China’s turning up the heat this Christmas Eve — and we’re breaking it all down with the precision of a DF-31 missile launch (minus the fallout). In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we dive headfirst into Beijing’s latest nuclear flex, its record-breaking arms race with the U.S., and the rapidly evolving standoff over Taiwan. If you thought yesterday’s episode had fireworks, today’s has enough geopolitical caffeine to fuel an entire carrier group. 

The Pentagon’s new report confirms what many have feared: China’s moving to a “launch-on-warning” nuclear posture, putting its arsenal on a hair-trigger. That means the People’s Liberation Army could fire back before an incoming missile even hits — a Cold War-style shift that could rewrite deterrence as we know it. We’ll break down how this new posture ties into Xi Jinping’s 2030 nuclear expansion plan, the growing web of missile silos in northern China, and what it all means for the U.S. homeland’s vulnerability. 

Then we head to Taiwan, where the United States has approved its largest-ever arms sale — over $11 billion in HIMARS, ATACMS, howitzers, and drones designed to shred any Chinese invasion force before it reaches the beach. But there’s a catch: Taiwan’s legislature is gridlocked in a constitutional crisis that could delay funding for the deal. We’ve got all the latest on the political knife fight inside Taipei that could decide the island’s defense future. 

Meanwhile, Beijing’s Navy is showing off like it’s auditioning for Top Gun: Maritime Edition. Over 100 Chinese warships are now deployed across East Asia — the biggest show of force in modern history — just as Beijing pushes plans to build six new aircraft carriers by 2035. Japan’s bracing for impact, arming its remote islands, and tightening coordination with Washington, while the PLA’s growing presence is rewriting the region’s military balance in real time. 

We also tackle the semiconductor chess match — with Trump delaying tariffs on Chinese chips until 2027, Beijing screaming “suppression,” and Chinese scientists claiming to have built a homegrown EUV light source that could leapfrog Western tech bans. Add in the FCC’s fresh ban on Chinese drones, Iran calling China “hypocritical” over the Hormuz islands, and Russia teaming up with Beijing to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon, and you’ve got yourself one wild end-of-year geopolitical cocktail. 

Grab your coffee, plug in your earbuds, and settle in. RH 12.24.25 | China: Nukes, Carriers, Chips & Power Plays is your inside look at the moves, misfires, and machinations shaping the world’s next great power showdown.