China’s trying to look unstoppable—but cracks are showing. In this explosive new episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we dive into a packed 24 hours of high-stakes confrontations, military theatrics, and internal shakeups inside the People’s Republic. From the East China Sea to the halls of Beijing’s bureaucracy, it’s been a day of tension, turbulence, and a whole lot of saber-rattling. 

We start off with the China–Japan showdown heating up again around the disputed Senkaku (or Diaoyu) Islands. For the second time in two weeks, Chinese and Japanese coast guard ships faced off—ships with autocannons, fishing vessels caught in the middle, and dueling press releases that sound like Cold War déjà vu. Beijing claims Japan “illegally intruded,” Tokyo says it’s protecting its fishermen, and the rest of the world just sees two nuclear neighbors arguing over a few rocks with oil and gas under them. But this time, China’s raising the stakes with live-fire drills in the Bohai and Yellow Seas—part of a string of military “training exercises” that conveniently happen right after diplomatic blowups. 

From there, the episode moves to Beijing’s awkward global charm offensive. China’s top diplomat Wang Yi is courting Britain and France, urging them to side with China against Japan—complete with nostalgic references to World War II alliances. It’s a historical guilt trip meets modern propaganda, and so far, Europe isn’t biting. 

We then head to Taiwan, where China’s military has reportedly been simulating attacks on foreign naval ships passing through the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s intelligence chief says Chinese aircraft are running mock bombing runs on vessels from the U.S., Britain, and other allies. Combine that with a Chinese naval task group spotted near the Philippines, and you’ve got a clear picture: Beijing’s trying to show the flag far beyond its coastline—and everyone’s watching. 

Meanwhile, President Trump just signed new Taiwan legislation, tightening U.S.–Taiwan ties and triggering yet another furious reaction from Beijing. And while China tries to project confidence abroad, back home the situation’s looking shaky. Economic growth is stuck, the military-industrial complex is paralyzed by corruption purges, and the police are rolling out new rules that let them run cybersecurity “inspections” on private companies. It’s a digital control freak’s dream and a business owner’s nightmare. 

Throw in a deadly drone attack on Chinese workers in Tajikistan, a new round of China–Pakistan “Warrior” military drills, and the U.S. Air Force flexing its reach from Diego Garcia—and you’ve got one of the busiest, most revealing snapshots of China’s global posture this year. 

If you’re tracking China’s rise, its risks, and its reality checks, this episode delivers the full brief: power, pressure, propaganda—and the cracks forming underneath. Tune in now to The Restricted Handling Podcast for your unfiltered, intelligence-grade update.