ChinaTalk Second Breakfast: RIP China Hawks, NDAA, Innovation Kayfabe, Child Soldiers
Sep 19, 2025
The hosts dive into the waning influence of China hawks and the shifting dynamics of U.S.-China relations influenced by tech supply chains. They unpack the intricate workings of the NDAA, including troop augmentation debates and recruitment challenges. The discussion on defense innovation critiques Silicon Valley’s influence on the military and highlights munitions shortages. They also explore the evolving cultural perceptions of child soldiers, tracing historical narratives from valorization to victimhood. Expect engaging banter throughout this thought-provoking conversation!
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China Hawk Moment Was Narrow Not Permanent
- China hawkishness peaked with a small cohort of committed policymakers but never formed a durable bipartisan consensus.
- Competing commercial, security, and human-rights interests prevented a stable unified China policy.
Liberal Internationalism's Fall Reshaped Hawks' Influence
- The decline of liberal internationalism changed the domestic appetite for defending global order and makes hawkish coalition-building harder.
- New American strategic instincts emphasize parochial violence and indifference to distant allies.
Commercial Integration Created Strategic Constraints
- U.S. industry choices, like Apple’s deep China integration, created strategic dependencies that now constrain policy options.
- Those commercial ties eroded the persuasive case for betting on liberalizing contact with China as a security strategy.
