RH 2.10.26 | China Tightens the Screws, Taiwan Pressure, Russia Reloads

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast  https://www.restrictedhandling.com/  China is back in the headlines and not in a quiet, subtle way. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down a fast-moving 24 hours that show how Beijing is tightening control at home while turning up pressure abroad, all at the same time.  We start in Europe, where Germany is stepping into an increasingly uncomfortable role as geopolitical air traffic controller. Chancellor Friedrich Merz heads into the Munich Security Conference juggling meetings with the US, China, and Ukraine. Berlin is signaling it is not ready to give up on the transatlantic relationship, even as tensions with Washington remain real. This matters more than it sounds, because Germany is quietly shaping how Western unity holds together as competition with China deepens.  From there, we move straight into China's escalating posture toward Taiwan. Beijing's annual Taiwan Work Conference made one thing clear. The language is harder, the threats are sharper, and the gloves are off. Senior Chinese leaders are openly backing so called pro reunification forces while warning Taiwan's military of total destruction if conflict breaks out. This is no longer abstract rhetoric. It is paired with real world behavior that raises the risk of miscalculation.  We unpack new details from China's Justice Mission military exercises, including dangerous air encounters between PLA fighters and Taiwanese aircraft. Flares were fired. Missiles were flashed. Pilots flew closer than they should have. These moments matter because they show how Beijing is normalizing risk and testing how far it can go without triggering a response.  But the most important story is not about jets. It is about law and pressure on people. China is expanding its use of lawfare against Taiwanese citizens, detaining travelers, simulating prosecutions, and sending a clear message that political identity itself carries risk. We explain how this fits into a broader strategy to wear Taiwan down without launching a traditional invasion.  Hong Kong returns as a cautionary tale. After the sentencing of Jimmy Lai, Beijing followed up with a formal policy document doubling down on national security enforcement. The message is unmistakable. This is what control looks like once ambiguity is gone.  We also check in on Russia, where new intelligence shows Moscow rebuilding military capacity for future conflict rather than immediate escalation. Europe is being tested. Time is the weapon.  The episode rounds out with China's expanding global footprint, from ports in the Americas to quiet moves in Cuba and the South China Sea, and a look inside China's own system as corruption cases and military purges continue to shake confidence.  👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast  https://www.restrictedhandling.com/  Get the daily intelligence brief Ryan and Glenn read covering Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, the Middle East, geopolitics, sanctions, military and intel operations. Save a few hours of your time getting ahead of the news cycle at restrictedhandling.com.