RH 2.13.26 | China: PLA Purges, Taiwan Pressure, Arctic Moves, Cyber Forward Deployment

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast  https://www.restrictedhandling.com/  In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down a packed 24 hours in US–China strategic competition and what it actually means for people tracking geopolitics, defense, and intelligence in real time.  China's military leadership shakeup is not just internal housekeeping. Xi Jinping publicly addressed what he called an "unusual and extraordinary" year for the PLA following the January removals of senior generals Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli. The Central Military Commission is now effectively compressed around Xi himself. We explain why that matters, what "political rectification" really signals, and how the CIA's new Mandarin-language recruitment video targeting Chinese military officers fits into the picture.  On Taiwan, the pressure is building from both sides. A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is now urging Taiwan's parliament to pass President Lai Ching-te's proposed 40 billion dollar defense expansion. We unpack the political friction inside Taipei, the implications for US arms deliveries, and how this connects to recent PLA exercises including Justice Mission 2025. If you are tracking deterrence credibility in the Taiwan Strait, this is required listening.  We also cover China's forward deployment of a PLA Cyberspace Force unit on Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea. Yes, cyber forces physically positioned on an artificial island in contested waters. This is about cross-domain military integration, not just servers and software.  Beyond the Indo-Pacific, we examine China's expanding Arctic footprint. The Xuelong 2 icebreaker completed a major expedition and a Chinese container ship transited the Northern Sea Route in just 20 days. Nordic intelligence services are watching closely as China deepens cooperation with Russia in the high north.  Cyber and espionage stories round out the episode. A Greek Air Force colonel has been arrested for allegedly leaking NATO plans to Chinese handlers. Singapore disclosed a China-linked telecom intrusion affecting all major operators. A former Google engineer was convicted in the US for stealing advanced AI trade secrets tied to TPU and GPU infrastructure. And a video appearing to show part of a DF-31A intercontinental ballistic missile surfaced in Inner Mongolia, adding another data point to China's growing nuclear arsenal.  If you care about US national security, China strategy, Taiwan defense policy, Arctic geopolitics, cyber warfare, AI competition, or nuclear modernization, this episode connects the dots without putting you to sleep.  👉 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.