While on Taiwan Talks, Riley Walters explains that joint military drills are primarily a Beijing-led initiative to test regional reactions, threaten Japanese territorial authority, and project power in the Pacific. He notes China’s grey-zone maneuvers justify Tokyo’s defense modernization and risk escalating a potential Taiwan scenario into a broader global conflict.
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Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 22, 2025. (Getty Images)