
Show Notes
What does the transformation of the PLA mean for China's global position and strategy?
On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman and GPF analyst and China expert Victoria Herczegh join host Christian Smith to discuss how Xi Jinping's supreme desire for loyalty impacts the PLA's effectiveness, the operational risks of rapid technological modernization without critical evaluation, and what's next for US-China relations as signals of de-escalation appear ahead of next month's summit. Also: Taiwan's symbolic role.
Episode recorded on August 18, 2026.
Learn more about GeoEconomic Lens and access the first issue for free at https://geopoliticalfutures.com/lens/introducing-lens/.
Learn more about GPF and subscribe to our free newsletter at http://www.geopoliticalfutures.com/gpf-newsletter.
More from Talking Geopolitics
Is the US-Ukraine relationship at a breaking point, or is this just the next page in Trump's negotiation playbook?
Are we living through an unprecedented collapse of the global order, or is this just another turbulent chapter in the geopolitical cycle?
Is Eastern Europe finally free from the crushing dominance of foreign powers?
On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss the unfolding security incident at RAF Fairford, the fallout from the US-China summit and Xi's letter to Trump, and the overblown risks of AI in geopolitics and related technology.
It's a high-stakes week for global geopolitics and diplomacy.