Is the China Threat Real or Manufactured?

Are America’s assumptions about China based on facts — or fear? Today’s guest, Zhengyu “Z” Huang, is a former White House Fellow, past President of the Committee of 100, and the author of Rethinking China. Few people understand the gap between political narratives and real policy like he does.In this episode, we cover: 0:00 – Intro 1:00 – How America built a distorted view of China 2:30 – The biggest myths shaping U.S.–China policy 4:00 – National security realities: Taiwan, AI, and semiconductors 7:30 – What the media gets wrong 10:00 – Z’s insider experience in D.C. 14:00 – Chinese American communities caught in political crossfire 18:00 – TikTok, chips, and the tech war 25:00 – Why fear-based policy makes America weaker 30:00 – What a smarter U.S.–China strategy looks like 35:00 – The future of global power 40:00 – Lightning round: war, AI, TikTok, and American strength 45:00 – OutroSupport the show