Brian Carter

Pleasure, Mike. Thanks for having me on.

Pleasure, Mike. Thanks for having me on.

Pleasure, Mike. Thanks for having me on.

Well, the most recent one involved what we're told is about 90 vessels, which is a pretty significant uptick in total numbers. There's been an uptick in number of kind of encroachments of Taiwan They all seem to fit a pattern of encirclement, trying to demonstrate an ability to have a blockade, whether that is a short-term shock or something they'd like to try to do long-term.

Well, the most recent one involved what we're told is about 90 vessels, which is a pretty significant uptick in total numbers. There's been an uptick in number of kind of encroachments of Taiwan They all seem to fit a pattern of encirclement, trying to demonstrate an ability to have a blockade, whether that is a short-term shock or something they'd like to try to do long-term.

Well, the most recent one involved what we're told is about 90 vessels, which is a pretty significant uptick in total numbers. There's been an uptick in number of kind of encroachments of Taiwan They all seem to fit a pattern of encirclement, trying to demonstrate an ability to have a blockade, whether that is a short-term shock or something they'd like to try to do long-term.

This is a little bit of what people tend to talk about a gray zone operation that isn't full-on attack, destruction of Taiwan, and also not just sitting back behind the middle line of the Taiwan Strait and counting their ships. So it's pressure, it's intimidation, It also touches our allies. You can't have a blockade against Taiwan without encroaching on Japan or the Philippines.

This is a little bit of what people tend to talk about a gray zone operation that isn't full-on attack, destruction of Taiwan, and also not just sitting back behind the middle line of the Taiwan Strait and counting their ships. So it's pressure, it's intimidation, It also touches our allies. You can't have a blockade against Taiwan without encroaching on Japan or the Philippines.

This is a little bit of what people tend to talk about a gray zone operation that isn't full-on attack, destruction of Taiwan, and also not just sitting back behind the middle line of the Taiwan Strait and counting their ships. So it's pressure, it's intimidation, It also touches our allies. You can't have a blockade against Taiwan without encroaching on Japan or the Philippines.

And Xi Jinping, in his infinite wisdom in recent years, has been kind of picking fights with them. So there's a lot in all of this. We often just think of it as it's just China and Taiwan or it's something of the United States. I think whatever's going on with Xi Jinping right now is kind of bigger.

And Xi Jinping, in his infinite wisdom in recent years, has been kind of picking fights with them. So there's a lot in all of this. We often just think of it as it's just China and Taiwan or it's something of the United States. I think whatever's going on with Xi Jinping right now is kind of bigger.

And Xi Jinping, in his infinite wisdom in recent years, has been kind of picking fights with them. So there's a lot in all of this. We often just think of it as it's just China and Taiwan or it's something of the United States. I think whatever's going on with Xi Jinping right now is kind of bigger.

And in some ways, it's harder to try to counter because a lot of our policy habits would just look at this and say, okay, well, can't the president talk to Xi Jinping? Or is there something going on in Taiwan we have to address? China's got a lot of capabilities now. We've given them a lot of money. They've taken a lot of technology and we've been really distracted.

And in some ways, it's harder to try to counter because a lot of our policy habits would just look at this and say, okay, well, can't the president talk to Xi Jinping? Or is there something going on in Taiwan we have to address? China's got a lot of capabilities now. We've given them a lot of money. They've taken a lot of technology and we've been really distracted.

And in some ways, it's harder to try to counter because a lot of our policy habits would just look at this and say, okay, well, can't the president talk to Xi Jinping? Or is there something going on in Taiwan we have to address? China's got a lot of capabilities now. We've given them a lot of money. They've taken a lot of technology and we've been really distracted.

So this is not a great set of circumstances coming together in these headlines.

So this is not a great set of circumstances coming together in these headlines.

So this is not a great set of circumstances coming together in these headlines.

Well, that's the money question. And we don't really get the luxury of knowing the answer. They're kind of able to go pursue both at the same time. They get a lot of what they would really want, we think, by just pressuring Taiwan and allies in the United States to sort of back off and make a deal and just concede that this area of responsibility is China's jurisdiction. And they push

Well, that's the money question. And we don't really get the luxury of knowing the answer. They're kind of able to go pursue both at the same time. They get a lot of what they would really want, we think, by just pressuring Taiwan and allies in the United States to sort of back off and make a deal and just concede that this area of responsibility is China's jurisdiction. And they push