Welcome back to The Restricted Handling Podcast—your unfiltered daily dive into the world of geopolitics, intelligence, and security. In this episode, we’ve got a wild lineup straight out of the headlines, and China is at the center of it all. From trade wars to spy scandals, from flashy military parades to tense naval standoffs, this one has it all. We kick things off with Beijing going after Washington’s new tariffs on India. The U.S. has slapped Delhi with up to 50% tariffs—yes, five-zero—and China wasted no time calling America a “bully.” What’s more, China is suddenly cozying up to India, pitching itself as Delhi’s partner against U.S. pressure. If you thought Galwan Valley in 2020 was the end of that relationship, think again. With Prime Minister Modi set to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China at the end of the month, the geopolitical chessboard is shifting fast. Speaking of the SCO, Xi Jinping is hosting a powerhouse summit in Tianjin with Vladimir Putin, UN chief António Guterres, and a long list of regional leaders. But while Xi rolls out the red carpet there, he’s bailing on the October ASEAN summit in Malaysia—leaving Trump waiting for a face-to-face encounter that won’t happen. It’s a power play straight out of Beijing’s diplomatic playbook: show up where you dominate, skip where Washington might steal the show. Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army is about to flex hard with its biggest parade since 2019. Hypersonic missiles, carrier-based jets, AI drones, and even massive unmanned undersea vehicles are set to roll out on September 3. It’s Xi’s way of saying: “By 2035, we’ll be ready for anything.” If the Soviet Union had its Cold War parades, this is the next-gen version—bigger, flashier, and with AI baked in. But the drama doesn’t stop there. A U.S. Navy sailor in San Diego has been convicted of espionage for selling secrets to China. The details are jaw-dropping: classified ship systems, propulsion data, and vulnerabilities sold for just $12,000. It’s an “egregious betrayal,” according to U.S. prosecutors, and a reminder that the insider threat is as dangerous as ever. We also hit Xi’s trip to Tibet, where he doubled down on Party control just as the Dalai Lama’s succession question looms, plus China’s armed vessel surge at Ayungin Shoal in the South China Sea. Toss in rare earth battles, chip wars, and Beijing’s pushback against New Zealand’s espionage report, and you’ve got one packed episode. If you want cutting-edge analysis, gripping details, and a little bit of attitude with your geopolitics, this is the episode you don’t want to miss. 

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