Exploring Physics, Magical Thinking, and the Challenges of Los Angeles

Is China hell-bent on a move against Taiwan, or does its saber-rattling not square with a military capability that’s perhaps overestimated? Frank Dikötter, a Hoover senior fellow specializing in the history of modern China, joins Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster to discuss his reading of China’s desire and ability to project power, including its manufacturing capability and its suppression of individual liberties, plus the durability of Xi Jinping’s rule.

Recorded on May 23, 2025.