Guests - Ava Chen, Rory Smith-Lewis

China Watch: CCP's Influence on Iran and Implications of US Strikes

Iran as a CCP Proxy: Four Decades of Nuclear Partnership

The recent US military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities represent a significant shift in the ongoing geopolitical chess match involving China, Russia, and the United States. While the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has appeared to remain on the sidelines during this conflict, their decades-long involvement with Iran's nuclear program and strategic interests in the region tell a different story.

"The CCP has been helping Iran with their nuclear technology as far back as the early 1980s," explains Ava Chen from the New Federal State of China. "That's 40 years of assistance. This is no secret."

The relationship between Iran and China extends beyond mere nuclear technology. In 2022, whistleblower Miles Guo revealed that the CCP had not only been deploying bioweapons in the Middle East region but had also provided Iran with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the US mainland.

"Why would Iran need ICBMs that can reach all the way to US mainland?" Chen questions. "The CCP is using Iran as a proxy force that they have deliberately cultivated over decades."

This proxy relationship serves China's long-term strategic goals for world dominance. The Middle East holds geopolitical, financial, and economic importance in the CCP's expansion plans. By controlling Iran through financial leverage and technology sharing, China gains significant influence in a critical region without direct military involvement.

Operation Midnight Hammer: A Successful US Response

The US military operation against Iran's nuclear facilities, dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer," demonstrated exceptional military planning and execution. The operation involved approximately 36 hours of continuous flight time for the bombers, with midair refueling and strategic deception tactics.

"Only America can do that," Chen acknowledges. "I think that claim is unchallengeable as we witnessed it just a few days ago. I couldn't say it's a military excellence, not only on the hardware, but also on the brave warriors that Americans have."

The operation targeted three nuclear sites in Iran, using specialized "bunker buster" bombs that burrow deep into the earth before exploding, designed to reach hardened underground facilities. According to Chen, this decisive strike eliminated a significant portion of the CCP's proxy forces.

"Miles Guo mentioned that Iran represents one-third of the proxy forces. So, right now, after the strike, literally one-third of the proxy forces deployed overseas by the CCP are dismantled. That's a very big deal."

The success of this mission sends a powerful message to both Iran and its backers. By executing a precise, limited strike rather than becoming entangled in a prolonged conflict, the US demonstrated strength while avoiding the trap of resource depletion that would benefit China and Russia.

China's Strategic Response: Silence and Economic Leverage

While China has made little public comment on the US strikes, their economic ties with Iran remain strong. China imports approximately 43 million barrels of oil per month from Iran, accounting for 90% of Iran's oil exports but only 13-14% of China's crude purchases.

This economic leverage gives China significant control over Iran. "Because of the world's sanctions, Iran oil was sold to the CCP at quite a bit of a discount," Chen explains. "If you look at the price, I think their discount is up to $11 per barrel. So that's a huge discount."

Beyond oil, the relationship extends to banking and personal connections. "The leader of the country and even the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, the leaders now have been being assassinated, they're decapitated by Trump's first term, and they all have their banks, their monies in China, in Hong Kong, in Beijing, in Shanghai," Chen reveals. "They have their daughters and sons basically captured by the CCP. So they have no choice."

This control mechanism illustrates how Iran functions as a tributary state to China. "Iran is completely controlled by the CCP if Iran's dictatorship continues," Chen emphasizes. "The only way to get rid of the CCP's control is Iranian people starting to stand on their own and take their country back."

Weaponizing American Institutions: The Media and Judiciary

The CCP's influence extends beyond military and economic spheres into American institutions, including media and the legal system. Chen points to recent testimony by Kerry Lake, who stated that "the CCP has more say over the editorial content we produce" at US government-funded media outlets like Voice of America.

"They're using your money and putting their propaganda in your channel and you cannot do a thing about it," Chen warns. "They can weaponize the media they control and attack congressmen. If they can attack congressmen, they can attack President Trump, they can attack Stephen Bannon, Peter Navarro, Giuliani, and Miles Guo."

This infiltration happened gradually, with American taxpayers unknowingly funding their own disinformation networks. "Slowly, gradually, they subvert you without you even realizing it," Chen explains.

Chen also points to what she describes as the "weaponized judiciary system" in America, citing the numerous legal cases against Trump administration figures and China critics. "Why does President Trump have so many legal cases? And even convicted of felonies. And look at Stephen Bannon and Peter Navarro and Rudy Giuliani. They all have legal cases and two of them went to prison for four months."

According to Chen, these patterns reveal the CCP's strategy of attacking America from within rather than through direct military confrontation. "The CCP attacking you kinetically on your homeland, the chances are very small. But attacking you using weaponized judiciary, I mean, it's not just me saying it. You've been witnessing it for a number of years."

A Decisive Moment in US-China Relations

The recent US strikes against Iran represent more than just a military operation against nuclear facilities. According to Chen, they signal America's willingness to confront the CCP's proxy network and draw clear boundaries.

"This shows America drew a line," Chen explains. "America is not fighting Iran. A lot of people thinking America is bombing Iran. Don't look at Iran. This is a chessboard game. Look at the kings of your opponent. It's the CCP."

Chen believes that decisive action against Iran puts pressure on the CCP system from within. "The Xi Jinping CCP will be toppled by internal CCP and his political rivals. And they have the best means to do it. But when America puts enough pressure, you fracture the CCP system from within."

This approach represents a strategic understanding of how to effectively counter the CCP without direct military confrontation. By targeting key proxy states and demonstrating resolve, the US can influence internal dynamics within the Chinese political system.

The Universal Human Desire for Freedom

Beyond geopolitical strategies and military operations, Chen emphasizes that people everywhere share fundamental desires regardless of their political systems or cultural backgrounds.

"People are actually more in common than differences," Chen states. "We all want safety. We all want justice, and we all want to live our life as we wish, which is called freedom. As long as we're not harming others."

Chen points to the historical progression of human governance systems from ancient times to modern democracy, noting that successful systems are those that serve the majority rather than a privileged few. "In the history of human civilization, we all answer a core question: whether the system serves the majority, or whether the system serves only the privileged few."

The United States has succeeded, Chen argues, precisely because its system has generally provided safety, justice, and freedom to most of its citizens over its 250-year history. This explains why so many people around the world desire to immigrate to America.

By contrast, authoritarian regimes like the CCP and Iran's theocracy serve only the interests of ruling elites. "The people never in their equation, they only serve the privileged few who are on the top," Chen observes. "Everything CCP does is in the direct opposite of the Chinese people's interest. And not only that, it's actually at a price of hardship and even life of the Chinese people."

This fundamental disconnect between the interests of the ruling class and the general population represents the core weakness of authoritarian systems, creating potential for internal fracturing when external pressure is applied effectively.

Pool Safety and Maintenance with Prolific Pools

Maintaining Pool Perfection in the Arizona Heat

As temperatures rise in Tucson, proper pool maintenance becomes essential for both safety and enjoyment. Rory Smith-Lewis, owner of Prolific Pools, brings nearly 20 years of experience in the industry and has owned his business for six years, weathering the challenges of starting during the pandemic.

"Pools are actual living, breathing entities. So it has to be taken care and treated as such," Smith explains. "There's a lot of chemistry that goes into it. It's more than swinging a pole."

One of the most crucial aspects of pool maintenance is maintaining proper pH levels. "pH is the most important. If it's too high, staining calcium; too low, it'll eat your equipment," Smith notes. "You got to have the perfect balance of it. And it changes constantly, especially where we live with the vegetation, the rain."

Professional pool service ensures these precise levels are maintained consistently, protecting both the pool equipment and the swimming experience. Smith emphasizes the importance of consistency in service, noting that his company maintains the same technicians on routes to build trust with homeowners.

"When you let somebody into your backyard, that's an intimate setting," Smith explains. "You want to have something that's the same, reoccurring somebody you trust in the backyard. There's no high turnover here. We don't got guys here for two, three weeks and then somebody sick and you got another guy. You know who's coming to your backyard with me weekly."

Beyond Basic Maintenance: Pool Renovation and Safety

Beyond regular maintenance, pool renovation represents a significant portion of Smith's business. Rather than building entirely new pools, renovating existing ones offers homeowners a cost-effective way to enhance their outdoor living space.

"I do about 10 to 15 renovation jobs a year, giving people what they want, reconstruction," Smith says. "It's a pretty good way to get a new pool without spending money on a new pool."

These renovations can include retiling, replastering, equipment upgrades, and even adding features like spa installations. Smith recently installed a "massive 10 by 10 hot tub" in his own backyard, demonstrating his commitment to the craft.

As summer approaches, pool safety becomes increasingly important. Smith warns about wildlife encounters that become more common during monsoon season.

"Right now we have a lot of black widows in the skimmer lids," he cautions. "When monsoon starts, the wind picks up, we have a lot of vegetation out there. So baskets fill up and customers want to empty it. Be very cautious."

Other wildlife concerns include snakes, which Smith confirms do indeed swim in pools. "They're very, very beautiful on water. They slither the exact same way on top of water," he notes. Additionally, wolf spiders typically appear in August and September as humidity increases during the later monsoon season.

City Enforcement and Abandoned Pools

An interesting development in Tucson involves the use of drones by city authorities to identify neglected pools, which can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other pests.

"The city of Tucson and the EPA will send [notices] to you," Smith explains. "Most people don't swim in their pools. So everybody has a pool, at least 50,000, 60,000 pools in Tucson right now. Out of that, 250 a week I do, about 40 people swim."

Homeowners with neglected pools face a difficult choice: either maintain the pool professionally or fill it in completely. "To fill in a pool, even of 10,000 gallons, is about $15,000," Smith reveals. "We're talking breaking the pipes and everything, but something as simple as dirt, over $10,000 to have dirt brought to your house."

This enforcement mechanism incentivizes proper pool maintenance, even for pools that aren't actively used for swimming. "You might as well just clean your pool. You might as well just pay me a small fee for my company to come out and keep you in good standing with the city and give you something nice to look at," Smith suggests.

Challenges for Small Businesses in Tucson

Beyond pool-specific issues, Smith addresses broader challenges facing small business owners in Tucson, particularly regarding safety and homelessness around business districts.

Smith's business is located at Stone and Fort Lowell, which he describes as an area with significant safety concerns. "There's a lot of crime, a lot of homelessness, loitering, stealing, just a bunch of different things going on there," he explains.

The proximity to treatment clinics has created challenges for nearby businesses. "We had an incident today. TPD came in. The men at TPD shows up, they disperse and it's like the best feeling when that cop car, that cruiser shows up, everybody goes away," Smith shares.

These issues extend beyond Smith's location to many historic areas of Tucson. "We have classic places in historic Tucson, Fourth Avenue. We have North Side Lies Mario Pizza. We have a bunch of historic places that you don't want to drive in. You don't want to park there. You want to go to the place, but you don't want to be in the environment."

Smith suggests that city leadership needs to develop a more effective approach to these issues. "I just think that city council should work with the police more in coordinating and figuring things out other than getting elected. Let's come in with a plan."

He emphasizes that the mere presence of law enforcement can significantly deter problematic behavior. "The presence alone is enough to deter 70 and 80 percent of it. Just the presence alone because they're there to protect and serve."

As a business owner, Smith maintains stable pricing despite economic pressures, choosing to absorb cost increases rather than passing them to customers. "When we go through inflation and bills that are passed and not passed, then I have to comp that for my customers," he explains. "Because I don't believe in changing anything like that."

This customer-first approach has helped build trust and generate word-of-mouth referrals, allowing his business to grow organically without traditional advertising. "We don't advertise because I like it organically. I like that you refer people because it's coming from a person I trust."