Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor Ravi Velloor, as he distills his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this episode, he hosts Mr Drew Thompson, a former top official in the Pentagon who helped handle military to military relations with China and Taiwan. Mr Thompson, now Senior Visiting Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, discusses the state of cross-Straits relations, American posture on Taiwan and his assessment of Chinese President Xi Jinping's likely approach on Taiwan after the 20th Party Congress.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:40 Cross-Straits tensions not new, but use of force is not off the table

9:10 Why the US has not changed policy, but has changed its approach

15:18 On Nancy Pelosi's visit: 'China chose to over-react'

21:15 Why Taiwan could succeed in a conflict

28:05 Could tensions ease after Xi Jinping gets his third term?

Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

Ravi Velloor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#STAsianInsider