The Chinese government is desperately trying to stop a recession, or at least slow it down so it doesn't result in societal collapse, but it's going about it in very shortsighted ways. In this just us episode of China Unscripted we discuss the economy, China's panda diplomacy, and the Biden-Xi meeting at APEC.

China has been preparing for war in the Americas by creating a network of authoritarian states and building infrastructure that could be used for civilian and military purposes. In this episode of China Unscripted, we talk about China's plan for Latin America, how the Chinese Communist Party is behind the drug trade that's fueling America's opioid epidemic, and how Chinese bankers are bankrolling the drug trade. Joining us in this episode is Joseph Humire, the executive director of the...

From the outside, Russia and China seem to be close allies, especially after Russia started its war in Ukraine. But behind the exchanges of friendship necklaces and promises of a "no limits" friendship between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, there's a lot of bitterness between the two countries. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss China and Russia's border disputes, whether the US could forge an alliance with Russia against China, and how to keep China from taking over...

There's been a lot of talk about how big and modern China's military has become, and it's true that in terms of size and and technology, it's improved significantly over the last few decades. But there's a human factor that has to be taken into account when talking about China's ability to win a war, and that could be China's biggest weakness. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss one big weakness of Chinese soldiers, how we're already in Cold War 2.0, and how to combat the...

China has been playing a bigger and bigger role in the Middle East, which for the time being, has been a boost for its energy security. But there are fires on the horizon that China might not be able to be able to put out that could permanently sour the relationship. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss China's strategy in the Middle East, it's alliance with Iran in defiance of the US, and the trouble China's already facing in the region. Joining us in this episode is Jonathan...

China has vowed to take control of Taiwan, an independent democratic country about 70 miles from its coast. But that's not all China wants. China is seeking world domination, and Taiwan is just the start. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss how Taiwan could be the first domino in China's quest for domination in space as well, how Japan's islands could be next, and why China's exploration of the moon could determine its dominance on earth. Joining us in this episode of Rick Fisher,...

The Chinese Communist Party has been waging war against the US since it came to power in 1949. Part of the problem with the US response is that it doesn't see itself as being at war with China. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss China's smokeless war against the US, how China could cripple the US with the press of a button, and how the US can fight back. Joining us in this episode is Bill Holstein, co-author of the new book “Battlefield Cyber: How China and Russia are Undermining...

The Chinese Communist Party is facing some strong headwinds, and there are signs that Xi Jinping might be in trouble. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss what would happen if the Chinese Communist Party were to fall, what might happen if Xi Jinping were overthrown, and how western democracies could easily win back some of the nations that China has begun to control. Joining us in this episode of Cleo Paskal, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

For a long time, there was a pervasive belief in Washington and other western capitals that China would liberalize once it's population had obtained a certain amount of prosperity. What many people failed to understand was the ideology that drove the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and how it could employ capitalism to a communism end. Without a true understanding of what communists believe, it can be easy to fall prey to what they preach, which is very different from what they practice. In...

China's economy is headed toward an economic black hole, and there's nothing the Chinese Communist Party can do to make it a soft landing. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss the comatose state of China's real estate market, whether China's green tech revolution can sustain itself, and how China could hack into your car. Joining us in this episode is Christopher Balding, a Senior Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society and founder of New Kite Data Labs.

China knows the geopolitical significance of the Solomon Islands and the rest of the Pacific islands if it were to go to war with the US and its allies. And it's been slowly tightening the noose around the country's democracy by bribing its officials, training Solomon Island police, and sending Chinese nationals to infiltrate its society. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss how soon before China has complete control of the Solomon Islands, what the US and Australia could do to...

Many people think that because China's Navy is relatively untested that it's nothing to worry about. However, that's not necessarily the case. China's weapons have been getting better, it's experience on the sea is growing each day, and it's training is getting more sophisticated. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss China's maritime buildup, it's conflict with the Philippines over a rusty old ship moored on a shoal, and why China might want to go to war sooner rather than later....

China's economy is imploding, and the foreign investment that has been propping it up for so many years is starting to decline. In this just us episode of China Unscripted, we discuss China's real estate crisis, BlackRock's outlook on a US-China-Taiwan conflict, and why CCP officials need to start wearing black sharpie goatees.

China might invade Taiwan in August, or at least some of its islands, according to this week's China Unscripted guest Guermantes Lailari. In this episode, we talk about what makes August the most likely month, what Taiwanese islands China might want to take, and how the US could deter China from invading. Guermantes is a retired US Air Force Foreign Area Officer specializing in the Middle East and Europe, as well as strategy, irregular warfare, and missile defense. Last year, he was a...

While the West is tearing itself up over pronouns and how many genders there are, China is killing innocent people for their organs, trying to wipe out entire races and fine-tuning its surveillance mechanisms to make sure dissent is a thing of the past. Criticism of China has, in some circles, been muted by accusations of racism, a line the CCP loves to exploit. In this episode of China Unscripted, we talk about how wokeism is making the West weak, how the US could wipe out its debt to China,...

Will the US abandon Taiwan if China does actually invade? In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss US policy toward Taiwan, how Chinese money influences US policy, and what the Cold War can teach us about how to navigate the conflict with China. Joining us in this episode is retired Air Force General Robert Spalding who advised the Trump administration on China as the the senior director for strategic planning on the National Security Council. He's now the CEO of Sempre, a digital...

Despite the facade of calm, Hong Kong is a powder keg underneath. Many Hongkongers don't agree with the Chinese Communist Party's takeover of Hong Kong, but also feel powerless to change it. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss the bounty Hong Kong has on 8 democracy activists (including our guest), what Hongkongers can do to keep the protest movement alive, and the Biden administration's relationship with China. Joining us in this episode is Anna Kwok, the executive director of...

The Chinese Communist Party likes to say it doesn't interfere in other countries' internal affairs. But the reality couldn't be further from the truth, and Canada is a case in point. Thanks to leaks from Canada's intelligence agency, CSIS, we know that the China selected certain candidates it wanted to win in Canada's federal elections, and tried to tip the scales by flooding the races with cash. In this episode of China Unscripted, we talk about China's interference in Canada's democracy,...

The Chinese Communist Party has shown again and again, most recently through its zero covid policy, that human life is not a big consideration when it comes to making policy decisions. So when Chinese leader Xi Jinping talks about uniting with Taiwan, by force if necessary, it's not just the Taiwanese people who will suffer. China will likely won't spare tje lives of its own people in attaining that goal. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss China's goal of spreading socialism...

China has been shooting missiles at Taiwan, sending military planes into the air identification zone next to its airspace, and attempting the control the Taiwan strait. This is all part of China's attempt to intimidate Taiwan, using psychological warfare make Taiwan submit before the first shot is ever fired. However there's another tactic that they're using, which can be seen by the drones that are buzzing all around Taiwan. In this episode of China Unscripted we discuss how China is making...

Xi Jinping recently warned his top national security officials that they need to think about "worst case scenarios" and to prepare for "stormy seas". That's because China is facing threats from all sides. Internally it's facing rising resistance from Chinese citizens. It's neighbors, fed up with its bullying, are starting to fight back. And the more China talks about taking over Taiwan, the more the US tries to counter China's military capabilities and slow its technological development. In...

China and India, both considered tigers of Asia, have fought for decades over their border. Most recently, in 2020,  the two countries came to blows in a battle that resulted in casualties on both sides. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss India's history with China, what India has learned about China's military strategy and philosophy, and why India won't ever completely align itself with the US and its allies. Joining us in this episode is  Dr. Dheeraj Paramesha Chaya, a...

The Trump administration created a historic shift in US China policy that has gained support in foreign policy circles far and wide. Even the Biden administration, which vowed to change or remove many of the Trump administration's policies once in office, has largely kept Trump's China policy in place. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss what Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did to US china policy that was so radical at the time, how US and China views on their...

Chinese Communist Party leaders have said that China doesn't have a drug problem, but that's only because the CCP makes sure it doesn't have a drug problem. They don't mind, however, if the US and other countries China opposes have a drug problem. In this episode of China Unscripted, we discuss how China is silently winning the opium war with the US, how China is taking advantage of the US push for electric vehicles, and how US politicians are being controlled by Chinese money. Joining us in...

Taiwan needs more advanced US weapons, and if the US is serious about helping Taiwan fend off China, it would offer them at a discount, says Professor Madhav Da Nalapat, the director of the department of geopolitics and international relations at India’s Manipal University and our guest in this episode. He joins us to discuss Taiwan's importance to India, India's relationship with Russia, and why Ukraine is a sticking point between India and the US.