Strait Talk with Xiangyu

Following a nine-day journey through China's Sino-Korean borderlands, Carl and I sat down to reflect on our experience. From exploring the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture and visiting Changbaishan (Mt. Paektu), to stopping in Shenyang before concluding our journey in Dandong, the trip offered a fascinating look into a region shaped by centuries of shared history. Along the way, we immersed ourselves in the culture of China's ethnic Korean communities, explored Northeast China's pivotal role in the resistance against Japanese aggression, visited the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty, and examined the history and present-day realities of friendship and relations between China and Korea. We recorded this conversation aboard a ferry sailing from Dandong to Incheon, out on the Yellow Sea. Visit China with Tianxia Travels Visit the DPRK with Taedong Tours Carl Zha's Silk and Steel Podcast Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram

The Taiwan question has become a very hot topic over the past couple of years, but outside of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, it remains very misunderstood, and people on all sides of the political spectrum more often than not have a surprisingly incomplete understanding on Taiwan. In this episode, we sit down with Marxist-Leninist content creator Isabella, also known as Socialista.Champagne, to unpack the Taiwan question from the ground up. Isabella has spent a lot of time studying China's politics and economy, so rather than giving her a basic introduction, we had her explain how she understands the subject and then built on that understanding with additional historical and political context. Many non-Chinese pro-China commentators correctly state that Taiwan is a part of China, and that the people of Taiwan are Chinese. But when they speak about the island and its people, they sometimes do so with a hostility that is at odds with the very idea of Chinese reunification, while inadvertently reinforcing the divisions promoted by separatists. In this episode, we discuss why this happens, where this kind of thinking comes from, and what it would take to approach the Taiwan question in a way that actually promotes reunification. Follow Isabella Instagram TikTok   Substack Tech for Palestine Unlearn Capital Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram

In this episode, I sit down with the hosts of  @Eastern_Bound   to talk about a phenomenon that we named: diaspora supremacy. Diaspora supremacists are members of diaspora communities who are disconnected from the cultures they claim to represent, yet somehow end up presenting themselves as authorities on them. We talk about people who treat their own diaspora experience as the "default" version of an identity, speak over people actually living in the countries their families come from, and judge other societies through a heavily Western lens while calling themselves "decolonial." We also get into why Western audiences are so willing to elevate these people as representatives of cultures they often barely understand, and how all of this ends up distorting the way people understand places like China and Korea. The issue isn't that diaspora people shouldn't talk about their heritage, but simply having the right ancestry should not be treated as a substitute for actually understanding the culture. Eastern Bound YouTube channel Eastern Bound IG Eastern Bound Discord Mad Corean's X Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram

In this episode of STXY, we sit down with Stephen, who was born in Shanghai in the 1980s, moved to the United States as a child, and eventually repatriated to China in the 2020s. Despite growing up in America, Stephen stayed closely connected to his cultural roots, particularly through language, and brings a perspective shaped by experience on both sides of the Pacific. We discuss why China is so often understood by outside observers (both pro- and anti-China) through an ideological lens, and why understanding Chinese culture, history, and the way Chinese people think is essential to understanding the country itself. Our conversation covers additional topics such as the Chinese martial spirit, the nature of Taiwan separatism, and the forces shaping cross-Strait relations. We also examine the decline of dollar hegemony, the changing global financial order, and what these shifts mean for China's rise and the future of the international system. STXY Episode: Taiwan's covert nuclear weapons program Check out Seres Immigration Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram

After months of making noise, the KMT ultimately capitulated and allowed the DPP's massive military spending package to pass, despite opposition within the party and pressure from the United States. How did the party that once developed a covert nuclear weapons program against Washington's wishes become so unwilling to actually challenge the US when it matters? In this episode, we look at the KMT's capitulation over Taiwan's military spending bill, the role of Washington and the AIT, and the broader problem that has plagued the KMT since democratization: what exactly does the party stand for anymore? The KMT wants good relations with Washington, good relations with Beijing, and to remain electorally viable in Taiwan. But whenever those interests come into conflict, it enters a state of paralysis, which is ultimately why the party has become so ineffective on issues that matter most. Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram

In this episode of STXY, we take a closer look at the emerging “Hornet’s Nest” strategy for Taiwan, and how it differs from the more defensive “Porcupine Strategy.” While the Porcupine Strategy focuses on making a PLA attack costly and difficult, the Hornet’s Nest approach envisions Taiwan using drones and other asymmetric weapons to maintain a protracted war of attrition even after Taiwan's conventional defenses have been overwhelmed. But who actually benefits from turning Taiwan into a battlefield? We look at Washington's push for Taiwan to develop a local drone industry, the role of the DPP and its political and business interests, and the broader strategy of using Taiwan to tie down and wear down the People's Liberation Army without requiring the United States to directly involve itself in a war with China over Taiwan. We also discuss this year's Han Kuang (Hanguang) military exercises, Taiwan's preparations for urban warfare and civilian mobilization, and what all of this says about how Taipei is preparing for a potential cross-Strait conflict. So is Taiwan really the "Israel of East Asia?" Or is Washington trying to turn Taiwan into the "Ukraine of East Asia?" And if the people who claim to be "pro-Taiwan" are willing to risk turning the island into a battlefield, who exactly are they protecting? Tune in to find out! Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram

Donald Trump's visit to Beijing was notable not only for what was discussed, but also for what was left unsaid. Has Washington's approach to Taiwan fundamentally changed, or is it simply adapting to new geopolitical realities? What does Trump's rhetoric tell us about the future of cross strait relations? And as US global priorities continue to shift, what does this mean for the prospects of reunification and the future of the Taiwan question? We explore these question in this episode of STXY. Links to mentioned documents: "ROC" Constitution Additional Articles of the Constitution Cross-Strait Act Taiwan Relations Act DPP Party Platform Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram

Over the last decade, more and more people in the west have started calling themselves socialist, communist, and even Marxist-Leninist. In more recent years, we've also seen the rise of "CHINAMAXXING," with growing numbers of young Westerners becoming curious about China after direct exposure through platforms like Xiaohongshu (Red Note), where they're interacting with ordinary Chinese people online. But what exactly are people becoming "pro-China" toward? In this episode of STXY, I'm joined by Grayson from Infrared and Sungross from RTSG to discuss the rise of what we call the compatible left, a form of Western leftism that adopts radical aesthetics and sometimes anti-imperialist language while remaining fully compatible with mainstream US political and foreign policy structures. We talk about how socialism and communism in the West have increasingly been redefined through the lens of radical liberalism, and how many self-described "pro-China" leftists often project an imaginary version of China that conforms more to Western progressive sensibilities than to China as it actually exists. We also discuss how China has become a proxy object in American political discourse, with both the right and the left turning China into whatever they need it to be for their own domestic narratives. For some, China is an authoritarian threat. For others, it becomes a fantasy woke utopia. In both cases, China itself often becomes secondary to American political identity and culture war dynamics. As case studies, we examine Hasan Piker and Kat Abughazaleh. Hasan recently visited China during the height of the CHINAMAXXING trend and publicly praised many aspects of the country while livestreaming here, helping normalize direct exposure to China among younger Western audiences. But despite presenting himself as anti-establishment, socialist, and now a "friend" of China, he returns to the United States and throws his support behind figures like Kat Abughazaleh, whose foreign policy positions on China are fully aligned with mainstream US strategic interests and, in some cases, even more hawkish than establishment Republicans and Democrats. We explore what this contradiction reveals about the modern Western left, why so many "anti-imperialists" remain structurally embedded within empire, and how radical political language can be absorbed into systems that ultimately reproduce the same geopolitical outcomes. Is the western left capable of developing an independent understanding of China and foreign policy at all, or is it trapped within the boundaries of American political culture regardless of rhetoric? Tune in to find out! Follow RTSG on X Subscribe to RTSG's newsletter Check out RTSG's YouTube Channel Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram

Angelica returns to talk about our recent trip to Southern Xinjiang, where our journey began in Kashgar (Kashi) before our ascent up the Pamir Plateau to Taxkorgan (Tashkurgan). We also announce a new venture we've started called Tianxia Travels, a travel company specializing in bringing guests off the beaten path in China on journeys that tell coherent stories in some of the most culturally rich, visually breathtaking, yet difficult to navigate areas of the country. Learn more about Tianxia Travels Follow Tianxia Travels on IG Follow Angelica on X Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram

Taiwan's economy looks incredible on paper. GDP per capita has surged in recent years, even surpassing Japan and South Korea by some measures. Supporters of Taiwan's administration often point to these numbers as proof that the island is prospering. However, for many ordinary people in Taiwan, the story feels very different. Despite rapid GDP growth, median wages have remained largely stagnant for decades. Housing costs continue to climb, younger generations struggle to build wealth, and many people of Taiwan feel that the benefits of economic growth are not reaching them. So what's actually going on? In this episode of Strait Talk, we sit down with tech industry insider "Mr. T" to unpack Taiwan's economic paradox. We examine how Taiwan's world-leading semiconductor sector has driven massive GDP growth while leaving much of the broader economy behind. While discussing this topic, we also touch on how Taiwan's political discourse has increasingly shifted toward identity politics in ways that often obscure or distract from deeper economic problems facing ordinary people. Is Taiwan truly as prosperous as its GDP suggests, or is the wealth concentrated in ways that leave much of society behind? Tune in to find out! Follow "Mr. T." on X Support Strait Talk on Patreon Become a member of Strait Talk's YouTube channel Make a one-time donation to Strait Talk through Buy Me a Coffee, CashApp, or Venmo Follow Xiangyu on X and more Subscribe on YouTube and Telegram