Year: 2025

An exposé by a second-generation Red elite offers a piercing psychological portrait of Xi Jinping. Drawing on insider knowledge of the princeling class, the author unpacks Xi’s insecurities, hypersensitivity, and stubborn mediocrity—traits that shaped his rise and ruined the CCP from within. Xi’s need for control stems from a lifelong inferiority complex, especially among peers who quietly despised him. Lacking vision or charisma, he stumbled into power as a compromise figure—only to become the Party’s greatest liability. This exposé reveals not just Xi’s personal flaws, but the broken system that enabled his rise—and may soon collapse under his weight.

00:00 Introduction00:16 US-China: I’ll “Bomb the S**t out of Beijing”02:00 Xi Jinping Rumours04:12 Overcapacity Debate Returns09:42 Nvidia In China

Joining us today is Perry Link, Professor Emeritus of East Asian Studies at Princeton University and former Chancellorial Chair for Teaching Across Disciplines at the University of California at Riverside. Professor Link co-edited the Tiananmen Papers, and his latest book is called The Anaconda in the Chandelier: Writings on China.

Taiwan’s military has live-streamed drills featuring live-fire operations using its new M1A2T Abrams tanks on the second day of its largest and longest-ever annual military exercise. The 41st edition of the Han Kuang exercise marks a significant departure from previous years, both in scale and duration. The 10-day, round-the-clock war game, which started on July 9, 2025, is designed to reflect a more realistic and protracted cross-strait conflict scenario.

For over 150 years, China and Russia have danced between friendship and betrayal. Behind the smiles and summits lies a darker history—of lost land, broken promises, and quiet humiliation. This episode traces how Russia took over a million square kilometers from a weakened Qing Empire, and how that legacy still shapes today’s uneasy alliance. From Muravyov’s cunning diplomacy to Putin’s eastern pivot, we explore why Russia remembers every gain, while China chooses to forget. As Xi and Putin declare “limitless friendship,” we ask: is history really behind them—or quietly waiting to return?

USAID quietly sent thousands of viruses to a Chinese military-linked biolab. This was part of a project called PREDICT, a public health program funded by USAID to the tune of $210 million.

After a year of secret filming, France’s intelligence agency has revealed to the public for the first time that China’s “domestic aircraft” C919 is essentially a copy of the Airbus A320, which was dismantled and replicated.

Newly released audio from last year has President Trump saying he would bomb Russia if it invaded Ukraine. He gave a similar warning to China over Taiwan.President Trump: “With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the s*** out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice.’ So he goes like, ‘I don’t believe you.’”A prominent lawmaker is calling on several American universities to cut ties with a CCP-backed scholarship program. He says it’s enabling the regime to steal U.S. technology.Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen is saying no to tax credits for companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party. He shared details of his plan with us.And children poisoned by toxic lead — but officials and parents report very different test results. Families are demanding answers after more than 200 kids tested with high lead levels at a kindergarten in China.A race for influence and resources in Africa. President Trump hosted leaders from several African nations at the White House on Wednesday. What message did he share with them?Secretary of State Marco Rubio is criticizing China’s ongoing involvement in the Ukraine war. He made the remarks in Malaysia while meeting officials from China’s neighbors.00:00 Intro01:58 Trump Warned of Bombing Moscow, Beijing in Leaked Audio04:56 Congressman: CCP-Backed Scholarship Allows Tech Theft07:01 Nebraska Gov. Sends Search & Rescue Team to TX13:18 Lead Levels in Kids at China Kindergarten 10× U.S. Limit17:16 Trump: We Treat Africa Far Better Than China19:53 Why Is Africa Important to China?20:27 Rubio Criticizes China’s Aid to Russia

Rare Earth Elements are often called 21st-century gold. They power everything – from EVs and smartphones to F-35 jets and nuclear submarines – and a mine in Mountain Pass, California, once produced 60% of the world’s rare earths, making the US the undisputed leader in rare earth production. But something happened in the 1980s that handed America’s rare earths dominance over to today’s leader: China.

China has seized control or influence over 37 major ports across Latin America and the Caribbean. Experts warn these outposts could be used for spying, cutting off shipping lanes, or even launching a surprise attack. How did this happen—and can the US fight back?#china #usa #wion

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked about his talks with China’s Foreign Minister and the likelihood of talks and meetings between President Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping.Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

Vietnam’s economy has become increasingly dependent on exports to the US. Reaching a trade deal with the Trump administration was arguably imperative for an economy that’s long benefited from the “China+1” strategy. 00:00 Introduction01:30 Vietnam’s export might02:32 Post-war history 04:00 Why Trump targets Vietnam04:45 Businesses react 08:07 “Bamboo diplomacy” balancing act

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is showing his support for Foreign Minister Penny Wong as she made remarks about China’s rapidly expanding military. Mr Albanese is positioning his upcoming visit to China as a critical moment for Australia’s economy. Ms Wong has spoken on the importance of a region where no country dominates and where there is a balance of power. “Wong speaks as Australia’s Foreign Minister and never speaks in any other capacity than that, and she does a fantastic job,” Mr Albanese said. The Trump administration is urging Australia to take a tougher stance on Beijing, especially on military and security issues. This comes as Prime Minister Albanese will spend six days in China to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Quad’s most recent Foreign Ministers’ Meeting took place in Washington, D.C. on July 1, 2025. At the summit, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The four partners discussed how to improve their security cooperation through joint maritime training, even as they seek to find alternatives to China’s rare earth monopoly. These critical minerals are important for many high-tech defense systems, which would be necessary during a potential crisis in the Taiwan Strait. However, are Trump’s so-called “reciprocal” tariffs putting a strain on the Quad? And is Secretary Rubio over-extended in his dual roles as U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor? In this episode, we discuss the Quad’s latest meeting, regional maritime security issues, China rare earths, and Marco Rubio. Our guests: Stephen Tan International Policy Advisory Group Managing Director Wang Kai-chun Kuomintang (KMT) Department of International Affairs Assistant Director Chapters: 00:00:00 – Quad Meets as U.S. Rethinks Strategy 00:00:52 – Are Quad’s Maritime Efforts about China? 00:05:51 – How Can Joint Training Improve Cooperation? 00:07:23 – Quad Seeks Rare Earth Alternatives 00:11:21 – Are Tariffs Straining Quad Collaboration? 00:15:57 – U.S. Diplomatic Priorities Scrutinized 00:22:23 – Is Rubio Overextended at State and NSC? #Quad #MarcoRubio #USSecertaryofState #USNationalSecurityAdvisor #NSA #USNationalSecurityCouncil #NSC #USMilitary #MilitaryCooperation #ChineseMilitary #ChineseNavy #PeoplesLiberationArmy #PLA #USForeignPolicy #IndoPacific #SouthChinaSea #TaiwanStrait #JointTraining #USDiplomacy #USNationalSecurity #RareEarths #RareEarthMinerals #RareEarthMetals #DonaldTrump #TrumpTariffs #India #Japan #Australia #TaiwanTalks