Japan will fight, but Taiwan must up its game as U.S.-Asia policy changes dramatically. DOGE, Ukraine, and border security have dominated the early frenetic days of the second Trump administriaton. But behind the headlines looms major change in how the USA handles China and the future of Asia and the Pacifc. Trump has held summits with the leaders of Japan and India. China won’t fight conventionally; it will craft a new hybrid war. How hard Taiwan will fight in a China war remains unclear, but Steve Yates, Mark Simon and Chrisitan Whiton argue a changed Japan will fight. Is Trump’s imposition of 20% tariffs on China a warmup to delinkage or prelude to a deal. What does Elbridge Colby’s confirmation hearing to be under secretary of Defense for policy tell us about Trump policy? What can Taiwan do to curtain its growing estrangement from the United States?

00:00 Asia Policy

03:24 Early Trump Moves

07:45 Criticism of Taiwan Warranted

13:40 China Bad at Conventional War 

16:36 Taiwan Can Be Less Bad 

20:05 Taiwan vs MAGA 

24:22 Transvestites Don’t Scare Beijing

35:26 China Uses Race

43:36 Removing China from Panama