Day: March 20, 2025

Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang discusses Hong Kong threatening a deal over the sale of Panama Canal ports and turmoil within the Chinese military

U.S. media reports say the Pentagon will scale back a planned expansion of U.S. forces in Japan to save over US$1 billion. The plan proposed by the Biden administration last year is being reexamined by President Donald Trump’s administration.

The United States sentences a Chinese national to a month behind bars. We have more on how he tried to smuggle people into Guam by boat—and failed.President Donald Trump is stressing that he doesn’t want to see China and Russia work together. Could he break the growing ties between the two nuclear powers?Tennessee condemns forced organ harvesting in China. The state unanimously passed a measure to prevent Americans from unwittingly supporting the crime.Taiwan is stepping up its defense game. For the first time ever, the island is planning annual drills based on a scenario of a Chinese invasion specifically in 2027.00:00 Intro01:05 Man Sentenced: Attempt to Transport Illegal Immigrants02:32 Trump: US Doesn’t Want China, Russia to Work Together06:56 Tennessee Advances Bill Against Forced Organ Harvesting07:54 Taiwan to Drill for Potential China Invasion 202709:24 Will Tariffs Force China to Stop Unfair Trade Practices?11:16 How Coal Plants Could Counter China’s Economic Edge?14:00 China Spending Billions to Get Citizens to Spend More15:24 Newsham on Nature of CCP: It Grabs Everything It Can

China Executes Four Canadians for Drug Crimes | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18GFour Canadians have been executed in China on drug-related charges, marking a rare use of the death penalty against foreigners. Canada has confirmed the executions but withheld their identities, citing privacy concerns. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly says Ottawa tried to stop the executions, with efforts involving former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Meanwhile, China insists due process was followed and has rejected Canada’s criticism, warning against “irresponsible remarks.”

Joining us in person for the first time is GUERMANTES ‘G-MAN’ LAILARI. He 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. He’s also a visiting researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei.

China pushes back against BlackRock’s $23B bid for Panama Canal ports, a deal backed by Trump to counter China’s influence. The PBD Podcast breaks down the geopolitical and economic stakes.——

Militaries have a long tradition of using wargames to strategize. I went to a military think tank and played a wargame against Sam Ellis, guided by a panel of experts, about the conflict around Taiwan.

He Weidong is one of Xi Jinping’s most trusted military leaders, having built a close bond with him since their time in Fujian. In 2022, He was promoted to vice chairman of the PLA’s Central Military Commission, making him the third most powerful figure in the PLA. Recently, rumors suggest that He has been arrested and his homes searched, with multiple sources corroborating the claim. This raises a pressing question: Has Xi completely lost control of his military?