At this year’s Xiangshan Forum, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun accused unnamed countries of promoting "hegemonism," "militarism" and "historical revisionism," even as Beijing continues to ramp up its own military spending and maritime aggression in the East and South China seas. Meanwhile, a controversial report by American analyst Jennifer Kavanagh has reignited debate over whether the US should pull back from the First Island Chain. Similarly, Chinese scholar Da Wei has argued that Washington should recognize Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan to preserve stability in the region. How might these proposals reshape how policymakers think about Taiwan, US alliances and security in Asia? In this episode, we examine China’s messaging at the Xiangshan Forum, the debate over the US’ core interests and strategy in the First Island Chain, and what these competing visions could mean for Taiwan and the regional balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.
*Recorded on September 17, 2026 at 11:40am Taiwan Standard Time
Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat
Planner: Miguel Yang
Consultant: Max Yu
Videographer: Damon Lin
Our guests:
Lai I-chung
- Prospect Foundation President
Ken Moriyasu
- Hudson Institute Senior Fellow
Guermantes Lailari
- Jewish Policy Center Senior Non-Resident Fellow
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