States of Play with Sam Olsen

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com In this episode of States of Play , Sam Olsen speaks with Elizabeth Bullock, a British civilian who spent three years working on the ground in Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Bullock recounts her journey from evacuating women and children to operating in frontline zones across the Donbas and souther...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com In this episode of the States of Play podcast, Sam Olsen talks to the economist Stewart Paterson to unpack The Great Split —the accelerating bifurcation of the global economy into competing US-led and China-led spheres. They explore how the collapse of the era of globalisation is reshaping trade, investment, financ...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Show Summary In this episode of States of Play , Sam Olsen speaks with Justin Crump, CEO of Sibylline, about their new report Polycrisis 2027 . They explore how converging shocks - from China’s 2027 Taiwan deadline and Russia’s rearmament to AI disruption and Western instability - could create a single systemic cri...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com In this episode of States of Play Sam Olsen interviews analyst Alexander Lord on Europe’s mounting political and social fractures, from Germany’s extremist violence to France’s paralysis. We look at how Russian grey-zone pressure, cybercrime and influence ops are exploiting them. We also assess EU/UK cohesion if Mo...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Show Summary Former UK Business Secretary and economist Sir Vince Cable joins States of Play to unpack whether China and India are truly eclipsing the West. We cover GDP power shifts, China’s property bust vs tech leapfrogging, India’s services-led surge, MAGA-era economics, BRICS, and how the West can adapt - if a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Show Summary In this conversation, Sam talks to the demographer Paul Morland, discussing the critical role of demography in understanding global power dynamics, economic trends, and cultural shifts. Paul emphasises that while demography is not the sole determinant of historical events, it is essential for grasping...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Show Summary Russia is grinding forward in Ukraine, drones now dominate the battlefield, and Western support is faltering. In this episode of States of Play , Sam Olsen speaks with Alexander Lord of Sibylline to unpack where the war stands, how Moscow is leveraging foreign backing from Iran, North Korea and China,...

Show Summary In this new episode of States of Play, a repeat of What China Wants , Sam Olsen is joined by Michelin-starred chef and cultural observer Andrew Wong , head chef of London’s acclaimed restaurant A. Wong . Together, they explore how Chinese food is far more than flavour—it is a reflection of history, community, and identity. Andrew shares his journey from growing up in London and Hong K...

Show Summary In this episode of States of Play (originally recorded for What China Wants ), Sam Olsen and Stewart Paterson speak with Stanford economist Scott Rozelle about the stark divide between urban and rural China. Rozelle, author of Invisible China , explains how most working-age adults in rural areas never finished high school, leaving a huge share of the population undereducated and exclu...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Show Summary In this conversation, Sam Dunning from UK-China Transparency discusses their new report on the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on academic freedom in the UK. He shares insights from a survey conducted among China studies academics, revealing concerns about CCP interference and the financ...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Show Summary In this episode of States of Play , Sam Olsen interviews political scientist Joseph Torigian about his groundbreaking book on Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping. Together they explore the history of China under the Chinese Communist Party through the life of Xi Zhongxun, revealing the man as a pragmatic...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Show Summary In this episode of States of Play , Sam Olsen is joined by Guy Ward-Jackson of the Tony Blair Institute to explore the critical challenge of scaling tech startups into global champions. As the world enters a new era of techno-nationalism—where national power is increasingly tied to technological prowes...

Show Summary In this conversation, Sam Olsen and Chinese economy expert Stewart Paterson delve into the complexities of China's economy, its global reach, and the implications for Western nations. They discuss the scale of China's economy, its manufacturing dominance, and how the Belt and Road Initiative serves as a tool for expanding China's political influence. The conversation also touches on t...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Show Summary In this episode, Sam Olsen discusses the urgent question of whether the US tech is prepared for a war with China, focusing on the rapid advancements in military technology and the implications of artificial intelligence on warfare. Joined by Lieutenant General Mike Groen, they explore the current state...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Show Summary In today's States of Play podcast, Sam Olsen talks to one of the UK's leading Russia experts, Keir Giles, discusses Putin's strategic vision for Russia, which he describes as a desire to return to a world reminiscent of 1914, where Russia was a dominant empire. He explains the dual aims of Russian aggr...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Summary In this episode of States of Play, Sam Olsen discusses the complexities of the UK-China economic relationship with Charlie Parton, a former British diplomat and one of the UK's leading China experts. They explore the misconceptions surrounding China's importance to the UK economy, the ideological and geopol...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Summary In this episode of States of Play, Sam Olsen talks to Michael Hochberg about the escalating situation in Iran, focusing on Israel's direct military assault on Iranian nuclear infrastructure. The conversation explores the implications of this conflict for regional stability, the involvement of the United Sta...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com Summary In this episode of States of Play, Sam Olsen discusses the dominance of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency with macroeconomist Meyrick Chapman. They explore the historical context of the dollar's rise, its benefits and drawbacks for the US, and the implications for global trade and politics. The...