/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a> reported at the time.
“The Committee has previously reviewed allegations of improper influence by foreign agents and in doing so, cautioned that Members should be conscious of the possibility that foreign governments may attempt to secure improper influence through gifts and other interactions,” committee Chairman Michael Guest and then-Rep. Susan Wild wrote in a letter to <a href="https://swalwell.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/swalwell-evo.house.gov/files/COE%20to%20swalwell.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swalwell</a>. “We encourage you to contact the Office of House Security for any guidance on steps you can take to prevent or address such attempts.”

Marco Rubio

‘She Could’ve Been A Spy’: State Dept. Fires Diplomat Who Hid Romance With Chinese National

State Department

The Trump administration on Monday cracked down on companies in China and other countries that use subsidiaries or other foreign affiliates to get around curbs on chipmaking equipment and other goods and technology.
The Commerce Department issued a new rule expanding its restricted export list, known as the Entity List, to automatically include subsidiaries owned 50 percent or more by a company on the list, according to a posting in the U.S. Federal Register. The action greatly increases the number of companies that require licenses to receive American goods and services.
The rule is likely to disrupt supply chains. It will also make it more difficult for companies to determine whether exports to a customer or supplier are restricted. According to the rule, certain transactions may be allowed for 60 days.
China&#8217;s Commerce Ministry strongly criticized the rule.
&#8220;This move by the U.S. is extremely egregious in nature,&#8221; the ministry said in a statement. &#8220;It seriously infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of the affected enterprises, severely disrupts international economic and trade order and gravely undermines the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
The timing of the rule&#8217;s release is somewhat surprising, given that the U.S. and China are in the midst of trade talks. The action strengthens export controls on China, a contrast to the U.S.&#8217;s recent loosening of controls on AI chips to China, like Nvidia&#8217;s H20.
If a company is owned 50 percent or more by an entity on the list, licenses will be required for U.S. exporters to ship goods or technology to the subsidiary, just as they are for listed entities, with many licenses likely to be denied.
The affiliates rule is similar to the &#8220;50 percent rule&#8221; for entities sanctioned by the Treasury Department&#8217;s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The Commerce Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Though companies around the world are on the Entity List, the change will most significantly impact Chinese entities, experts said. Factories that produce legacy chips and are affiliated with listed companies may be captured, as well as other sectors, including aircraft, they said.
Chinese tech giant Huawei, video surveillance company Hikvision, and drone manufacturer DJI are three examples of companies that may be impacted, one expert said. Many Huawei subsidiaries are already on the list, but not all.
An analysis by Kharon, a Los Angeles-based data and analytics company, found the expected rule could pull thousands of hidden subsidiaries in nearly 100 destinations around the world into &#8220;export-control crosshairs.&#8221;
&#8220;While Russia and China account for the majority of subsidiaries tied to already-listed entities, Kharon&#8217;s analysis uncovered that hundreds more are located in major trade and finance hubs &#8211; including the EU, the United States, the UK, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Australia and India,&#8221; the company said in a brief in June in anticipation of the rule.
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld. Additional reporting by the Beijing newsroom. Editing by Doina Chiacu, Chris Sanders, William Maclean)

Bahrain’s King Hamad Al Khalifa Visits China

Trump Admin Expands Export Blacklist In Crackdown On China

Trump Administration

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at ensuring TikTok becomes “American-operated all the way,” he said.
After months of delaying the enforcement of a law banning TikTok, Trump announced a new framework facilitated by his executive order, which would transfer ownership of the social media platform from China to a group of American investors. Congress passed a law in 2024 to either ban the Chinese-owned TikTok or force its sale due to national security and privacy concerns.
“This is going to be American-operated all the way,” Trump said as he signed the executive order. “I have great respect for President Xi, and I very much appreciate that he approved the deal, because to get it done properly, we really needed the support of China and the approval of China.”
Trump thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for agreeing to the deal. He said some of the investors in the project included Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, entrepreneur Michael Dell, and Rupert Murdoch.
Vice President JD Vance played a key role in negotiating the framework. He said that the deal would allow Americans to use TikTok “with more confidence than they had in the past because their data is going to be secure, and it’s not going to be used as a propaganda weapon against our fellow citizens.”
Vance said that TikTok was valued at around $14 billion and that more details about the specific investors would be revealed in the coming days.
According to the text of the executive order, the framework resolves the national security concerns by removing “the TikTok application and certain other applications from the ‘control’ of a foreign adversary and precludes any ‘operational relationship’ between a formerly affiliated entity controlled by a foreign adversary and the new joint venture.”
It also “prohibits the storage of sensitive United States user data in a manner that would place such data under the control of a foreign adversary and requires such data to be stored in a cloud environment run by an American company.”
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court upheld the law banning TikTok, ruling that it did not violate the First Amendment for Congress to prohibit the application due to national security concerns.

President Trump Signs Order On TikTok’s US Operations

Trump Says TikTok Will Be ‘American-Operated All The Way’ Under New Deal

Big Tech

Global Politics

JD Vance

National Security

TikTok

World

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping made progress on a TikTok agreement and pledged to meet face-to-face in just over a month in South Korea.
The two sides appeared to lower tensions during the first call in three months between the leaders of the two superpowers, but it was not immediately clear if the call had yielded the expected firm agreement over the fate of the popular short-video app.
Trump did say the leaders agreed to talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that starts on October 31 in Gyeongju, South Korea, and for a potential later visit to China by Trump. Reuters previously reported that the two sides were planning such a meeting.
&#8220;We made progress on many very important issues including Trade, Fentanyl, the need to bring the War between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok Deal,&#8221; Trump wrote on social media.
&#8220;The call was a very good one, we will be speaking again by phone, appreciate the TikTok approval, and both look forward to meeting at APEC!&#8221; Trump wrote.
But China&#8217;s statement made no reference to a final agreement.
&#8220;On TikTok, Xi said China&#8217;s position is clear: the Chinese government respects the will of firms and welcomes companies to conduct business negotiations on the basis of market rules to reach a solution consistent with Chinese laws and regulations while balancing interests,&#8221; according to the meeting summary in Xinhua.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Xiuhao Chen and Ethan Wang in Beijing; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Donald Trump/Xi Jinping

Trump Plans To Meet China’s Xi After Progress Made On TikTok And Trade

Trump Says He And China's Xi Made Progress On TikTok And Trade, To Meet Soon

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States is attempting to take back Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan after the base fell to the Taliban during the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal in 2021.
Trump made the comment while speaking at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the United Kingdom. The president blasted former President Joe Biden’s “total disaster” in Afghanistan, adding that during his first term in office, the Trump administration was planning on leaving the country “with dignity” and wanted to keep Bagram Air Base under U.S. control.
“We gave it to [the Taliban] for nothing,” Trump said. “We&#8217;re trying to get it back, by the way. That could be a little breaking news. We&#8217;re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back.”
“One of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” the president added. China has nuclear facilities in Xinjiang, an autonomous territory in northwest China that borders Afghanistan.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just said the U.S. is seeking to *RECLAIM* Bagram Air Base in AFGHANISTAN, where Biden botched the withdrawal. Whoa.
&#8220;That could be some breaking news. WE WANT THAT BASE BACK!&#8221;
&#8220;One of the reasons &#8211; it&#8217;s an hour away from where CHINA makes its… <a href="https://t.co/gN6O8B9CkQ">pic.twitter.com/gN6O8B9CkQ</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1968686207757389922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump did not specify how exactly he would attempt to reclaim the base. Afghanistan is still under the Taliban’s control.
U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from Bagram in early July 2021, which allowed the Taliban to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-taliban-overrun-bagram-air-base-numerous-high-value-prisoners-al-qaeda-members-freed">take it over</a> from the Afghan government days before a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport killed more than 180 people, including 13 U.S. troops. After gaining control of the massive U.S. base, the Taliban reportedly released terrorist prisoners who were held there. As the Taliban took control of Bagram and the rest of the country, U.S. forces rushed to evacuate troops, U.S. officials, and Afghan allies.
Trump recently <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy0ao_TZaVw">called</a> the Afghanistan withdrawal the “most embarrassing” moment in U.S. history. The Taliban also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taliban-releases-photos-of-the-u-s-equipment-they-seized-from-bidens-disastrous-pullout">confiscated</a> billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. military equipment following Biden’s withdrawal.

Trump ‘Trying’ To Reclaim Bagram Air Base, A Symbol Of Biden’s Failed Afghanistan Withdrawal

Trump 'Trying' To Reclaim Bagram Air Base, A Symbol Of Biden’s Failed Afghanistan Withdrawal

Afghanistan

Politics

Taliban

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and China have a deal that would keep TikTok operating in the United States, transferring its U.S. assets to U.S. owners from China&#8217;s ByteDance, potentially resolving a saga that has lingered for nearly a year.
A deal on the popular social media app, which counts 170 million U.S. users, stands as a breakthrough in months-long talks between the world&#8217;s No. 1 and No. 2 economies that have sought to defuse a wide-ranging trade war that has unnerved global markets.
&#8220;We have a deal on TikTok &#8230; We have a group of very big companies that want to buy it,&#8221; Trump said.
He lauded the trade deal reached with China, calling it an upgrade for both countries, and said it would preserve tens of billions of dollars of value.
&#8220;The kids want it so badly, I have parents calling me up. They don&#8217;t want it for themselves. They want it for their kids,&#8221; Trump said.
Any agreement could require approval by the Republican-controlled Congress, which passed a law in 2024 during the Biden Administration that required divestiture due to fears that TikTok&#8217;s U.S. user data could be accessed by the Chinese government, allowing Beijing to spy on Americans or conduct influence operations through the app.
The Trump administration has repeatedly declined to enforce a law requiring the app to shut down due to worries it would anger users and disrupt political communications, instead extending the divestiture deadline on three separate occasions.
Trump has credited the app with helping him win re-election last year, and his personal account has 15 million followers. The White House launched an official TikTok account last month.
CNBC reported Tuesday that the deal is expected to be closed within the next 30 to 45 days, and that the agreement will include existing investors in TikTok&#8217;s China-based parent ByteDance and new investors.
Reuters has not independently verified CNBC&#8217;s report. However, the details are in line with Reuters&#8217; reporting in April that the deal would spin off TikTok&#8217;s U.S. operations into a new company based in the U.S. and majority-owned and operated by U.S. investors.
Tariffs And TikTok
A deal for TikTok had been in the works in the spring, but was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump&#8217;s announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods.
Washington has maintained that TikTok&#8217;s ownership by ByteDance makes it beholden to the Chinese government, and Beijing could use the app to collect data on Americans.
The company has said U.S. officials have misstated its ties to China, arguing its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the U.S. on cloud servers operated by Oracle, while content moderation decisions that affect American users are also made in the U.S.
CNBC also reported on Tuesday that Oracle will keep its cloud deal with TikTok as part of the agreement. Reuters reported earlier this year that the White House was working on a plan to tap Oracle, along with a group of outside investors, to take control of the app&#8217;s operations.
As part of the plan, Oracle would have been responsible for addressing national security issues, Reuters had then reported.
Shares of Oracle pared some gains on Tuesday following the news on TikTok and were last up nearly 3%.
A framework agreement was reached by officials from both countries on Monday, marking a breakthrough after months of intense talks. The White House has been involved to an unprecedented level in the closely watched deal talks.
Amid escalating trade tensions, U.S. and China delegations discussed the divestment as part of broader disputes over tariffs and tech export control regulations.
A final confirmation on the deal is expected on Friday in a call between Trump and President Xi Jinping.
Several suitors, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, a startup run by OnlyFans founder, and Amazon, had expressed interest in the fast-growing business that analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50 billion.
(Reporting By Andrea Shalal and Jarrett Renshaw, Deborah Sophia, Jaspreet Singh; Editing by Anil D&#8217;Silva)

Trump Says U.S. Has A Buyer For TikTok

ByteDance

MADRID (Reuters) &#8211; The United States and China have reached a framework agreement to switch short-video app TikTok to U.S.-controlled ownership, top U.S. officials said on Monday, with President Donald Trump set to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the agreement after a meeting between senior U.S. and Chinese officials in Madrid, but declined to give any of the commercial terms of the agreement.
Bessent told reporters that further details would wait to be determined in a call on Friday between Trump and Xi.
Trump said on Monday that trade talks with China had gone very well and hinted that a deal had been reached to resolve issues the U.S. has over TikTok ownership.
&#8220;The big Trade Meeting in Europe between The United States of America, and China, has gone VERY WELL! It will be concluding shortly,&#8221; Trump wrote on his TruthSocial platform.
&#8220;A deal was also reached on a “certain” company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save. They will be very happy! I will be speaking to President Xi on Friday. The relationship remains a very strong one!!!&#8221;
Earlier on Monday a U.S. official with knowledge of the negotiations had said that the U.S. would press ahead with a ban on TikTok if China didn&#8217;t drop its demands for reduced tariffs and technological restrictions as part of a divestiture deal.
U.S. and China delegations met to discuss the divestment from TikTok by Chinese owner Bytedance as part of a round of broader talks on tariffs and economic policy taking place in Madrid. TikTok faces being shut down as early as September 17 in the U.S. unless it moves to U.S. ownership.
Speaking to reporters earlier, Bessent and Greer said China wanted concessions on trade and technology in exchange for agreeing to divest from the popular social media app.
&#8220;Our Chinese counterparts have come with a very aggressive ask,&#8221; Bessent said, adding: &#8220;We are not willing to sacrifice national security for a social media app.&#8221;
POOR TIMING
The U.S.-China negotiations at the Spanish foreign ministry&#8217;s baroque Palacio de Santa Cruz, which began on Sunday, were the fourth round of talks in four months to address strained trade ties and a looming divestiture deadline for TikTok.
They took place as Washington demands that its allies place tariffs on imports from China over Chinese purchases of Russian oil, which Beijing on Monday said was an attempt at coercion.
Beijing separately announced on Monday that a preliminary investigation of Nvidia had found the U.S. chip giant had violated its anti-monopoly law. Bessent said the announcement on Nvidia was poor timing.
The probe is widely seen as a retaliatory shot against Washington&#8217;s curbs on the Chinese chip sector.
(Reporting by David Lawder, Pietro Lombardi and Ethan Wang,; Additional reporting by Brendan O&#8217;Brien and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Charlie Devereux; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Clarence Fernandez and Susan Fenton)

U.S. and China delegations visit Spain

Trump, Xi To Speak Friday After U.S.–China Reach Framework On TikTok

Communist China

Social Issues

Closing arguments were finally <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/27/asia/jimmy-lai-hong-kong-trial-intl-hnk">completed</a> at the end of August in the National Security Law trial of Hong Kong businessman Jimmy Lai. Mr. Lai stands accused of colluding with foreign powers and faces life in prison. In all likelihood, the court will find Jimmy Lai guilty and sentence him to prison. 
While we await the final verdict, the West should make a plan to help free Jimmy Lai.
To say Jimmy Lai has lived a remarkable life is an understatement. Born in mainland China, the now 77-year-old Lai moved to British Hong Kong when he was 12, where he believed he would have a better future. Starting out working in a factory, Lai worked his way up, eventually owning his own factory before starting the world-famous fashion brand, Giordano. As a billionaire with homes in London, Paris, and New York, Lai could have easily rested on his laurels and enjoyed a quiet retirement. However, Lai had a great appreciation for the political and economic system that allowed him to build his wealth.
As a British colony, Hong Kong enjoyed the rule of law and free market economics that allowed it to thrive. However, the handover of the city back to communist China loomed large. In an effort to fight for the values that made Hong Kong great, Jimmy Lai founded the Apple Daily newspaper. Becoming one of the largest pro-democracy newspapers in Hong Kong, Apple Daily and its founder fell in the crosshairs of the communists in mainland China through its pro-liberty content. Lai himself drew attention through his annual commemoration of the Tiananmen Massacre, a huge sore spot for Beijing.
While <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/hong-kong-freedoms-democracy-protests-china-crackdown">promised</a> a degree of autonomy for 50 years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has gradually encroached on the freedoms of Hong Kong, a city of 7.4 million people. The Basic Law, Hong Kong’s constitution, promises freedom of speech and rule of law; the past few decades, however, have seen a gradual erosion of these rights. For example, millions of Hong Kongers took to the streets to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49340717">protest</a> a proposed law that would allow Hong Kongers to be extradited for trials in mainland China. While this law was retracted, it wasn’t long before something similar was implemented to take its place.
That brings us to the <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/what-is-hong-kongs-article-23-law-10-things-you-need-to-know/">National Security Law</a> (NSL), which came into effect in 2020. Essentially, the NSL criminalizes any speech or behavior that the government sees as threatening its authority. For Jimmy Lai and other pro-democracy activists, this put them in danger. As was feared, the NSL has resulted in the arrest of hundreds of people. In a city once famous for its independent courts, the NSL has seen a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/29/china/hong-kong-47-verdict-intl-hnk">conviction rate</a> near 100%.
It was shortly after the implementation of the NSL that Jimmy Lai found himself in legal trouble. In August 2020, Lai was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/08/10/900758905/prominent-hong-kong-publisher-arrested-under-new-national-security-law">arrested</a> and paraded through Apple Daily’s office, allegedly for colluding with foreign powers. The truth, however, was that Lai objects to the authoritarianism of the CCP and wants to fight to preserve the freedoms that made Hong Kong great.
<div id="attachment_971739" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-971739" class="size-large wp-image-971739" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205-866x576.jpg" alt="HONG KONG, CHINA - AUGUST 10: A handout photo from Apple Daily showing Hong Kong business tycoon Jimmy Lai led by police officers during a search at the headquarters of Apple Daily after Lai, was arrested at his home on August 10, 2020 in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong police arrested seven people, including business tycoon Jimmy Lai on Monday on charges of violating the territory's new national security law. Police officers raided the pro-democracy newspapers headquarter while leading Mr. Lai and the company's chief executive, Cheung Kim-hung, through the offices in handcuffs. (Photo by Handout/Getty Images)" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />Handout/Getty Images</div>
It isn’t just the cause that makes Jimmy Lai a hero: Lai didn’t need to face the risk of arrest. In addition to his various homes around the world, Lai is a British passport holder. He could have fled Hong Kong at any time after the NSL became law. Many Hong Kongers already have. Running, however, is not in Jimmy Lai’s nature. As he <a href="https://www.hoover.org/research/jimmy-lai-and-fight-freedom-hong-kong-1">put it</a>, “I am one of the troublemakers. I cannot cause trouble and then leave.” Lai risked everything by fighting for liberty and again risked it by staying when he could have left.
Even while he waits for a verdict, Lai faces terrible <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2025/09/04/jimmy-lais-life-at-serious-and-immediate-risk-in-detention/">prison conditions</a>. He is being held in solitary confinement, 23 hours a day. He has significant health problems but is being denied proper care. There is a good possibility that Lai could die in prison simply due to the conditions of his imprisonment, which is why the West must act quickly.
What can be done? For starters, political figures across the West should continue calling for Lai’s release. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/13/china/trump-jimmy-lai-closing-arguments-intl-hnk">President Trump</a> has joined the chorus of <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/the-dissident-beijing-cant-break-jimmy-lai-hong-kong">international voices</a> calling for Lai’s freedom. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer needs to fulfill his country’s obligation to stand up for Hong Kong’s autonomy. Lai is a British passport holder and therefore he is Starmer’s responsibility. In addition to public pressure, Starmer must also pause the construction of a new <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c864w2942vdo">Chinese mega embassy</a> in London. China should not be allowed a larger presence in the British capital while it actively persecutes dissidents.
Western governments can also sanction those involved in the administration of NSL trials. The U.S. has already <a href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-sanctions-six-individuals-for-undermining-hong-kongs-autonomy">sanctioned</a> several Hong Kong officials, but it can expand them to include senior HK officials such as Chief Executive John Lee, as well as the judges involved in these trials. The “One Country, Two Systems” framework promises Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy, something the NSL interferes with.
Finally, other economic tools can also be applied. Legislatures should consider efforts such as tariffs on Chinese goods as a way to put pressure on Beijing. Restricting the flow of advanced microchips into China would hit the Chinese government where it hurts and impose a cost for its oppression of Hong Kongers like Jimmy Lai.
The Chinese will, of course, counter by saying this is foreign interference in an internal matter. The problem with that argument is that China’s promises to Hong Kong are recorded in a legally binding international treaty, the <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8616/">Sino-British Joint Declaration</a>. Sanctions are an appropriate response to breaking that treaty.
So, why should the West care about what happens to Jimmy Lai? First, what happens in Hong Kong doesn’t necessarily stay there. The Chinese government already has an extensive network set up to threaten dissidents living abroad. The construction of the mega embassy means these efforts will only continue and affect more British citizens. Second, Lai represents a voice for liberty in Hong Kong and China as a whole. If we want freedom to thrive, the world needs people like Jimmy Lai.
The clock is ticking for Jimmy Lai. Any day now, the judges hearing his case could sentence him to life in prison. His health and prison conditions mean his stay behind bars could quickly lead to his death. If the West wants to preserve its own freedom and that of Hong Kong’s, it needs to act to save Jimmy Lai.
* * *
<a href="https://www.joinyv.org/talent/matthew-cookson">Matt Cookson</a> is an alumnus of the Young Voices Contributor Program and was a Middle East History and Policy Fellow with Young Voices. He also works in the supply chain for a U.S. Defense Contractor. His commentary has appeared in the Mises Institute, Real Clear Politics, the National Interest, Providence Magazine, China Source, and the Idaho Freedom Foundation. You can follow him on X @<a href="https://x.com/MattCookson95">MattCookson95</a> and Substack @<a href="https://substack.com/@thewaythecookiecrumbles?utm_source=user-menu">thewaythecookiecrumbles</a>. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

China Imposes National Security Law In Hong Kong

The Clock Is Ticking For Jimmy Lai. Time For The West To Act.

Democracy

Free Speech

Great Britain

Hong Kong

Jimmy Lai

Opinion

<div>
LeBron James, the NBA’s self-anointed “King,” has once again traded American values for Communist applause — this time by authoring a fawning op-ed in People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship propaganda paper.
</div>
<div>
James fawned over China’s basketball culture and praised the “friendliness” of his “Chinese friends,” all while the NBA attempts to reopen its lucrative market in the authoritarian state fully, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/lebron-james-china-nba-build-bridges-rcna230007">reported</a>.
</div>
<div>
“Basketball is not just a sport. It’s a bridge that connects us,” James wrote, as if quoting directly from the CCP’s global harmony playbook.
</div>
<div>
James is the first NBA player ever to publish in People’s Daily — a paper infamous for rubber-stamping CCP talking points and suppressing political dissent.
</div>
<div>
Now 40 and entering his record-breaking 23rd NBA season, James did not use the platform to speak about democracy, freedom, or the Uyghur genocide, but to wax poetic about China’s “passion,” “friendliness,” and “impressive basketball atmosphere.” He gushed about how “moved” he is by China’s support and vowed to “give his all” in every game — as if his performance on the court were a debt owed to Beijing.
</div>
<div>
This isn’t new behavior for LeBron. Back in 2019, when then-Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey dared to speak up for democracy in Hong Kong, James didn’t stand for freedom — he attacked it. Calling Morey “misinformed,” LeBron <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/14/us/lebron-james-nba-china-intl-hnk-scli">warned</a> about the supposed “ramifications” of exercising free speech. He stated:
</div>
<div>
<blockquote>We all talk about this freedom of speech. Yes, we all do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you&#8217;re not thinking about others, and you&#8217;re only thinking about yourself. I don&#8217;t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn&#8217;t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke. And so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually. </blockquote>
</div>
<div>
In other words: speak up for liberty, and you might hurt LeBron’s brand deals.
</div>
<div>
James later said Morey’s pro-Hong Kong tweet could have caused harm “financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually.” But the only real harm? A dent in NBA profits from China.
</div>
<div>
LeBron’s lifetime Nike deal is <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/lebron-james-nike-deal-bilion-maverick-carter">reportedly worth</a> $1 billion. His signature shoes? Among the top sellers in China.
</div>
<div>
The NBA has billions at stake in China. In 2019, the league signed a <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Global/2019/07/29/Tencent-NBA/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">$1.5 billion streaming contract</a> with Chinese tech giant Tencent and has <a href="https://www.isportconnect.com/cctv-agrees-new-deal-with-nba-china/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">business ties</a> to state-run CCTV, which famously <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/08/china-state-tv-suspends-nba-broadcasts-after-morey-hong-kong-tweet.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">yanked NBA games</a> after the Morey incident.
</div>
<div>
Actor James Woods may have said it best during the 2020 NBA playoff protests, when LeBron first threatened to boycott, then backed off. Woods tweeted: “His China handlers didn’t like the optics?”
</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
His China handlers didn’t like the optics? <a href="https://t.co/PsbhIXHd9E">https://t.co/PsbhIXHd9E</a>
&mdash; James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1299356993061179394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<div>
The NBA is preparing to play its first preseason games in China since 2019.
</div>
<div>
When does a basketball player stop being just an athlete and start becoming a mouthpiece for a regime that crushes freedom?
</div>
<div>
Apparently, when the checks are big enough.
</div>

NBA Star LeBron James 2025 China Tour In Chengdu

LeBron James Pens Love Letter to China, Waxes Poetic About ‘Impressive Basketball Atmosphere’

LeBron James

Menu