China’s Ministry of Commerce escalated economic pressure on Japan by adding 20 Japanese firms to its export control list and another 20 to a watch list, targeting dual‑use items. Foreign Minister Wang Yi intensified rhetoric, accusing Japan of harboring ambitions to invade Taiwan and reviving militarism. The move reflects Beijing’s broader strategy of leveraging trade tools amid rising geopolitical frictions in the Indo‑Pacific. These actions come as China tightens its overall foreign policy stance ahead of the upcoming Five‑Year Plan.

In this episode, Dr. Holly Snape explains the Central Military Commission Chairman Responsibility System (CRS), a set of rules and mechanisms Xi Jinping has built over the past 13 years to cement Party control of the PLA. She details how the CRS...