ChinaPower

This episode evaluates China’s progress in the global endeavor to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions and investing in green technology. Our guest, Ms. Barbara Finamore, explains Beijing’s current climate change policies and their role in China’s national priorities like the Belt and Road Initiative. She also looks ahead to how China might continue advancing clean energy at home whi...

This episode investigates the evolving political and economic circumstances surrounding Chinese telecommunications company Huawei and its attempts to integrate its technology in global markets. Our guest, Dr. James Lewis, explores the growing concerns in the US and some of its democratic allies about Huawei, as well as the decisions by countries like the UK to adopt Huawei technology. Dr. Lewis al...

This episode explores current developments in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the lead-up to the second Belt and Road Forum. Our guest, Mr. Jonathan Hillman, discusses the BRI’s current projects and financing, including recent backlash and scrutiny from partner countries. Mr. Hillman also details the approach the U.S. is taking toward the initiative in the face of recent agreements on th...

This episode explores China’s ambitions to reform and influence global governance, and the resulting effects on the international system. Our guest, Dr. Melanie Hart, discusses the main takeaways from her February 2019 co-authored report titled Mapping China’s Global Governance Ambitions. She analyzes China’s intentions behind its challenges to the liberal international order, and the role that de...

This episode assesses China’s development of unmanned systems, especially its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their role in China’s military capacity and international commercial export markets. Our guest, Mr. Tate Nurkin, analyzes the impact of UAVs on new military and security practices in China. He also provides insight into how Chinese drone manufacturers such as DJI have been able to domi...

This episode explores China’s new-energy vehicle (NEV) market and draws from the November 2018 CSIS report entitled China’s Risky Drive into New-Energy Vehicles. We are joined by the author of the report, Dr. Scott Kennedy, who examines the strategic and economic motivations behind Beijing’s prioritization of NEVs. Dr. Kennedy discusses the positive results of China becoming the world’s largest NE...

This episode examines recent developments in Sino-Russian relations and the effects on the United States. Our guest, Mr. Alexander Gabuev, explains the impetus behind the growing geostrategic and military collaborations between China and Russia. He discusses how mutual economic interests and close relations between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have strengthened and diversified the partnership bet...

This episode explores the relationship between China and the current postwar international order, drawing from the RAND Corporation’s May 2018 report titled China and the International Order. Our guest and the report’s co-author, Mr. Timothy Heath, analyzes China’s perceived challenges to the current order, including the development of multilateral institutions like the Asian Infrastructure Invest...

This episode examines recent developments in Southeast Asian attitudes toward competing great powers in the region, especially China and the US, and what it might mean for the future of ASEAN’s ties with these actors. Our guest, Dr. Tang Siew Mun, explains the factors behind the results of his organization’s recent survey titled “State of Southeast Asia: 2019.” He discusses the respondents’ views...

This episode explores the major defeat of the ruling DPP in Taiwan’s recent nine-in-one local elections and what these results mean for the future of cross-Strait relations. Our guest, Dr. Shelley Rigger, explains the current economic and political climate in Taiwan and provides insights into the economic drivers that helped KMT candidates win 15 of Taiwan’s 22 mayoral and county magistrate seats....

This episode explores the significant increase in friction between the United States and China since the Trump administration came to power in 2017, and analyzes the implications for both countries and the rest of the world. Our guest, Dr. Wu Xinbo, examines the issues in the bilateral relationship where both sides do not see eye to eye, such as trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the internat...

This episode explores the rapid modernization of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and its growing naval capacity. Our guest, Dr. Andrew Erickson, explains the motivations behind this effort as well as the most recent capabilities of the PLAN’s expanding naval fleet. He also discusses the synergies between commercial and military shipbuilding in China and revisits the current state...

This episode explores the current state of cross-Strait relations between Taiwan and mainland China, as well as the Trump administration’s approach to this complex relationship. Our guest, Dr. Richard Bush, explains how and why the relationship has deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, as well as how her approach to relations with Beijing differs from that of former Pres...

This episode explores China’s approach to the Central and Eastern Europe region through its 16+1 mechanism, which brings together eleven EU member states, five Balkan countries, and China. Our guest, Justyna Szczudlik, explains China’s political and economic goals in the region and describes the major outcomes of the recent 16+1 Summit in Bulgaria. She also examines the appeal of the Belt and Road...

This episode explores the latest developments in China’s relationship with India, especially how the relationship has evolved since the Doklam border standoff in 2017. Our guest, Dr. Jagannath Panda, explains the lessons each side learned from the Doklam incident and evaluates Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s China policy. He also analyzes how India has attempted to avoid conflict with China, even a...

This episode explores the evolving relationship between China and Africa, especially the 53 African states that participate in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Our guest, Professor Chris Alden, joins us to discuss the outcomes of the most recent FOCAC Summit, as well as China’s role as an infrastructure financier on the continent. He also examines the growing importance of security i...

This episode explores the relationship between China and the European Union’s 28 member states, as well as the impact of the US on China-EU ties. Our guest, Ms. Theresa Fallon, analyzes China’s increased interest in the region amid tension with the US and assesses the efficacy of initiatives such as the 16+1 Summit and Belt and Road Initiative in strengthening China-EU ties. She also predicts wher...

This episode explores China’s standing in BRICS, a group of five countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) with fast-developing economies and growing regional influence. Our guest, Duncan Innes-Ker, explains the major outcomes of the 10 BRICS summit, describes the group’s increasing economic engagement with Africa, and analyzes China’s position as the largest economy in BRICS. He...

This episode explores the ins and outs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) nearly two decades after its founding, as well as China’s evolving role within the organization. Our guest, Dr. Alexander Cooley, uncovers the current challenges and opportunities for the organization as the SCO’s membership and China’s foreign policy aspirations expand. Dr. Cooley analyzes potential future areas...

This episode explores the latest public diplomacy efforts that Beijing has carried out in the East Asia and Pacific region to boost favorable views toward China. Through the lens of AidData’s ground-breaking report, Ties That Bind: Quantifying China’s public diplomacy and its “good neighbor” effect, our guest Samantha Custer analyzes the methods, objectives, and successes of China’s regional publi...

This episode explores China’s intensified activities and interests in the South China Sea in recent years. Our guest, Bill Hayton, unpacks the history of the various parties’ sovereignty claims, and discusses how China’s actions in the South China Sea have led to greater regional tensions and increased international criticism, including from the United States. He explains China’s militarization an...

This episode of the ChinaPower Podcast is brought to you in conjunction with SupChina’s Sinica Podcast, hosted by Kaiser Kuo. He interviews Bonnie Glaser about China’s security environment, including the significance of the Trump-Kim summit for China, tense US-China trade relations, China’s regional economic and security influence, and the effects of Beijing’s militarization in the South China Sea...

This episode discusses recent tensions in the U.S.-China trade relationship, including the demands from each side as well as the implications of a U.S.-China trade war. Our guest, Dan Rosen, joins us to discuss the Trump administration’s approach to trade relations with China, the significance of the widening bilateral trade deficit, and the ideal outcomes for both countries. He also expands upon...

This episode discusses the impact of China’s authoritarian system on its emergence as a great power. Our guest, Carl Minzner, joins us to discuss his book, End of an Era: How China’s Authoritarian Revival is Undermining Its Rise, where he argues that China’s stagnant government system is slowly erasing the positive changes of the reform era. Carl Minzner is a professor at the Fordham University Sc...

This episode dissects current dynamics between the US and China, addressing the reasons for increased friction and competition in the bilateral relationship. Our guest, Professor Da Wei, joins us to discuss how both countries view the relationship today and how these perspectives have changed as the US-China power gap has narrowed. He also analyzes the nuances in terminology used to describe China...