Takaichi and Marcos Unite: China's Worst Nightmare | Taiwan Talks EP841

Why is China trying to drive a wedge between the US, Japan and the Philippines? Following intense verbal attacks from Beijing, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is visiting Japanese PM Takaichi Sanae in Tokyo as the two countries move toward their closest security relationship ever, including closer cooperation along the First Island Chain. The trip comes at a pivotal moment in the wake of the Trump-Xi summit, where Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly criticized Japan’s military buildup and sought to influence US President Donald Trump’s approach to the US’ Indo-Pacific allies. Is Beijing driving a wedge between the United States and its partners — or is it accelerating their alignment instead? In this episode, we examine Marcos’s visit, the evolving Japan–Philippines partnership and what it means for Taiwan and regional security
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*Recorded on May 26, 2026 at 3pm Taiwan Standard Time

Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat
Planners: Betty Wang, Miguel Yang

Our guests:
Stephen Yates
- Heritage Foundation Senior Research Fellow
Peter Mattis
- The Jamestown Foundation President
Ray Powell
- SeaLight Foundation Executive Director

Chapters:
00:00:00 – Marcos Visits Japan
00:02:48 – Tokyo, Manila Upgrade Security Ties
00:08:31 – US Pushes Back on China’s Japan Criticism
00:21:31 – US Officials Give Mixed Messages




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