Strait Talk with Xiangyu

In this episode of STXY, we take a closer look at the emerging “Hornet’s Nest” strategy for Taiwan, and how it differs from the more defensive “Porcupine Strategy.” While the Porcupine Strategy focuses on making a PLA attack costly and difficult, the Hornet’s Nest approach envisions Taiwan using drones and other asymmetric weapons to maintain a protracted war of attrition even after Taiwan's conventional defenses have been overwhelmed. But who actually benefits from turning Taiwan into a battlefield? We look at Washington's push for Taiwan to develop a local drone industry, the role of the DPP and its political and business interests, and the broader strategy of using Taiwan to tie down and wear down the People's Liberation Army without requiring the United States to directly involve itself in a war with China over Taiwan. We also discuss this year's Han Kuang (Hanguang) military exercises, Taiwan's preparations for urban warfare and civilian mobilization, and what all of this says about how Taipei is preparing for a potential cross-Strait conflict. So is Taiwan really the "Israel of East Asia?" Or is Washington trying to turn Taiwan into the "Ukraine of East Asia?" And if the people who claim to be "pro-Taiwan" are willing to risk turning the island into a battlefield, who exactly are they protecting? Tune in to find out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk7NysT7lmI

NEW STXY EPISODE Taiwan's economy looks incredible on paper. GDP per capita has surged in recent years, even surpassing Japan and South Korea by some measures. Supporters of Taiwan's administration often point to these numbers as proof that the island is prospering. However, for many ordinary people in Taiwan, the story feels very different. Despite rapid GDP growth, median wages have remained largely stagnant for decades. Housing costs continue to climb, younger generations struggle to build wealth, and many people of Taiwan feel that the benefits of economic growth are not reaching them. So what's actually going on? In this episode of Strait Talk, we sit down with tech industry insider "Mr. T" to unpack Taiwan's economic paradox. We examine how Taiwan's world-leading semiconductor sector has driven massive GDP growth while leaving much of the broader economy behind. While discussing this topic, we also touch on how Taiwan's political discourse has increasingly shifted toward identity politics in ways that often obscure or distract from deeper economic problems facing ordinary people. Is Taiwan truly as prosperous as its GDP suggests, or is the wealth concentrated in ways that leave much of society behind? Tune in to find out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lwFjDVh9Wc

NEW VLOG EPISODE OUT NOW! Learn about China's perspective of the Korean War while we explore the Martyrs' Cemetery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Al_SNM_Lw

KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's recent visit to the Chinese mainland has garnered attention from all around the world. Despite this, many details of her trip are not being reported in English-language media. Her itinerary, which began in Nanjing, continued in Shanghai, and ended in Beijing, was more than a series of ceremonial stops. Each city reflects a different dimension of cross-strait relations: history, economic exchange, and political power. In this conversation with @carlzha on his Silk and Steel Podcast, we take a deeper look at what the trip may signal about the evolving political landscape between Taipei and Beijing, the symbolism of Cheng's visit to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, and how shifting geopolitical realities are shaping the choices facing Taiwan today. If you want the context that's missing elsewhere, this is the episode to watch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5erhSgHGAGY

While everyone is talking about "Professor" Jiang, we at STXY dig deeper and talk about how he is a symptom of bigger things https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCeOVvaHysg

This episode begins at the 9.18 Historical Museum, a museum about the Mukden Incident of 1931 that marked the opening of what would become China's 14-year War of Resistance against Japanese Imperialism. Often called the "forgotten front" of World War II, China's resistance against Japanese imperialism was the longest continuous theater of the war, starting years before Europe erupted and long before Pearl Harbor. We trace how a Japanese false flag attack in Shenyang was used to justify the invasion of China's northeast and the creation of the "Manchukuo" puppet state, and how guerrilla forces of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army in the occupied northeast fought back under impossible conditions. From there, we examine how resistance evolved into a broader United Front, bringing the Communist Party of China and the Kuomintang together, and the decisive role Zhang Xueliang played in forcing that alliance. China's long, grinding war didn’t just defend Chinese territory, but also reshaped the wider course of World War II by tying down the bulk of Japan’s forces for more than a decade. The episode continues at Zhang Xueliang’s former residence, before concluding at the courthouse where Japanese war criminals were tried in Shenyang after the war. We look at how accountability was pursued, why justice mattered, and how the memory of this struggle reflects the immense hardship endured by the Chinese people, and why this history stands as a reminder that China will never allow itself to be subjugated by foreign powers ever again. https://youtu.be/Z6PT2R9roi8

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgf2L7NS7ik

EARLY ACCESS OUT NOW FOR PATRONS AND CHANNEL MEMBERS!

NEW STXY EPISODE OUT NOW This episode talks about the "ROC" territorial map, why it’s hated by Taiwan separatists, and the history of how Mongolia stayed part of China for centuries and how China ultimately lost it (and why it's still on the "ROC" map. Lessons in strength and sovereignty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOIWrmonY0E

Out now for the general public: Learn about the origins of the Qing Dynasty from its very birthplace: Shenyang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbTKziVk9PI

https://xiangyu.substack.com/p/how-china-lost-mongolia

OUT NOW FOR MEMBERS! Available to general public on Tuesday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbTKziVk9PI

I guess I am now officially only 2 degrees separated from President Xi Jinping

OUT NOW FOR PATRONS AND YOUTUBE CHANNEL MEMBERS, available to the general public on Tuesday! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOBEU8Dsyo4

Read this to understand how the modern western left, commonly known as baizuo, was a creation of the US security state, and not Moscow, and understand why the US tolerates anti-imperialist critiques so far as they come from the cultural and not class lens! https://ryanperkins.substack.com/p/the-ghost-in-the-machine