George Washington Carrier Arrives—Can It Stop China's Coast Guard at Scarborough Shoal?
The USS George Washington has returned to the South China Sea as tensions escalate across the region, with China conducting live-fire drills near Taiwan and clashing with Philippine vessels at Scarborough and Second Thomas Shoal. The US carrier strike group's deployment included a port call in Vietnam — the first since 2023 — and joint operations and training with regional partners. Meanwhile, the Chinese government-linked Grandview Institution think tank issued an unusual report in English outlining China’s maritime enforcement strategy, including its gray-zone tactics. Was the report’s publication an accident, or yet another tactic by Beijing to intimidate its neighbors? In this episode, we examine the strategic significance of the USS George Washington's deployment, China's evolving maritime strategy and what the latest developments mean for Indo-Pacific security. *Recorded on July 30, 2026 at 4pm Taiwan Standard Time Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat Planner: Miguel Yang Consultant: Max Yu Research Assistant: April Lin Videographer: Damon Lin Our guests: James Fanell - Retired US Navy Captain Chenlung Kuo - United Daily News Deputy Editor-in-Chief K. Tristan Tang - Taiwan Defense Studies Initiative Co-Founder
