RH 11.26.25 | China: Xi Dials Trump, Japan Defies, Taiwan Arms Up, PLA Flexes, Soybeans Stall

Buckle up for today’s Restricted Handling Podcast, where the Indo-Pacific tension is dialed all the way up to eleven. It’s a whirlwind of diplomacy, deterrence, and drama as Xi Jinping picks up the phone to call Donald Trump, Japan stares Beijing down, and Taiwan unveils its biggest military budget in modern history. From carrier groups to soybeans, this episode has all the geopolitics of a Tom Clancy novel with a dash of late-night talk energy.

We kick off with the Xi–Trump call that everyone’s still talking about. Beijing’s blasting propaganda about how Washington now “understands” its view that Taiwan’s “return to China” is part of the post–World War II order. Trump’s selling it as a trade win, touting soybeans, fentanyl cooperation, and a possible April visit to Beijing. But under all that surface-level handshake talk, the real tension’s simmering—China’s using history as a political weapon, Japan’s not buying it, and Taiwan’s digging in for survival.

Then we head to Tokyo, where Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi isn’t blinking after Beijing’s tantrum over her Taiwan comments. Japan’s rolling out new surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni Island, just 110 kilometers from Taiwan, and China’s losing it. The Foreign Ministry’s threatening to “crush interference,” while state media’s comparing modern Japan to the 1930s. We unpack how Japan’s strategic spine is stiffening and why public support for Takaichi is climbing despite Chinese pressure.

Over in Taipei, President Lai Ching-te unveils a $40 billion defense package aimed at AI-driven command systems, drones, radar networks, and long-term asymmetric deterrence. Taiwan’s message to Beijing is simple: invasion won’t come cheap. Meanwhile, spies are getting caught—Taiwan just busted a new espionage ring linked to the PLA, complete with cash transfers and Hong Kong operatives.

And the PLA’s not sitting still. From new Z-20T “Assault Eagle” helicopters training for rapid air insertions to civilian ferries practicing amphibious landings, China’s testing every angle of a cross-strait operation. Add in the Fujian carrier’s live-fire drills, the research ships prowling India’s backyard, and the quiet PLA presence now confirmed at a UAE base, and it’s clear: Beijing’s expanding on every front.

Finally, we wrap with the soybean saga—Trump says China’s buying big, but data tells a different story. Beijing’s playing slow ball while pretending it’s a home run.

If you want today’s global power plays with edge, wit, and clarity, this episode delivers. The world’s heating up, and we’re here to break it down—fast, sharp, and just a little dangerous.