New U.S. Report Exposed video: Retreating to the Western Hemisphere? Japan Preparing for War! Has the “Abandon Taiwan” Theory Come True? 美國新報告曝光：退守西半球？日本備戰！棄台論成真?
The United States has released its 2025 edition of the National Security Strategy Report, and between the lines it reveals shocking signals! Is the decades-long era of “global hegemony” quietly shifting?
This episode provides an in-depth analysis of the real intentions behind the U.S. reiteration of the “Monroe Doctrine” — when Washington decides to retreat to its “backyard” in the Western Hemisphere, what does that mean for allies positioned on the front lines of the Indo-Pacific?
Why did Cheng Li-wen urgently call for “hitting the brakes” at the Autumn Struggle rally? What unspeakable truth has she seen?
From “Vietnamization” to the withdrawal from Afghanistan — is history repeating itself in the Taiwan Strait? Does Washington’s claim that it “does not seek direct involvement” imply that it now views Taiwan as “strategic expendable material” in a major-power contest?
[In-Depth Analysis] This episode examines—through a geopolitical lens—the latest military deployments of the U.S.–Japan alliance across the Southwest Islands, and their profound implications for the situation in the Taiwan Strait. We do not promote war; we simply reveal the real conditions ordinary people may face under great-power rivalry. As the “Davidson Window” approaches, seeing the situation clearly is more important than blind optimism.
Some Western outlets are now weaponizing a tragic fire in Hong Kong; suddenly, a fire becomes “proof” that “one country, two systems” is failing. But here’s what they won’t say: Mainland support arrived within hours, donations surged, and Hong Kong firefighters charged into zero-visibility smoke to save lives. This isn’t a collapse; it’s a system that works when it counts.
Watch the video for the story behind the headlines.
This is absolutely an open conspiracy! At such a sensitive moment, Trump signed the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act. This is nothing short of pouring fuel on the fire! 絕對是陽謀！在這個敏感的時候，特朗普簽署台灣保證法案。這根本是火上澆油!
Today, let’s take a look at the contents of the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act. It is far from a simple statement. The act requires the U.S. State Department to regularly review and update its guidelines for interactions with the Taiwan region—effectively pushing U.S.–Taiwan official exchanges from previously “under-the-table” contacts toward public, normalized “semi-official” or even “quasi-diplomatic” relations.
Even more provocative, the act openly challenges the foundations of international law and distorts UN Resolution 2758, claiming that “Taiwan’s status is undetermined.” This attempts to create a so-called “legal basis” for internationalizing the Taiwan issue.
In terms of military matters, the act explicitly calls for establishing a U.S.–Taiwan joint military exercise mechanism, normalizing arms sales to Taiwan, and even forcing Taiwan to raise its defense budget to 5% of GDP—a ratio that is extremely rare worldwide.
The U.S. chose early December 2025 as the moment to play the “Taiwan card,” with very precise timing. That’s because East Asia is currently in a delicate, tense state. Japanese political circles, especially right-wing groups, are actively hyping the idea that “if Taiwan has an incident, Japan will be affected,” trying to place Japan at the center of the Taiwan Strait issue.
Given the longstanding constraints in China–Japan relations—stemming from history, territorial disputes, and Taiwan-related issues—there is already little room for maneuver. By adding fuel to this powder keg with a law that seriously violates the One-China Principle and the three China–U.S. Joint Communiqués, the U.S. is effectively lighting the fuse.
The effects were immediate: China must now mobilize significant strategic resources and diplomatic attention to fully counter unprecedented provocation in the Taiwan Strait; Japan, for its part, becomes even more tightly bound to the U.S. strategic agenda and must keep in lockstep with Washington on Taiwan.
As a result, Taiwan becomes an ideal “tool of distraction.” Neither China nor Japan would have the bandwidth to closely monitor developments far away in Venezuela.
This “feint in the east, strike in the west” tactic is also a good bargain in U.S. domestic politics. Today’s America is torn by internal division and economic woes. The Trump administration is eager to shift attention away from domestic problems by projecting toughness abroad. Meanwhile, arms sales to Taiwan are highly profitable. Within just a few days after the act was signed, the U.S. offered Taiwan more than US$1 billion in weapon deals, including NASAMS air-defense systems.
This satisfies the military-industrial complex, pleases anti-China forces at home, and serves multiple interests at once. Some analysts also believe Trump is using this move to gain bargaining leverage for his planned visit to China—a classic display of the “art of the deal.”
However, although Washington’s calculations may appear shrewd, they severely underestimate the reactions and the complexity of the situation. In East Asia, China responded swiftly and decisively. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the Taiwan issue is the first and foremost red line that cannot be crossed in China–U.S. relations. The PLA’s rapid military deployments following the signing of the act were a powerful, multidimensional response.
Inside Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities may celebrate the passage of the act, but their “rely on the U.S. to confront the mainland” policy has already caused economic stagnation and declining living standards. Now, through this act, the U.S. is presenting Taiwan with an enormous bill: not only massive arms purchases, but also demanding that Taiwan’s investment in the U.S. fall between the levels of South Korea and Japan—amounting to NT$10.8 trillion to NT$17 trillion. It is also pressuring TSMC to accelerate the transfer of its supply chain to the U.S.
Local commentators criticize this as “selling out Taiwan for hollow glory.” What the DPP is celebrating may be nothing more than an IOU that Washington can take back at any time.
In South America, U.S. coercion has sparked strong backlash. Venezuela’s will to resist has been fully ignited, and it is actively seeking regional and international support.
China, Venezuela’s largest creditor and oil importer, has warned the U.S. not to take any military action against the country. If Venezuelan oil supplies were disrupted, global oil prices would fluctuate violently, with direct impact on the world economy.
👉 From the Caribbean to the Taiwan Strait, two seemingly unrelated crises are linked by an invisible strategic thread. The U.S. is trying to create tension in one hotspot to cover its strategic advance in another. This old hegemonic playbook treats Taiwan and Venezuela as pawns to be moved at will.
👉 But times have changed. Neither China—determined to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity—nor Venezuela—resolved to resist external interference—will submit easily.
👉 For the U.S., maintaining high pressure in two distant regions simultaneously is itself an enormous drain on national strength and international credibility.
The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Acts is alive and well today! 美國1882年的《排華法案》明亡實存至今仍然有效!
The SAFE Research Act would render U.S.-based scholars ineligible for federal funding if they have trained students from, collaborated with, or co-authored publications with colleagues from certain countries, including China, within the past five years. 《SAFE 研究法案》將使美國境內的學者在過去五年內若曾培訓來自特定國家（包括中國）的學生、與其合作、或共同撰寫出版物，即喪失獲得聯邦資助的資格.
This apply to ALL Universities in US! Please see the message below from our CCS member Christian Peterson regarding the SAFE Research Act. Many thanks to Christian for bringing this to our attention.
Best wishes and take care.
Baoyan Cheng CCS Acting Director UH Center For Chinese Studies
If you are not already aware, the SAFE Research Act would render U.S.-based scholars ineligible for federal funding if they have trained students from, collaborated with, or co-authored publications with colleagues from certain countries, including China, within the past five years. The AAS, NAS, and AAU (among others) have all expressed concern with this proposed legislation, and some have circulated petitions amongst their members opposing it.
More information on the SAFE Research Act can be found here:
The Act has been incorporated into the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and the two bills are now in conference to merge them into one piece of legislation. Lawmakers in both chambers must understand the Act’s unintended consequences for U.S. science, social science, and the humanities in higher education. I encourage our CCS members to contact their Representatives and Senators to make their concerns known.
The following two members of Congress from Hawai’i, in particular, sit on their respective Armed Services committees, which oversee the NDAA:
The modern-day pimp, on a grand geopolitical scale, has little to do with sex at all. 當今世界的皮條客，若放到宏大的地緣政治尺度上觀察，早已與性交易毫無瓜葛.
In the Anglo-Saxon world, there is only one figure who truly qualifies as the King of Pimps.
This “king” sells weapons, prints money at will, engages in exploitation, and commits acts that would be considered crimes against humanity—yet faces no accountability.
Anyone who dares to question him is met with righteous indignation, for he claims divine endorsement. As proof, the name of God is printed on every banknote.
With “God” as his shield and justification, every action becomes sanctified, beyond reproach, and immune from moral scrutiny. Those who challenge this authority risk being silenced—or erased—without consequence.
After France’s visit to China ended, the United States is really getting anxious…法國訪華結束后，美國是真急了…
On the evening of December 5, French President Emmanuel Macron departed China, officially concluding his three-day state visit.
Immediately afterward, China and the United States held a video call. You could tell—the U.S. is feeling the pressure.
Macron’s trip was no mere formality. He brought a delegation of more than 80 people, including six ministers and a long list of business leaders.
The talks were practical and productive. Airbus directly signed an order for 100 aircraft worth more than €12 billion. The Airbus assembly line in Tianjin will also be expanded, which means many more planes can be produced each year.
There were agricultural deals as well. France’s beef and cheese export quotas to China will increase by 20%. Starting next year, these products will likely become much more common in Chinese markets.
There was cultural progress too: the giant panda cooperation program will be extended to 2037. Brigitte Macron even went to Chengdu to visit “Yuanmeng,” commenting that it had gained weight and looked endearingly familiar.
The most interesting part involves the EU. While Macron was in China talking cooperation, EU officials were issuing tough statements—saying they want to launch a raw-materials plan to reduce dependence on China, and threatening to use the EU’s strongest trade defense tools if necessary.
This approach is downright contradictory: wanting to make money while simultaneously trying to apply pressure.
Seeing all this, the United States obviously couldn’t sit still. Right after Macron left, China and the U.S. held their video call. Washington was unusually proactive, sending officials from both the Treasury Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
What’s making the U.S. nervous is simple: it worries Europe is getting too close to China. China’s market is enormous, and France has already secured a sizable chunk of benefits.
From January to October 2025, China–France trade reached $68.75 billion, up 4.1%. American companies can’t help feeling anxious watching this.
There’s also a specific issue: early this year, the U.S. wanted to impose a 130% tariff on Chinese rare earths, but later cut it to 47%. The reason is clear—China controls 70% of global rare-earth supply and more than 90% of processing capacity. U.S. manufacturing simply can’t function without it.
We’re no longer living in an era where one country gets to dictate everything. Every nation wants to make its own decisions instead of being pulled around by others.
The U.S. used to try to manage this and control that, but people aren’t buying it anymore. Europe wants its own path, and China continues developing steadily.
Even if the U.S. is anxious, it can’t change the trend. Cooperation brings profits; confrontation leads to mutual loss.
This China–U.S. call is still a good sign—at least they’re willing to talk. But talking alone isn’t enough; there needs to be sincerity, not saying one thing while doing another.
Going forward, interactions among major powers will only increase. Those who engage in genuine cooperation will gain the most.
In 2017, McDonald’s sold 80% of its China business to CITIC and Carlyle for US$2 billion. 2017年，麥當勞把中國業務的80%股份，以20億美元的價格賣給了中信和凱雷投資…
After the deal, CITIC took 52% as the major shareholder, Carlyle took 28%, and McDonald’s kept 20%.
Six years later, McDonald’s headquarters unexpectedly spent US$1.8 billion to buy back Carlyle’s 28% stake. Carlyle made an enormous profit from the deal.
Back in 2017, McDonald’s was in an awkward position in the Chinese market. Since opening its first store in Shenzhen in 1990, it had opened just over 2,400 stores in 27 years—mostly concentrated in prime locations of first- and second-tier cities.
At the time, local chain Wallace already had tens of thousands of stores, while McDonald’s still couldn’t break into lower-tier markets. It couldn’t connect well with local resources, had slow approval processes, didn’t understand local tastes—new products often didn’t sell—and when food delivery took off, slow decision-making made it miss the early opportunity.
Thus came the blockbuster equity deal: CITIC Capital and Carlyle jointly spent US$2.08 billion to acquire 80% of McDonald’s China.
Many foreign media outlets said McDonald’s was “bowing to the Chinese market,” but unexpectedly, this became the key turning point for foreign food-service brands localizing in China.
Chinese capital’s strengths quickly became clear—especially in decision-making efficiency. Previously, if McDonald’s China wanted to adjust a meal price, it had to report layer by layer to the U.S. headquarters—by the time approval came, the market had already changed.
After CITIC took control, it immediately restructured decision processes, giving the local team pricing and new-product development authority. For example, they launched a preserved-egg and lean-pork congee set tailored to local eating habits, and within three months it accounted for 30% of breakfast revenue.
Digitization upgrades gave McDonald’s a complete makeover. CITIC led the creation of a full delivery system. In 2017, delivery revenue surged 75%, and in 2018 it grew another 40%. Today, delivery has become McDonald’s China’s largest revenue source.
They also excelled in private-domain traffic operations. The membership system accumulated hundreds of millions of users, and member purchases now account for 67% of total sales—something McDonald’s could never dream of when it relied only on physical stores. Expansion into lower-tier markets unlocked massive growth.
Leveraging CITIC’s real-estate resources and government relationships in third- and fourth-tier cities, McDonald’s annual store openings jumped from 250 per year to 500. By 2023, when Carlyle exited, the number of stores had more than doubled to 6,298, and is projected to exceed 7,100 by 2025.
Even more impressive: despite rapid expansion, 90% of stores remain directly operated, ensuring quality, with only 10% franchised—and those selected very carefully. The balance between scale and reputation is excellent.
Carlyle’s smooth exit reflects the true value of the Chinese market. It spent about US$580 million for a 28% stake in 2017 and sold it six years later for US$1.8 billion—an annualized return of 35%.
McDonald’s global headquarters was willing to buy it back at a high price because China has become its second-largest market and its major growth engine. No one wants to give up such a huge prize.
The new 2025 share structure is CITIC at 52% and McDonald’s global at 48%. This model—“Chinese control with foreign participation”—has become the new template for foreign F&B brands operating in China.
From KFC partnering with Primavera Capital, to Starbucks joining with Boyu Capital, to Burger King handing most of its China equity to CPE Yuanfeng, more and more foreign restaurant chains are choosing to work with Chinese capital.
This doesn’t mean foreign companies are weaker—it means the rules of the Chinese market have changed: understanding policy, having channels, and knowing how to operate locally have become the keys to foreign companies’ success in China.
Today, the Guanghua McDonald’s in Shenzhen is still packed. This first McDonald’s in China has witnessed 30 years of change. From being the symbol of “Western fast food,” it has become a “Golden Arches” empowered by Chinese capital.
The outcome of this equity game goes far beyond simple buying and selling. It proves that the Chinese market has never been a “cash machine” for foreign firms, but a “cooperation zone” that requires joint effort—and the Chinese capital that controls local resources has already become the most important leading force in this cooperation.
Video with English subtitles: Trump’s Dilemma! US Carriers Surround Venezuela for 3 Months but Dare Not Strike. East rise and West fall are unfolding in front of us! 影片有英文字幕: 川普的兩難！美國航母包圍委內瑞拉 3 個月卻不敢開火，東升西降正在我們眼前展開! 美國衰敗已經成為定局!
Trump is in trouble! US aircraft carriers have surrounded Venezuela for 3 months but dare not open fire – behind this standoff lies the great power game between China, the US, and Russia.
🔍 Core Content: Trump has deployed 15% of the US naval fleet, dispatched the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier, and mobilized B-52 bombers to create a war posture in the Caribbean, targeting Venezuela – a South American nation less than 2,000 km from the US. Yet after 3 months, Trump still hesitates to act.
💥 Why is this happening? Venezuela holds 17% of global oil reserves – the world’s largest China signed a $60 billion oil-for-loan agreement with Venezuela Maduro rejected Trump’s “resignation” ultimatum China-Japan tensions escalate with Taiwan Strait situation intensifying December becomes the critical decision point for Trump
🎯 The essence of this standoff: This is not just Trump vs Maduro – it’s a symbolic event of US hegemony retreating from global dominance to hemispheric control. Attack and risk total defeat; don’t attack and lose all credibility.
⚠️ Critical Timeline: Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Trump must make his decision, or he’ll become a complete paper tiger.
📌 Key Analysis Points:
Why Trump must act against Venezuela (oil, political achievements, strategic retreat)
Why he dare not strike (Maduro’s defiance, Taiwan Strait constraints, China-Russia silence)
How this standoff reflects the decline of American hegemony
🌍 Let’s witness together how this great power game unfolds.
Video: China Has No “Intellectuals”?! Forcing Chinese People to Self-Reflect? Stop Dreaming! From the Death Penalty for Drugs to Great-Power Games 中国没有“知识分子”！逼中国人反思？别做梦了！从毒品死刑到大国博弈!
Forcing Chinese people to “self-reflect”? Stop dreaming! From China’s death penalty for drug crimes to today’s major-power competition, let’s tear open the brutal underside of the real world.
Why does the West always want to push our heads down and make us reflect? Why do certain so-called “elites” always kneel and fawn over the West? Today we’re not talking abstract theories — just facts and data — as we discuss the backbone and confidence of the Chinese people.
【In-Depth Breakdown of This Episode】
Recently, a strange wave of “self-reflection culture” has appeared online. When facing external double standards and hostility, some people inside the country are actually calling for us to “self-criticize.”
In this episode, we begin with the World Bank report of 2006 and review 19 years of Western arrogance and double-standard attacks on China. At the same time, we turn inward and take a hard look at the absurd logic behind certain legal experts’ blind advocacy of “abolishing the death penalty” and “decriminalizing drug use.”
This is not emotional venting — it is a cold, clear observation grounded in history and reality.
We will examine: • Why do Western economic forecasts about China repeatedly fail? • From the Olympics to the Nobel Prize — is “science has no borders” actually true? • Why must China maintain zero tolerance toward drugs? A century of national suffering that cannot be forgotten. • The disappearance of the “intellectual class”: in this era, we are all workers.
When you look at the national flags and emblems of the five permanent UN Security Council members together, what do you see…? 把聯合國五常的國旗國徽放一起看，你看到了什麼…
Four of them look like “blood brothers,” and one looks like “a visitor from another world.”
Really—look closely. The U.S., the U.K., France, and Russia are all about the same old red-white-and-blue. Stripes or blocks, flipped around here and there, as if they all came out of the same design mold.
But look at ours, and it’s completely different!
What hits you instantly is a red that is entirely, unmistakably Chinese.
Not decoration, not background—it’s the foundation, the root.
Above it are five bright stars: one large, leading four smaller ones, sharing the same goal and direction.
Now look at the national emblem—this gets even more interesting.
Others choose lions, eagles, or abstract symbols. And us?
We directly put Tiananmen on it.
What’s beneath it?
A cogwheel and ears of wheat. That’s not “design”—that’s telling you something.
Workers and peasants are what lifted this new nation. And the gate of this nation will always be open to its people.
Is this really just a flag and an emblem?
It’s basically a “national declaration,” written with utmost devotion, with every detail telling you: Who I am, where I come from, and whom I exist for.
Other countries’ stories may just be permutations of red, white, and blue.
But our story is about the stars and the seas, and the everyday life of the people…
It is four words carved into our very bones: “Long live the people!”
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