Welcome to another hard-hitting edition of The Restricted Handling Podcast — your unfiltered daily brief on the world’s biggest geopolitical and security stories. Today’s episode, “RH 9.11.25 | China, Yuan, Russia Gas & Pacific Moves,” dives headfirst into the latest power plays shaping global affairs, with a mix of sharp analysis, real-world details, and just enough personality to keep it lively.

We kick things off with China’s full-court press to dethrone the U.S. dollar. Beijing is doubling down on the yuan, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect for them. With the dollar stumbling to its worst start since the 1970s, the Chinese are making strategic moves: swap lines worth hundreds of billions, new “dim sum” bonds, and the digital yuan’s mBridge platform that’s already helping sanctioned firms move money. This isn’t some sleepy finance story — it’s a global currency battle that could reshape sanctions, trade, and power.

Then we pivot to diplomacy: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just got on the phone with their Chinese counterparts. Yes, you heard that right — high-level talks are back on, and they might be setting the stage for a Trump-Xi showdown at the APEC summit in South Korea. With tariffs, TikTok, and fentanyl all in the mix, this isn’t just talk for talk’s sake; it’s groundwork for some potentially big moves.

But while the phones are ringing, the tankers are sailing. China just welcomed sanctioned Russian LNG at its Beihai port, courtesy of Moscow’s reflagged “shadow fleet.” At the same time, Xi signed off on the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline deal with Putin. Washington blacklisted this gas back in 2023 to starve the Kremlin’s war machine — Beijing’s answer? “We’ll take it anyway.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Marines are climbing aboard expeditionary sea bases in the Pacific, turning ships like the USS Miguel Keith into mobile launchpads right along the first island chain. Pair that with Australia dropping $1.1 billion on Ghost Shark undersea drones and flight-testing the Ghost Bat combat drone, and you’ve got a region bristling with new toys and new tensions.

We’ll also cover Nepal’s Gen Z uprising that just toppled its government, Britain’s awkward attempt to restart trade talks with Beijing while arguing over embassies, and Starbucks waving the white flag in China after losing most of its market share.

If you want the pulse of global security, with a voice that doesn’t put you to sleep, this is the episode for you.