China Insider | China's Coercion of Pratas and Other Taiwanese Outlying Islands, Kim Jong Un Alive and Visiting China, Major Joint US-Japan Military Exercises for a China Contingency

In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu discusses what China’s recent incursions on Taiwan's Pratas Island tell us about China's greater ambitions against Taiwan's outlying islands and ultimately the island of Taiwan itself. He then goes over Kim Jong Un's recent visit to the Chinese-North Korean border and the implications of the growing closeness between China, North Korea, and Russia. Finally, he reviews the ongoing Keen Sword 27 military exercises in Japan's western islands involving the armed forces of the United States, Japan, and numerous other American partners, and what this means for deterring a future PLA attack of Taiwan.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.

In this week's episode of China Insider, Miles Yu discusses how China's trade surplus skyrockets while domestic demand stagnates, representing a worsening economic contradiction where China is externally booming but internal optimism is dwindling. He then follows up on last week's discussion of China's military coercion of Taiwan through its National Day, before finally covering the mysterious purging of former Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan a whole decade after his retirement.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.

In this week's episode of China Insider, Miles Yu discusses Taiwan’s National Day celebrations and what Taiwan's steadfastness in the face of the Chinese Communist Party's coercion signals for the island’s future and its ties with the United States. Dr. Yu then weighs in on the controversy surrounding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Navi Pillay despite her own tarnished human rights record and the nomination of other highly qualified candidates, and what it reveals about the CCP’s malign influence on the global human rights conversation. Finally, he examines a troubling lab incident in Russia and draws parallels between the restricted information environment surrounding this event and the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.

In this week's episode of China Insider, Miles Yu discusses three seemingly unrelated stories from Xi Jinping's recent visit to Washington: the guest list at the White House state dinner, Xi's invitation for 100,000 young Americans to study in China, and the arrival of two giant pandas at the Atlanta Zoo. First, Miles notes how CEOs of major Chinese corporations and other Chinese business elite were notably absent at the White House state dinner in stark contrast to America's star-studded business delegation to Beijing in May, before highlighting what this tells us about the lack of political independence of entrepreneurs and all other citizens in China. Miles then analyzes Xi's invitation for 100,000 young Americans to study in China and the accompanying Chinese state narrative on the issue, including the fact that existing and proposed future student exchanges lack reciprocity and academic freedom for Americans in China. Finally, Miles looks beneath the cute veneer of China's delivery of two giant pandas to the Atlanta Zoo, discussing how this is part of an effort by Beijing to help rebuild its Southern foothold after the 2020 closure of the Houston consulate, as well as how the lovable panda bears themselves have been weaponized by Beijing in global diplomacy for decades.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.

In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu reviews last week’s Trump-Xi summit, and details the key highlights from the second dialogue between the two leaders this year. Next, Miles takes a closer look at US-Japan relations following last week’s summit, and China’s emerging narrative against Japan. Finally, Miles follows up on China’s intensifying internal purges amidst continued economic slowdown, and what we can expect from the upcoming slate of purges at China’s fifth plenary meeting.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future. 

In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu takes a look ahead at the Trump-Xi summit, and details what to expect during round two of meetings between Presidents Trump and Xi. Next, Miles reviews the latest assessment of Chinese EV giant BYD, and reports that the automaker may be falling behind industry competition in terms of software development and consumer financing. Finally, Miles take a closer look at reports regarding Xi Jinping’s health, and concerns following his trip to New Delhi for the BRICS meetings where he had fallen ill and whether this will impact his upcoming diplomatic engagements.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future. 

In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu reviews the recent threat intelligence report released by Anthropic, developers of Claude AI, that details use of the platform by several Chinese foreign actors for military and security activities. Next, Miles covers the recent BRICS summit held in New Delhi, and highlights the concerns raised among the participating countries over ongoing Middle East security and unilateral sanctions. Finally, Miles looks into an emerging trend among the Chinese labor force involving new labor rights advocacy tactics exercised by the workforce aimed at Chinese companies foreign endeavors to address unfair labor practices and violations.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.  

In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu covers updates from the recent G20 meeting, and looks into the emerging clash between the new coalition of nineteen against China’s overcapacity and strategic industrial policy. Next, Miles looks ahead to the Trump-Xi meeting in Washington, D.C. and examines the CCP’s key narratives leading up to the second round of bilateral dialogue between the two leaders this year. Finally, Miles reviews the latest announcement of CCP purges, including a planned mass-dismissal of central committee members and officials at the party's Fifth Plenary session next month.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future. 

In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu covers ongoing recovery efforts following the recent landslide and flash flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border, and the implications for China going forward. Next, Miles reviews the investigation of cabbages treated with formaldehyde in rural China, and the regional backlash China now faces from its trading partners. Finally, Miles covers the latest news from China’s auto industry, as the domestic market heads for its worst year since 2021 amid continued sales decline. China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.

In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu covers the recent escalation in trade tensions between the US and Canada over transshipment concerns, and China’s pivotal role impacting the bilateral dynamic. Next, Miles looks at how a seemingly innocuous animated movie release in China went from complete relegation to viral sensation, rivaling performances of other global cinema releases including The Odyssey. Finally, Miles unpacks a recent conviction handed down by the Hong Kong High Court, under the new national security law, for two activists over organized vigils related to the Tiananmen Massacre. China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.