The Pacific Century

Author Evan Thomas joins Misha to talk about his new book Road to Surrender and the atomic bombing of Japan.

US-China Commission Chair Carolyn Bartholomew and Vice-Chair Alex Wong discuss the annual US-China Commission report to Congress and its recommendations.

WSJ chief China correspondent Lingling Wei joins Misha to discuss what the stakes were of the Biden-Xi summit at APEC, what it achieved, and what to look for next in US-China relations.

Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord, talks about his life on the sea, the Royal Navy around the globe, and its growing role in the Indo-Pacific.

Larry Summers discusses why America is committed to economic interdependence with China and how to protect US interests going forward.

Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant of the US Coast Guard talks about what Coasties do in the Asia-Pacific and around the world, their new cutters, and about leading the service.

Misha is joined by his Hoover colleague, historian Frank Dikotter, to talk about Frank's new book,  China After Mao , how the West misunderstands the Party's nature, and why the idea of a liberalizing China has always been a chimera. 

Misha is joined by Alex Joske, author of Spies and Lies , to talk about China's covert foreign interference and influence campaigns, run by the Ministry of State Security.

Misha is joined by occasional co-host Cindy Yu and veteran Sinologists Rana Mitter and Jude Blanchette, to take apart the 20th Party Congress, Xi’s “running the table,” the Hu Jintao shocker, and the Party’s new era. 

Hoover Institution fellow Michael Auslin is joined by eminent strategist Sir Lawrence Freedman to talk about whether Putin will use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, how China is expanding its nuclear arsenal, the relationship between political and military leadership, and Freedman’s favorite nuclear-themed movie.

Misha is joined by former Anna Puglisi, former National Counterintelligence Officer for China, and Matt Brazil, author of Chinese Communist Espionage, to discuss just how widely and successfully Chinese spies have penetrated American business, government, and academia.

Misha is joined by Cindy Yu, of the Spectator, to talk with James Crabtree of IISS on how Southeast Asia is the cockpit of geopolitical competition among China, the US, and India

Misha talks with Habi Zhang, of Purdue University, about her contention that Chinese want security, not freedom.  Habi talks about how Confucianism shaped Chinese views of politics.  They also discuss CCP theorist Wang Huning and how the West misunderstood China.

A special mid-summer Pacific Century as Misha talks to the Financial Times’ Kathrin Hille about the Taiwan crisis, the “new normal” in cross-Strait tension, how China is trying to pressure Taiwan, and if Nancy Pelosi just made war more likely.

Misha talks to the Wilson Center’s Shihoko Goto and the Stimson Center’s Yuki Tatsumi about Japan’s ambitious new foreign policy, the legacy of the Abe era, current Prime Minister Kishida’s agenda, and relations with Biden, Korea’s new president, and China, among other topics.

Misha talks to AEI senior fellow and WSJ columnist Sadanand Dhume about Indian foreign policy, New Delhi’s support for Russia, what India gets out of the Quad, tensions with China, and ties with America and Japan.

Misha talks to Joel Kotkin, uber-geographer, about the coming neo-feudalism and “zaibatsuization” of America’s economy, how Chinese and American economic models are converging, and how to preserve liberty in an age of oligarchic tech dominance

Misha talks to Amb. Dan Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State, about new leaders in the Philippines, South Korea, and Australia; as well as about Taiwan and the upcoming Quad meeting.  Finally, they talk about Vietnam and Amb. Kritenbrink’s famous Tet rap.

Misha talks to Bridge Colby, former deputy assistant secretary of defense, about how to prevent China from taking over Taiwan, whether the Biden Administration is maintaining the Trump defense strategy, and why Taiwan is vital to US interests”

Misha talks to The Economist’s Tokyo bureau chief, Noah Sneider, about the Japanese successes we miss, why Japan is a ‘harbinger state’ on economic, demographics, security, and how it is a frontline state against China.

Misha talks to Kathleen Stevens, former US ambassador to South Korea, and Stanford’s Gi-Wook Shin, about South Korea’s presidential election and Seoul’s future relations with Washington, Tokyo, and Beijing, as well as with North Korea

Misha is joined by his colleague, Jackie Schneider, to talk with General John Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, about the threats to US space assets from China, how the US operates in space, and how space and cyber are connected.

Misha talks with General Richard Clarke, Commander of US Special Operations Command, about the history of special operations, SOCOM today, and its role in the Indo-Pacific.

Misha talks with Peter Van Praagh, president of the Halifax International Security Forum, who was trapped in Kiev when Russia invaded. Peter talks about what he saw, his escape, how the Ukrainians are fighting back, and what the war means for democracy in Europe and Asia.

Misha is joined by The Spectator's Cindy Yu as co-host this week, and they talk with Holly Snape of the University of Glasgow.  Holly describes how Xi Jinping's CCP has reasserted control over the Chinese government, and how that influences civil society. She also talks about her time working in the Party's translation department (spoiler: it wasn't a party).