Rare Earths, Real Pressure - China's Coercive Push on U.S.-Taiwan Policy

About this episode

This episode explores China's coercive strategies regarding Taiwan and its implications for U.S.-Taiwan relations amidst ongoing trade tensions.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long pursued a multi-pronged strategy to annex Taiwan — a campaign that has intensified in recent years. From near-daily military incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and territorial waters to provocative blockade exercises around the island, Beijing is steadily increasing pressure. Alongside these military threats, the CCP is waging a parallel campaign of propaganda, disinformation, and grey-zone activities — including infiltration of Taiwan’s government, military, and broader society. Now, in a new twist, reports suggest that China’s leader Xi Jinping may use upcoming trade talks with the United States to pressure President Donald Trump into publicly opposing Taiwanese independence. On the surface, this might seem far-fetched — especially with Trump often cast as the “Dealmaker-in-Chief.” So why does Beijing believe it can gain the upper hand? In this episode, we explore China’s strategic response to U.S. tariffs and examine the leverage the CCP holds in its complex relationship with Washington. We also assess how Trump-era foreign policy is shaping U.S.-Taiwan relations — and how Beijing is exploiting global…

People in this episode

Host: Neilo

Topics covered

• China-Taiwan relations
• U.S. foreign policy
• military incursions
• propaganda and disinformation
• trade talks
• authoritarian ambitions

Keywords

• China
• Taiwan
• U.S. relations
• Xi Jinping
• Donald Trump
• military threats
• propaganda
• trade talks

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chinese Communist Party

Places: Taiwan, United States, Taiwan Strait

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