Paul Huang, Taiwan military expert and research fellow at the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation, returns to ChinaTalk! Today he gives us an update on Taiwan’s military readiness, the PLA’s expansion, and whether Xi Jinping would really send it.

If you missed his episode back in 2020, give it a listen, too. And check out his recent thoughts posted on NBR, as well as his long-form special report, “Threats to Taiwan’s Security from China’s Military Modernization.”

In this episode, we cover:

• The status quo of Taiwan’s reservist forces and command-and-control capabilities — and how Western countries perceive that status quo;
• How the PLA’s military capabilities stack up against Russia’s performance in the Ukraine war thus far;
• What insights we can glean from PLA-facing propaganda;
• Why Ukrainian forces have been successful in repelling the Russian military thus far, and why Xi Jinping would loathe a protracted war over Taiwan;
• Paul’s take on the PLA’s recent military maneuvers against US and Canadian assets in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea;
• What the Taiwanese populace believes about PLA military action, US military support for Taiwan — and why these trends have changed over time;
• China’s robust satellite expansion program, and how it plays a role in its aircraft carrier “kill chain”;
• Likely and unlikely PLA invasion scenarios — and the corresponding discussions that would occur in the White House;
• What Taiwan military officials — like Admiral Lee Hsi-ming (Ret.) 李喜明 — think about Taiwan’s military readiness for an invasion.

If you liked the podcast, make sure to hop on our newsletter, too! https://www.chinatalk.media

Outro music: 逆光 - Kimberley Chen 陳芳語 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDw1B_hWwbw

This interview was taped on June 16, 2023, in Taipei.

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