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Why China Is Threatening Japan

Why China Is Threatening Japan

Length 8:30

Mike speaks with author Gordon Chang about the sharp turn in relations between China and Japan after a recent statement from Tokyo triggered an aggressive response from Beijing. They explore what China found so provocative, why Chinese officials escalated their rhetoric so quickly, and how this dispute fits into a larger pattern of China pressuring its neighbors. Chang breaks down Beijing’s strategic motives, Tokyo’s growing security posture, and why this moment could mark a more confrontational phase in the China-Japan relationship.

The Economic Trap Keeping Putin in the War

The Economic Trap Keeping Putin in the War

Length 7:39

Mike sits down with author and sanctions expert Edward Fishman to break down the mounting economic pressure on the Kremlin. They discuss how Western restrictions on Russian oil exports are cutting deep into Moscow’s revenue, why the sanctions regime is proving more durable than many expected, and how the strain on Russia’s finances is creating a political trap that makes it far harder for Vladimir Putin to wind down the war in Ukraine—even if he wanted to. Fishman lays out what the numbers show, how the Kremlin is attempting to adapt, and why the economic squeeze could shape Putin’s next moves on the battlefield.