Peter Mattis

Washington’s neutrality toward Taiwan has helped maintain peace in the strait for decades, write Marvin Park and @DavidMSacks1. Today, any shift in that stance could embolden China and destabilize the region. foreignaffairs.com/taiwan/taiwan-…

"Do you have any plans to call President Lai of Taiwan before you make a decision on the weapons package?" @POTUS: "I'll speak to him. I speak to everybody. We have that situation very well in hand. We had a great meeting with President Xi... we'll work on that, the Taiwan problem."

One overlooked but highly significant reform is the PLA’s ongoing overhaul of its military theory development system. My latest article in @JamestownTweets @ChinaBriefJT examines this issue in greater detail. Takeaway: Military theory serves as the foundation for the PLA’s operational concepts, doctrine development, and force-building efforts. The purpose of this new regulation is to better align the PLA’s theoretical and doctrinal system with the requirements of future—not just current—warfare and joint operations. As a result, the PLA could see further major adjustments in its strategy, force structure, and doctrine in the years ahead. Many thanks to @Arranjnh for the thoughtful edits and suggestions, which helped further refine and strengthen this piece. jamestown.org/pla-reshapes-m… Executive Summary: （1） In March, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Regulations on Military Theory Work officially took effect. The regulations fundamentally reshape the Chinese military theory development system. （2） The regulations mainly divide military theory work into two major categories: vertical control and horizontal division of labor. These categories cover five major areas: the management system, content and publication procedures, the full-process management chain, military theory achievements, and support and guarantee foundations. （3） The regulations focus on building a joint operational theory system capable of adapting to future warfare. They also emphasize changes in technology, warfare, and adversaries to understand the mechanisms of victory in informatized and intelligentized warfare. （4） In the short term, the PLA likely does not plan to conduct military operations within the next one to two years. Over the longer term, however, observers should pay close attention to changes in PLA operational concepts and doctrine, including ideas such as dissipative warfare.

Presenting Zhou Bo as a former senior military officer without further identification is another travesty in how we describe interlocutors in the PRC, @FoxNews @SpecialReport Zhou spent a career military intelligence and foreign-facing "barbarian handler" roles. Interviewing him without explaining his past is misleading. Just because the mistake is common (and sometimes intentional) doesn't make it right.

WATCH: "I think the fact that Trump is visiting China is a success." former senior PLA Colonel Zhou Bo tells @BretBaier that this meeting serves as "proof" to the Chinese people that "China is equal to the United States." Tune in for the full interview.

Today’s Sinocism on the Trump visit to China, commentary outside the paywall - Trump meets Xi; The new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability; AI, by @niubi open.substack.com/pub/sinocism/p…

Reflections from the children of Hong Kong’s imprisoned dissident publisher, shared by @JillianKayM. on.wsj.com/4uckcRd