Friends, I used to think surprise attacks were a thing of the past. Taiwan, in particular, appeared to have little to fear of a sudden invasion. Then I did some research. It changed my mind. digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-maritime-… Just by way of background, when I first came across media reports like this one, I didn’t really understand the concern expressed by @INDOPACOM. It seemed theoretical possible & important to prepare for something like this, but overall an unlikely scenario taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ar…

Many Americans are dismayed that Germany continues to develop dangerous China ties. That’s understandable. But our own nation is in deep trouble too, as I document in this book. Here’s a few things to remember before throwing stones at our allies in Europe.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/178869… (1) Automated “smart” gantry cranes from China dominate every large port in America. The company that builds & services the cranes, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), is part of China’s military industry. In 2020, the Pentagon tried to blacklist ZPMC but was overruled.

Xi Jinping’s big speech today was the most important he has given in five years, and, perhaps, his life. He sounded rugged all the way through it. Had to stop for gulps of tea and coughed & cleared throat his lot. The censors had to silence segments of audio and it was awkward. It was remarkable how much of Xi Jinping’s speech was packed with old jargon and canned language that was recycled from countless other speeches and policy documents. One has to strain hard to find any original ideas or thoughts. But tone was clearly darker than normal.

In comments to “60 Minutes” on Sunday, President Biden left no doubt where he stood, saying the US would commit military forces in the event of an “unprecedented attack” by China. I shared some thoughts on that with @iainmarlow at Bloomberg.

A thread bloomberg.com/news/articles/… 1. President Biden’s firm commitment to send US troops to defend Taiwan if China attacks is a welcome and wise move that will benefit the cause of peace.

Everyone is talking about Taiwan. But something is often missing: Facts. Here’s a few fundamental truths that are rarely said by our top officials & media sources.

1. Taiwan is an independent and sovereign country that has never been part of the territory ruled by the PRC. 2. Unlike PRC nationals, Taiwanese citizens exercise popular sovereignty and have the right to self-determination. In official settings, Taiwan is called the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan).

Have you ever wondered what China’s government and military want the future to look like? Want to know what Beijing’s intentions, plans, and operations mean for America? If so, check out this new book: amazon.com/Final-Struggle… Every book requires a massive team effort. The author, at best, adds only a layer of knowledge on top of a foundation built by others.
Today, I’d like to thank and acknowledge those who made this new book possible — and those who made it better than I ever dreamed it could be.