China Decode: Taiwan's Record Defense Budget, Evergrande's Life Sentence, and China's Robot Boom

About This Episode

Alice Han and James Kynge start in Taipei, where the government has approved a record $35 billion defense budget for 2027 — an 18.2% jump — coming right on the heels of this year's Han Kuang drills, which mobilized nearly 22,000 reservists and adopted U.S.-style command tactics for the first time. They dig into what it means for Taiwan's military readiness, and whether this is more about deterring China or convincing Washington. Then: Evergrande founder Hui Ka Yan — once China's richest man — ha