This weekend, Taiwan will hold the only free and fair elections in the Chinese-speaking world. Whoever wins will lead in a pivotal time—and their term will cover the period during which President Xi Jinping has promised China will annex what it considers a breakaway territory, even by force, if necessary. Could this be Taiwan’s last election? The incumbent D ... Show More
Yesterday
“Surrender would be far more dangerous to Iran’s survival than war.” - Iran Expert Trita Parsi
Iran's strategy isn't to defeat the US militarily. Trita Parsi argues that it's to make the cost high enough, fast enough, to collapse domestic support before Iran loses. With MAGA turning against the war, oil markets destabilizing, and both parties alarmed by talk of ground troo ... Show More
47m 40s
Mar 4
John Bolton and Operation Iraqi Freedom Commander: The Lessons from Iraq Trump Can't Ignore
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton doesn't mince words: the opening strikes on Iran were just the beginning. In this special bonus episode, Bolton breaks down why he believes the Iranian regime will fragment from within, what the Gulf Arab states are about to do, and ho ... Show More
1h 4m
Jan 2023
Debating the Defense of Taiwan
<p>Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss whether it is possible, and wise, to try to stave off a conflict with China over Taiwan — possibly for a very long time. A recent article by Jude Blanchette and Ryan Hass urges policymakers to find ways to forestall conflict. But is it a mistak ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 2023
China and Taiwan: A Torrid Backstory
<p>The posturing between the United States and China has been intensifying in recent weeks — China responded with condemnations and military drills after Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, met the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy.</p><p>Today, Edward Wo ... Show More
25m 4s
Jan 2024
Drum Tower: Taiwan goes to the polls
China is watching Taiwan’s next presidential race closely. The results will influence Xi Jinping’s next steps when it comes to resolving the “Taiwan question”.
Ahead of the vote on January 13th, Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, goes to campaign rallies of the 3 parties ... Show More
43m 39s
Jan 2024
Taiwan Election Results and Implications for Beijing
Kharis Templeman, research fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, returns to ChinaTalk to break down the recent Taiwan elections, held on January 13.
We discuss:
The lack of surprises in the election results, the subdued vibes during the campaign, and contrasts between local ... Show More
46m 31s