Secrets And Spies: a podcast about Espionage, Terrorism & GeoPolitics
S9 Ep34: Is China’s Military Ready for War? PLA Readiness, Regime Stability, and Taiwan with Timothy Heath
Published: 26 March 2025 at 06:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Is the Chinese military really ready for war? In this episode, Chris and Matt speak with Timothy Heath, a senior international defense researcher at RAND Corporation, about his provocative new report The Chinese Military’s Doubtful Combat Readiness. Heath argues that the PLA remains deeply shaped by its political mission to preserve CCP rule—and is poorly optimized for high-end combat. They discuss how China’s military modernization masks enduring political constraints, why in his view war over Taiwan remains unlikely, and what China might do instead to challenge US interests through proxy warfare, cyber, and global coercion. Heath also explores the CCP’s legitimacy crisis, China’s evolving strategic partnerships with Russia and Iran, and why the specter of global systemic war can’t be ruled out.
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Please share this episode using these links
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Read Timothy’s reporting
The Chinese Military's Doubtful Combat Readiness: https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA830-1.html
Timothy’s other work for the RAND Corporation: https://www.rand.org/about/people/h/heath_timothy_r.html
Timothy’s other work for the RAND Corporation: https://www.rand.org/about/people/h/heath_timothy_r.html
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Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts.
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Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts.
