Episodes
Former President Donald Trump has been reelected, so we open this week with Miles Yu’s take on the how and why of Trump’s reelection and what it says about the state of the American people and American democracy. Next, Miles previews what Trump’s reelection means for United States–China relations, how the Chinese Communist Party might react, and where Trump and Xi Jinping might butt heads first. We close by highlighting a viral cultural phenomenon unfolding inside China, which saw tens of...
Published 11/13/24
It’s election day! If you haven’t already, go do your civic duty and vote. With that settled, we open this week with Miles on just what makes American democracy so unique and influential around the globe. Everyone worldwide has a vested interest in the outcomes of our elections, and China is no exception. Miles reviews the Chinese Communist Party’s outlook on our elections and highlights their past (and current) attempts to interfere in our democratic system. We then close with a quick glance...
Published 11/05/24
Hudson expert Miles Yu opens with his assessment of the BRICS summit held last week in Kazan, Russia, and whether it accomplished anything other than a moral victory for Vladimir Putin’s legitimatization campaign. Second, he analyzes the conveniently timed agreement between China and India over their longstanding border dispute in the Himalayas and argues that the solution is more a circumstantial strategy shift than a true settlement. Finally, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te visited the...
Published 10/29/24
South Korean intelligence services have revealed credible evidence that North Korea has deployed upwards of 12,000 troops for training and ultimately combat alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine. Miles Yu analyzes the significance of this escalation what this signals for the anti-western axis of Russia, China and North Korea. Second, with the US presidential election reaching its apex, the economy, and tariffs, are in the spotlight. Miles retraces what lead to the tariffs on Chinese...
Published 10/22/24
We start with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s “Double Ten” speech last week, which commemorated Taiwan’s National Day on October 10. President Lai laid out his government’s agenda and called for cooperation to bring political unity to Taiwan. Next, we detail the dramatic rise and fall of China’s stock market in the last two weeks and why the Chinese Communist Party’s planned economy is losing trust both domestically and internationally. And last, we cover the detention of four Taiwanese...
Published 10/15/24
On October 1st the Chinese Communist Party commemorated 75 years of CCP rule over mainland China. Meanwhile October 10th serves as Taiwan's national day. For two countries, so geographically close, and so historically tied, to share national days so close and historically tied, creates an obvious political rivalry. Miles Yu lays out for us how this national day rivalry manifests itself. Next, we analyze President Lai's recent refusal of a "peace agreement" with China, deciding instead to...
Published 10/08/24
Human rights sat decidedly at the core of the bi-lateral relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States during the cold war. International awareness, dissident support and tangible accountability measures made human rights a powerful tool in the US arsenal to combat communist influence. Yet, today we don't see the same clarity in policy and action applied to the actions of the Chinese Communist Party. Whether it's the Uyghurs, or any other group from the laundry list of oppressed...
Published 10/03/24
For the first time ever a Japanese destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait, and on the same day naval vessels from Australia and New Zealand also sailed together through the disputed waterway. Miles Yu gives us the background behind the strait's importance for setting the tone with regard to international partnership against Chinese aggression. Second, in light of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's trip to the U.S., we ask Miles what the state of the Ukraine war is, but specifically through...
Published 10/01/24
With President Joe Biden's final Quad meeting taking place last weekend, Miles Yu gives us some background on the multilateral group of nations, and it's importance in defining, and bringing order to, the Indo-Pacific. Next, we cover the continued rise of violent xenophobia inside China in light of another stabbing and death of a 10-year old Japanese schoolboy. This time the Japanese government, along with Japanese companies in China, is making it clear that they're fed up with the Chines...
Published 09/24/24
The Chinese Communist Party announced that it will no longer allow international adoptions of Chinese children. Hudson expert Miles Yu analyzes whether the cause is demographics, politics, or something else. Then we move to the recent detention of Chinese investment bankers to evaluate why the CCP is going after them now, and how the move could spook the larger economy. Finally, Miles describes why nationalist Chinese sports fans are furious after the Chinese men's soccer team lost to Japan...
Published 09/17/24
Linda Sun, a New York public official and senior advisor for New York governors Cuomo and Hochol, has been charged with being a Chinese agent while in office. Miles Yu addresses what she is accused of, and takes a wider look at the history of Chinese espionage. Next, we analyze why a seemingly local fender-bender turned into a microcosm demonstrating the Chinese Communist Party's mistreatment of its veterans. And finally, Taiwanese President Lai Ching Te used a recent interview to turn the...
Published 09/10/24
IBM announced they'll be ending their research and development operations in China, impacting over 1,000 jobs. But they're not cutting these jobs, just relocating them outside of China. Miles explains why. Next, Miles details the CCP's new "housing pension system" and closes with the latest collision in the South China Sea when a Chinese Coast Guard ship rammed a Philippine counterpart.
Published 09/03/24
Senior Fellow, Miles Yu, reacts to our very own Hudson colleague, Nikki Haley, who delivered a speech in Taiwan last week urging the US to do more to elevate Taiwan on the international stage. But how? Next he details the dangerous trend of economic nationalism under the Chines Communist Party in light of an Olympic medalist buying an iPhone instead of a Chinese-made phone. Lastly, he addresses the 120th birthday of Deng Deng Xiaoping, and what his legacy means for Xi Jinping's leadership today.
Published 08/27/24
Miles Yu examines the large exodus of wealthy Chinese who are working to get their money out of China, revealing why this is happening, where the money is going, and how they are pulling it off. Next, he focuses on the Chinese Communist Party’s flood of money into American colleges and why US universities are still so attractive to Chinese academics. Finally, he closes by explaining how the shadow of past and current doping scandals looms over the Olympic medals earned by China in Paris.
Published 08/20/24
How much engagement is too much engagement with the Chinese Communist Party? How do we hold the CCP accountable? What kind of policy has ever worked to change CCP behavior? Authors of the new book Embracing Communist China: America's Greatest Strategic Failure James Fennell and Bradley Thayer join host Miles Yu to answer these questions by looking back at the history of failed American policy toward China to ensure we learn lessons for effective engagement with China in the future.
Published 08/15/24
The Chinese Communist Party is looking at a new big-brother-esque tech policy that would assign Chinese citizens a cyber-ID for their online activity. Miles Yu details why this is another totalitarian move meant to monitor speech, control dissidents, and limit online freedom. Second, amidst Kamala Harris’s selection of Tim Walz as her running mate, Miles talks about the Minnesota governor’s past ties to China. Finally, there’s unrest in China’s Belt and Road Initiative with mass protests...
Published 08/13/24
With the Paris Olympics in full swing, Miles Yu analyzes how the Chinese Communist Party approaches international sports and plays politics with one of the greatest venues for displaying soft power. Miles then talks about China hosting Palestinian leaders in Beijing in a failed attempt to form a Palestinian unity government. He ends by explaining the CCP’s controversial plan to raise the retirement age in China.
Published 08/06/24
Miles analyzes another round of joint exercises involving Japan, but this time with Germany, France and Spain to conduct air drills with its Air Self Defense Force. Miles details why Japan has become such a coveted global partner, and why European countries are taking increased notice of the China threat. Next we explore China’s activity in the arctic and what they’re interests in the polar frontier could be, as well as what the global Crowdstrike outage tells us about China’s online...
Published 07/30/24
Last week Japan and Taiwan coordinated coast guards in a joint maritime exercise, the first of it's kind in over 50 years. Expert Miles Yu explains what the Chinese Communist Party's reaction was and what it could mean for regional alliances. Next, Miles details the unique regional importance of Vietnam in light of the death of Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. And finally, Miles reveals what's behind the viral and failing robotaxis popping up around Chinese cities.
Published 07/23/24
Deterring the aggressive ambitions of Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party will require more than just setting red lines. Hudson Senior Fellow, John Lee, joins host Miles Yu to explain why it will require an international coalition with both the capability and resolve to effectively counter the CCP with strategies that both deny and impose cost.
Read John Lee's new report titled, "Deterring China: Imposing Nonmilitary Costs to Preserve Peace in the Taiwan Strait:"...
Published 07/18/24
After yet another stabbing attack hit headlines, which saw a Chinese man attack a Japanese woman and her son, Miles Yu explains why the Chinese Communist Party and its state-fueled propaganda machine are at fault for rising xenophobia in China. The episode goes on to explain what to expect from the CCP's Third Plenum, and finishes covering an investigative story that exposed wide spread toxic contamination of cooking oils in China.
Published 07/16/24
With the NATO Summit happening in Washington D.C. this week, Miles details why multilateral engagement in Asia through NATO expansion, or the establishment of a NATO-like alliance, would be such an effective bulwark against the Chinese Communist Party. Secondly, we cover some of China's latest acts of maritime aggression against Taiwan and the Philippines, and Miles hosts the second installment of Hudson's conference on the 2005 Anti-cessation law.
Published 07/09/24
Miles Yu reacts to Xi Jinping's latest purging of a plethora of military leaders including China's defense minister, and Xi's speech commemorating 70 years of the Chinese Communist Party's “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.” Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State released its annual report on International Religious Freedom and detailed the CCP's repressive practices against religious minorities in China.
Published 07/02/24
China is a destructive outlier in the global energy arena. Fifty-five percent of its power still comes from coal, and 17% comes from hydroelectric dams that generate as much geostrategic conflict as they do power. On the other hand, they are attempting to lead the world in electric vehicles and nuclear power. So how does the Chinese Communist Party plan to keep this strategy moving forward as the countries demands skyrocket?
For the inaugural episode of our new "Insider Interviews," host...
Published 06/27/24