The Pacific Century

Misha talks with Hoover Institution fellow Amy Zegart about her new book on the history of US intelligence, Spies, Lies, and Algorithms . They discuss the challenge of defending against China's pervasive spying, US counter-intelligence failures against China, and how open source intelligence is changing espionage.

Misha talks with John Pomfret, author of The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom , about living with China since 1980, how Americans misunderstood Beijing's worldview, and where US-China relations go from here.

Misha is joined by Amb. Derek Mitchell, of the National Democratic Institute, and Dr. Dan Twining, of the International Republican Institute, to talk about democracy in Asia, the China challenge, and predictions for 2022.

Misha talks with David Ownby and Matt Johnson, of "Reading the China Dream" on the Chinese Republic of Letters, modern Chinese thinkers, and the influence of Wang Huning, lead ideologist and intellectual of the CCP.

Misha talks with Professor John Mearsheimer about the inevitable clash between America and China, and why engagement with China was the biggest strategic blunder in recent history.

Misha talks with General David Berger, Commandant of the US Marines Corps on how the Marines are preparing to face China, working with allies, and what the Corps will look like in the future to maintain its edge in the Pacific.

Misha and John talk with Columbia professor Andrew Nathan on the domestic drivers of China’s foreign policy, Xi Jinping’s leadership, Taiwan, human rights, and CCP politics.

Misha talks with Bonnie Glaser, head of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund about how Beijing uses its foreign and security policy to displace the US, weaken Taiwan, and undermine global institutions.

Misha and John are joined by Alexander Downer, Australia’s longest serving foreign minister and former high commissioner to Great Britain, to discuss Beijing’s economic war against Australia, the new AUKUS agreement, how AUKUS differs from the Quad, why Australia has some of the world’s most stringent COVID policies, and more.

Misha and John talk with George Washington University's David Shambaugh, about his new book From Mao to Now , a history of each of China's leaders. He ranks them in terms of effectiveness, and also ranks the US presidents who dealt with them.  In between, he talks about the role of the Chinese Communist Party and the Leninist party-state.

Misha talks with Adrian Wooldridge, political editor of The Economist, about his new book,  The Aristocracy of Talent .  They discuss the history of meritocracy in China, and look at how meritocracy works and doesn’t work today, in China, Singapore, Japan, and the West. Plus, he names his favorite “meritocracy movie”!

Misha talks with Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), former US Ambassador to Japan, about Japan’s new leader, the US-Japan alliance, China, Taiwan, whether the US should rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and what the Biden Administrations needs to do to keep peace in the Pacific.  And, he reveals his favorite Japanese restaurant!

Misha and John are joined by Kenneth Juster, US ambassador to India from 2017-2021. Juster explains how Scottie Pippen refused to play him in horse after he showed off his basketball skills on the grounds of the US Embassy in New Delhi.  Ken then discusses the effect of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan on India and the region, the foundations for a stronger US-India relationship, and meeting wit...

Misha and John are joined by Vinnie Aggarwal, professor of political science and senior faculty fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. Vinnie shares his expertise on the US-China rivalry, and the prospects in the Indo-Pacific region in the areas of international trade, finance, and industrial policy.

Misha and John are joined by essayist and blogger Tanner Greer of the Scholar’s Stage to discuss whether Taiwan can actually defend itself and what Americans get wrong about China.

Is Kim Jong-un dying?  Why has he allowed the naming of a deputy?  Will the Biden administration ignore the Korean peninsula?  What role is Xi Jinping playing?  Misha and John are joined by eminent North Korea expert Andrei Lankov, of Seoul’s Kookmin University.

Long-time China investor Dan Rosen joins John and Misha to talk about the prospects for the Chinese economy, the prospects for economic reform, the real threat to China’s economic future, and the question of whether the West was right to invest politically and economically in China. 

Critics of the US say that Washington is forcing a new Cold War with the PRC.  But liberal nations around the world are pushing back on Beijing’s aggressive actions, separately from the US.  From the UK to Japan, Australia, and India, democratic states are deciding that the PRC threatens their interests.  John and Misha talk about what it’s not about (Washington, London, or Tokyo), but about Beiji...

Misha and John are joined by Eunice Yoon, the Beijing bureau chief for CNBC.  They discuss China’s view of Biden and the US, whether the Chinese economy is as strong as touted, Xi Jinping, Belt and Road, and the AI race.  Eunice also talks about how she wound up in Beijing, whether she’s surveilled by the police, and why she’s such a fan of cars.

Misha and John are joined by Admiral Phil Davidson, Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, for his last public interview before retiring from the Navy.  Adm. Davidson discusses what it’s like to run the world’s largest military command, the weapons systems he’d like to have, China’s growing challenge, the threat of Chinese and North Korean nuclear weapons, and working with allies.

Misha and John are joined by Robin Harding, Tokyo bureau chief for the Financial Times. They discuss the summit between President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Suga, their plans to deepen the US-Japan alliance, the threat from China, cooperation on 5G, and the future of Japanese politics.

Misha and John are joined by special co-host Mike Gallagher to talk with their new Hoover colleague, Matt Pottinger, former Deputy National Security Advisor.  Matt discusses Chinese pressure on western businesses, the role of Congress in dealing with Chinese investment policies, how to think about the military competition, and how he got involved in Chinese studies.

Misha is joined by Tom Tugendhat MP, Oxford’s Rana Mitter, and Cindy Yu, of The Spectator, to talk about the UK’s new Integrated Review and its focus on China and the Indo-Pacific.  They discuss London’s focus on expanding Britain’s presence in Asia, how London will deal with China, the role of US-UK cooperation in Asia under the Biden Administration, and how Britain will work with Asian partners...

John and Misha are joined by Eric Schmidt, former Chairman and CEO of Google/Alphabet and chairman of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Eric discusses the ways in which the US can win the tech competition with China, why AI is the crucial technology of the future, the proper role of government policy, the divide between Washington and Silicon Valley, where the US fell sh...

John and Misha are joined by Tom Tugendhat MP, from London, for a discussion with Michele Flournoy, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy in the Obama Administration, on the China challenge, whether the US is maintaining its edge in the Pacific, the role of allies, the impact of new technologies, and the threat of war.