Hypersonic YJ-20: China’s 052D Is Now the Deadliest Destroyer in South China Sea—or Is It? | EP898 @taiwan_talks
Hypersonic YJ-20: China’s 052D Is Now the Deadliest Destroyer in South China Sea—or Is It? | EP898  @taiwan_talks
Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
China unveiled footage on August 1 of a hypersonic anti-ship missile launched from its widely deployed Type 052D destroyers, just as it was conducting joint navy and coast guard drills around Scarborough Shoal. The long-range missile, capable of hitting ships up to 1,500km away, was previously only used by its rarer Type 055 destroyers. Will this new weapon capability allow China to mitigate the US Pacific Fleet’s superior experience? At the same time, Taiwan has signaled that its security cooperation with the United States extends far beyond arms sales, with Defense Minister Wellington Koo describing military ties as "far closer than many people imagine." In this episode, we examine China's latest military modernization, the strategic significance of Scarborough Shoal and what deepening US–Taiwan security cooperation means for the Indo-Pacific.

*Recorded on August 6, 2026 at 5pm Taiwan Standard Time

Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat
Planner: Miguel Yang
Consultant: Max Yu
Research Assistant: Ryan Pham
Videographer: Damon Lin

Our guests:

Alexander Huang
- Council on Strategic and Wargaming Studies Chair
Tony Hu
- Former US Department of Defense Senior Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia
Jason Hsu
- Hudson Institute Senior Fellow

Chapters:
00:00:00 – China Expands Missiles Across Fleet
00:02:27 – Missiles Could Hinder US Carrier Ops
00:13:14 – Could Weapons Reduce US Advantage?
00:19:54 – Taiwan, US Emphasize Close Military Ties





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Hypersonic YJ-20: China’s 052D Is Now the Deadliest Destroyer in South China Sea—or Is It? | EP898

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