Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share RH 11.25.25 | China: Missiles, Soybeans, Space Launches & Spy Games
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
RH 11.25.25 | China: Missiles, Soybeans, Space Launches & Spy Games
The latest episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast drops you right into the heart of China’s high-stakes geopolitical drama.
China’s standoff with Japan and Taiwan has only intensified. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s tough talk on Taiwan sent Beijing into a tailspin, and Japan’s new missile batteries on Yonaguni Island—just 70 miles from Taiwan—have pushed tempers to the brink. Meanwhile, China’s rolling out live-fire drills off Liugong Island, the site of a humiliating 1895 naval defeat, as if to say, “History won’t repeat itself.” Expect missiles, music videos, and military muscle all wrapped in nationalist theatrics worthy of a blockbuster trailer.
On the diplomatic front, Trump and Xi are back in the headlines after a “very good” phone call that somehow managed to discuss everything except Taiwan. Beijing’s state media is spinning it as a massive win, claiming Washington finally “understands” the Taiwan question. Trump, on the other hand, is focused on soybeans, tariffs, and his upcoming April visit to China. Somewhere between trade deals and truth posts, the geopolitical chessboard is resetting—and this time, both players are smiling while sharpening their knives.
But it’s not all saber-rattling and tariff tantrums. In a bizarre twist, the U.S. and China actually cooperated this week—sort of—on a massive crackdown against Southeast Asian scam syndicates. Thousands were arrested in raids across Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, including the notorious Shwe Kokko complex. It’s the rare moment when Washington and Beijing found common ground, even if for totally different reasons.
China also pulled off a major flex in space: the emergency launch of the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to its Tiangong Space Station. The mission was executed in record time—just 16 days from decision to liftoff—and saved astronauts stranded by a damaged return capsule. Add in steak, cake, and some serious orbital swagger, and you’ve got a space success story with distinctly Chinese flavor.
Meanwhile, Russia’s cozying up further to Beijing, pushing for bigger oil and LNG exports to offset Western sanctions. And in South Asia, China’s fingerprints are all over Pakistan’s defense operations—literally. A new U.S. report confirms that Beijing used the May 2025 India-Pakistan clash as a real-world weapons lab for its J-10 fighters and HQ-9 air defenses.
Throw in a dash of spycraft—yes, the CCP is still stealing Western tech through everything from USB malware to “honey traps”—and you’ve got a full-spectrum look at how China is rewriting the rules of global power in real time.
If you want the sharpest, fastest, and most entertaining daily intelligence rundown on China, this is your episode. Subscribe, share, and strap in—because the great power competition just went cinematic.
View all episodes
By Former CIA Officers Ryan Fugit and Glenn CornThe latest episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast drops you right into the heart of China’s high-stakes geopolitical drama.
China’s standoff with Japan and Taiwan has only intensified. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s tough talk on Taiwan sent Beijing into a tailspin, and Japan’s new missile batteries on Yonaguni Island—just 70 miles from Taiwan—have pushed tempers to the brink. Meanwhile, China’s rolling out live-fire drills off Liugong Island, the site of a humiliating 1895 naval defeat, as if to say, “History won’t repeat itself.” Expect missiles, music videos, and military muscle all wrapped in nationalist theatrics worthy of a blockbuster trailer.
On the diplomatic front, Trump and Xi are back in the headlines after a “very good” phone call that somehow managed to discuss everything except Taiwan. Beijing’s state media is spinning it as a massive win, claiming Washington finally “understands” the Taiwan question. Trump, on the other hand, is focused on soybeans, tariffs, and his upcoming April visit to China. Somewhere between trade deals and truth posts, the geopolitical chessboard is resetting—and this time, both players are smiling while sharpening their knives.
But it’s not all saber-rattling and tariff tantrums. In a bizarre twist, the U.S. and China actually cooperated this week—sort of—on a massive crackdown against Southeast Asian scam syndicates. Thousands were arrested in raids across Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, including the notorious Shwe Kokko complex. It’s the rare moment when Washington and Beijing found common ground, even if for totally different reasons.
China also pulled off a major flex in space: the emergency launch of the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to its Tiangong Space Station. The mission was executed in record time—just 16 days from decision to liftoff—and saved astronauts stranded by a damaged return capsule. Add in steak, cake, and some serious orbital swagger, and you’ve got a space success story with distinctly Chinese flavor.
Meanwhile, Russia’s cozying up further to Beijing, pushing for bigger oil and LNG exports to offset Western sanctions. And in South Asia, China’s fingerprints are all over Pakistan’s defense operations—literally. A new U.S. report confirms that Beijing used the May 2025 India-Pakistan clash as a real-world weapons lab for its J-10 fighters and HQ-9 air defenses.
Throw in a dash of spycraft—yes, the CCP is still stealing Western tech through everything from USB malware to “honey traps”—and you’ve got a full-spectrum look at how China is rewriting the rules of global power in real time.
If you want the sharpest, fastest, and most entertaining daily intelligence rundown on China, this is your episode. Subscribe, share, and strap in—because the great power competition just went cinematic.