RH 2.3.26 | China: Purged Generals, Taiwan Pressure, Nuclear Unraveling

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast  https://www.restrictedhandling.com/  In RH 2.3.26 | China, we walk through a fast-moving 48 hours that hit nearly every pressure point in global geopolitics. Xi Jinping is purging the top of the People's Liberation Army, removing senior generals he personally promoted and leaving China's military leadership thinner, quieter, and far more politically cautious. This is not a routine anti-corruption sweep. It is a loyalty reset happening while Beijing is running near-constant military pressure on Taiwan.  We dig into the latest numbers showing Chinese military flights around Taiwan have gone from occasional to routine, turning what used to be a crisis into the new normal. At the same time, Taiwan's domestic politics are getting messy, with defense funding stalled even as Chinese aircraft keep flying. We explain why that matters, how Washington is reacting, and why timing is everything.  Zooming out, the episode connects China's internal moves to the broader strategic picture. Russia just signaled it is ready for a world with no nuclear arms limits as the New START treaty expires, and it did so while standing shoulder to shoulder with Beijing. Cold War vibes are back, except the rules are thinner and the guardrails are missing.  On the economic front, the US is clearly preparing for a long competition. We break down Project Vault, the new US effort to stockpile critical minerals and reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains. Rare earths, magnets, semiconductors, defense inputs. This is economic security as national security, and it is no longer subtle.  Inside China, we look at the human cost of financial hedging and political control. A major gold trading platform collapse burned thousands of ordinary investors at the same time Beijing quietly stacks bullion. High-profile executions tied to cross-border scam networks send a blunt message about internal order. A former justice minister gets life in prison, reinforcing that no one is immune once the political winds shift.  We also touch on China's quieter but highly effective strategy of exporting internal security. Instead of alliances or bases, Beijing is training police forces, crowd control units, and VIP protection teams across dozens of countries. It is influence without flags, and it is spreading fast.  👉 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.