#1799 The US and China Are Fighting Over Taiwan, Semiconductors, and Africa's Minerals

Air Date: 6/10/2026

Today we explore how Taiwan's own people are stuck between the US and China. Fewer and fewer of them want to rejoin China but their faith in America is sinking just as fast as Trump treats them as a bargaining chip. Their own leaders are split on how to respond. And the place that makes most of the world's advanced chips has almost no seat at the table where its future is being decided.

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Transcript

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TOP TAKES

KP 1: Xi, Putin & Trump - Who Really Runs the World? | To the Point - DW News - Air Date 5-21-26

KP 2: Can There Ever Really Be "one China?" - Vox - Air Date 5-28-26

KP 3: How the US Is Trying to Challenge China's Critical Mineral Dominance Part 1 - The China in Africa Podcast - Air Date 5-28-26

KP 4: Why Did Trump Take Elon Musk to China? - Paul Krugman - Air Date 5-14-26

KP 5: Why This Island Could Trigger World War 3 - Johnny Harris - Air Date 12-18-25

KP 6: China Will Never Beat Taiwan, Here's Why - Maxinomics - Air Date 3-37-26

(00:53:26) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

The Stories Nations Tell Will Destroy Us_ China, Taiwan, and Trump

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DEEPER DIVES

(01:04:39) SECTION A: THE MAKING OF TAIWAN

A1: The Taiwan Conflict, Explained - Ryan Chapman - Air Date 10-13-22

A2: Inside China's Plan to Take Over Taiwan "peacefully" | If You're Listening - ABC NEWS In-depth - Air Date 11-28-25

(01:24:47) SECTION B: THE MULTIPOLAR WORLDVIEW

B1: China Rising Part 1: How the Unipolar World Is Ending - Beyond the Ballot Box - Air Date 2-10-26

B2: US Unipolarity Vs China's Multipolarity: Whose Vision Will Shape the New Global Order?

B3: China Rising Part 2: Taiwan, Xinjiang, Sovereignty and Human Rights - Beyond the Ballot Box

(01:52:00) SECTION C: TAIWAN IN THE CROSSHAIRS

C1: What's Behind the Record-breaking $11 Billion US-Taiwan Arms Deal? - DW News - Air Date 12-19-25

C2: Is Taiwan Moving Away From the US? - TLDR News Global - Air Date 4-20-26

(02:09:55) SECTION D: THE SUMMI…