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Dive deep into the Taiwan Strait, a pivotal battleground of the clash between Western hegemony and Eastern resistance, as well as the transition from a fading unipolar world to an emerging multipolar order. Uncover the complexities of cross-strait relations between Taiwan and mainland China, contextualizing them within the broader landscape of global politics. Gain a fresh perspective on Taiwan and beyond, distinct from what is typically portrayed in mainstream media.
Episodes
Jul 10, 2026
Jul 10, 2026
37 min
Donald Trump's visit to Beijing was notable not only for what was discussed, but also for what was left unsaid. Has Washington's approach to Taiwan fundamentally changed, or is it simply adapting to new geopolitical realities? What does Trump's rhetoric tell us about the future of cross strait relations? And as US global priorities continue to shift, what does this mean for the prospects of reunification and the future of the Taiwan question?
We explore these question in this episode of STXY.
Links to mentioned documents:
- "ROC" Constitution
- Additional Articles of the Constitution
- Cross-Strait Act
- Taiwan Relations Act
- DPP Party Platform
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Jun 2, 2026
Jun 2, 2026
1hr 41 min
Over the last decade, more and more people in the west have started calling themselves socialist, communist, and even Marxist-Leninist. In more recent years, we've also seen the rise of "CHINAMAXXING," with growing numbers of young Westerners becoming curious about China after direct exposure through platforms like Xiaohongshu (Red Note), where they're interacting with ordinary Chinese people online.
But what exactly are people becoming "pro-China" toward?
In this episode of STXY, I'm joined by Grayson from Infrared and Sungross from RTSG to discuss the rise of what we call the compatible left, a form of Western leftism that adopts radical aesthetics and sometimes anti-imperialist language while remaining fully compatible with mainstream US political and foreign policy structures.
We talk about how socialism and communism in the West have increasingly been redefined through the lens of radical liberalism, and how many self-described "pro-China" leftists often project an imaginary version of China that conforms more to Western progressive sensibilities than to China as it actually exists.
We also discuss how China has become a proxy object in American political discourse, with both the right and the left turning China into whatever they need it to be for their own domestic narratives. For some, China is an authoritarian threat. For others, it becomes a fantasy woke utopia. In both cases, China itself often becomes secondary to American political identity and culture war dynamics.
As case studies, we examine Hasan Piker and Kat Abughazaleh. Hasan recently visited China during the height of the CHINAMAXXING trend and publicly praised many aspects of the country while livestreaming here, helping normalize direct exposure to China among younger Western audiences. But despite presenting himself as anti-establishment, socialist, and now a "friend" of China, he returns to the United States and throws his support behind figures like Kat Abughazaleh, whose foreign policy positions on China are fully aligned with mainstream US strategic interests and, in some cases, even more hawkish than establishment Republicans and Democrats.
We explore what this contradiction reveals about the modern Western left, why so many "anti-imperialists" remain structurally embedded within empire, and how radical political language can be absorbed into systems that ultimately reproduce the same geopolitical outcomes.
Is the western left capable of developing an independent understanding of China and foreign policy at all, or is it trapped within the boundaries of American political culture regardless of rhetoric? Tune in to find out!
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May 21, 2026
May 21, 2026
58 min
Angelica returns to talk about our recent trip to Southern Xinjiang, where our journey began in Kashgar (Kashi) before our ascent up the Pamir Plateau to Taxkorgan (Tashkurgan). We also announce a new venture we've started called Tianxia Travels, a travel company specializing in bringing guests off the beaten path in China on journeys that tell coherent stories in some of the most culturally rich, visually breathtaking, yet difficult to navigate areas of the country.
Learn more about Tianxia Travels
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May 12, 2026
May 12, 2026
1hr 2 min
Taiwan's economy looks incredible on paper. GDP per capita has surged in recent years, even surpassing Japan and South Korea by some measures. Supporters of Taiwan's administration often point to these numbers as proof that the island is prospering. However, for many ordinary people in Taiwan, the story feels very different.
Despite rapid GDP growth, median wages have remained largely stagnant for decades. Housing costs continue to climb, younger generations struggle to build wealth, and many people of Taiwan feel that the benefits of economic growth are not reaching them.
So what's actually going on?
In this episode of Strait Talk, we sit down with tech industry insider "Mr. T" to unpack Taiwan's economic paradox. We examine how Taiwan's world-leading semiconductor sector has driven massive GDP growth while leaving much of the broader economy behind.
While discussing this topic, we also touch on how Taiwan's political discourse has increasingly shifted toward identity politics in ways that often obscure or distract from deeper economic problems facing ordinary people.
Is Taiwan truly as prosperous as its GDP suggests, or is the wealth concentrated in ways that leave much of society behind? Tune in to find out!
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Apr 13, 2026
Apr 13, 2026
1hr 33 min
KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's recent visit to the Chinese mainland has garnered attention from all around the world. Despite this, many details of her trip are not being reported in English-language media. Her itinerary, which began in Nanjing, continued in Shanghai, and ended in Beijing, was more than a series of ceremonial stops. Each city reflects a different dimension of cross-strait relations: history, economic exchange, and political power. In this conversation with Carl Zha on his Silk and Steel Podcast, we take a deeper look at what the trip may signal about the evolving political landscape between Taipei and Beijing, the symbolism of Cheng's visit to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, and how shifting geopolitical realities are shaping the choices facing Taiwan today. If you want the context that's missing elsewhere, this is the episode to watch!
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Apr 7, 2026
Apr 7, 2026
1hr 20 min
Taiwan is one of the most talked-about places in geopolitics today, yet much of the discussion about it starts with a deeply simplified story. According to the common narrative, Chiang Kai-shek fled to the island in 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War, and that's where Taiwan's story begins.
But as we often say on this show, Taiwan's history does not begin in 1949, nor does it end there.
Whether they are pro-China or anti-China, many Western commentators simply do not understand Taiwan’s history, its internal contradictions, or even where the people on the island come from. A common belief is that Taiwan's population today largely descends from the mainlanders who arrived with Chiang Kai-shek. In reality, this ignores centuries of migration that made Taiwan part of the Chinese world long before the Kuomintang even existed. It also erases the 50 years of Japanese colonial rule that left a lasting imprint on Taiwan's society and politics.
Because of this poor historical understanding, even people trying to defend strong political positions often end up arguing past reality. Pro-China commentators insist Taiwan is part of China and that the people of Taiwan are Chinese; yet they talk about the people of the island as if they are enemies of the Chinese people rather than Chinese people themselves. On the other side, anti-China commentators rely on narratives that similarly erase centuries of complicated history that are politically inconvenient for them.
None of this helps anyone understand the situation in this part of the world.
There is very little good information about Taiwan available in English, and much of what exists is filtered through incomplete narratives. At Strait Talk with Xiangyu, we want to change that one conversation at a time.
In this episode, we invited Nick Cruse from Revolutionary Blackout Network to explain his understanding of the Taiwan situation. His perspective reflects what many people in our audience have heard about Taiwan.
From there, we work through that understanding together, unpacking the history, filling in the missing pieces, and exploring the deeper story behind one of the most misunderstood places in geopolitics today.
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Mar 28, 2026
Mar 28, 2026
1hr 7 min
Why has a little-known figure known as "Professor" Jiang suddenly become a viral presence online? And why are completely different camps attacking him for opposite reasons? In this episode of Strait Talk, we use the controversy surrounding Jiang Xueqin as a starting point to explore something much bigger: the competing intellectual currents and elite networks inside China itself.
Zhenming, the author of the viral investigative thread examining Jiang's background, joins us to connect the dots. How can the same person be portrayed as both a Western NGO activist and a mouthpiece of the Chinese system? And what does this reveal about the different circles, institutions, and ideological tendencies that exist within China's upper echelons?
Rather than focusing solely on Jiang, this conversation examines the broader landscape of power, influence, and ideas shaping contemporary China, from globally oriented elite networks to the competing visions of China's future emerging from within the system itself.
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"Who is 'Professor' Jiang" thread: https://x.com/zhen_ming_/status/2035083436860612639
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Mar 6, 2026
Mar 6, 2026
34 min
Taiwan separatism is often presented as a simple struggle between "democracy" and "authoritarianism." Others continue to view cross-strait politics through the lens of the struggle between the CPC and the KMT despite the reality that history has since moved on. Regardless, most people simply do not understand Taiwan separatist ideology and therefore do not know how to argue against it, because they only see the tip of the iceberg.
In this episode, we break down the identity politics iceberg, and explore the deeper layers that shaped modern separatist narratives on the island.
At the top of the iceberg is the familiar rhetoric: claims that Taiwan has "never been part of China," and attempts to place Qing and Kuomintang rule in the same category as Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese colonialism. This narrative often frames both the KMT and the Communist Party of China as equally illegitimate simply because they are "Chinese" (from the mainland).
But beneath that surface lies a more complicated story.
The middle layer reveals a paradox: modern separatist ideology is both a rejection of the KMT and a continuation of some of its Cold War foundations, particularly anti-communism. What once served as justification for reunification under the "Republic of China" now serves as justification for permanent separation. Whereas the KMT claimed to be the true representatives of Chinese culture and framed Taiwan as a bastion of Chinese culture, Taiwan separatists reject the idea of belonging to Chinese civilization.
Deeper still is a factor that rarely gets discussed openly: Hoklo chauvinism and identity politics. While Taiwan is often described as 98% Han, the island's Han population is itself diverse, including Hoklo, Hakka, and Waishengren. The political dynamics between these groups played a major role in shaping modern identity narratives.
Understanding these historical and social foundations is essential if we want to understand how Taiwan's political identity debates developed in the first place.
In this episode, we go beyond the slogans and examine the ideological iceberg beneath Taiwan separatism.
If you want to understand Taiwan's politics beyond the surface narratives, this episode is for you.
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