Day: February 11, 2026

Two Party Centers inside the CCP. Is Xi Jinping really back in control—or quietly losing grip on the military and Party elites? PLA editorials, coded warnings, and elite silence reveal a dangerous power split in Zhongnanhai. Three factions are now locked in a high-stakes standoff. Who breaks first—and who gets sacrificed when the balance tips?

The dust has settled on Japan’s House of Representatives election held on February 8, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) securing 316 seats on its own. This victory surpasses the two-thirds “supermajority” threshold needed to initiate constitutional amendments in the 465-seat legislature. When combined with the 36 seats won by its ally, the Japan Innovation Party, the ruling coalition now secures 352 seats, granting it absolute dominance. This marks the largest victory for a single political party in post-war Japan and sets a new record for the LDP’s most remarkable electoral performance in its 71-year history. Sanae Takaichi herself also won a landslide victory in her own constituency with 88.7% of the vote, providing her administration with a strong popular mandate.

Taiwan’s vice premier says it’s impossible to move 40 percent of semiconductor production to the United States. More on the tug-of-war between Washington and Taipei over this critical technology.U.S. military forces pursued a sanctioned oil tanker from South America halfway across the globe before boarding it in the Indian Ocean. The ship was carrying oil bound for China.Visiting Bath Iron Works, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called for faster U.S. manufacturing. He says the Pentagon is pushing to rebuild the defense industrial base and prioritize U.S.-made weapons to meet battlefield demands.Four years in prison for a former campaign adviser to a Southern California city council member. He’s been convicted of acting as an agent for China.A strategic Australian port has become a battleground for U.S.–China tensions. Australia’s prime minister aims to regain control of the Darwin port—triggering possible trade retaliation from China.Some of China’s high-ranking military officers have been purged. Insiders reveal a quiet pushback spreading through the Chinese military and into the civilian bureaucracy.00:00 Intro01:26 Taiwan: Moving 40 Percent of Chip Production to U.S. ‘Impossible’03:24 U.S. Forces Board Venezuelan Oil Tanker Bound for China04:20 U.S. War Secretary: ‘Go Fast. We Win.’06:49 California Man Gets 4 Years for China Agent Role07:43 U.S. to Deploy 4 Submarines to Naval Base in Australia08:52 Australia Aims to Reclaim Darwin Port From China10:35 Insiders: Passive Resistance Spreading in China’s Military11:20 Jimmy Lai’s Verdict Reveals CCP’s True Nature: Cella11:43 Starmer Calls for Strategic Partnership With China14:01 Jimmy Lai’s Last Interview Before Arrest16:29 Independent Media in Hong Kong Under Pressure18:38 Air Canada Suspends Flights to Cuba

What are the obstacles to accurately assessing China’s economy? Our guests explain the limitations of analyzing China’s official statistics.