Geopolitical Risk Considerations: The Biden Administration and U.S. Foreign Policy Challenges with Zack Cooper

Zack Cooper, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and lecturer at Princeton University, joins this episode to discuss the upcoming Camp David summit between Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. This momentous occasion is a result of leadership from South Korea's President Yoon and Japan's Prime Minister Kishida in hopes of mending ties since Japan's invasion of Manchuria a hundred years ago. Zack also delves into U.S. policy in Southeast Asia and its pivot to the Pacific. He also explores the Communist Party's reliance on economic growth to maintain control, the potential for increased tensions around Taiwan in the future, and the U.S.'s ambiguous commitments to Taiwan due to treaty changes in the 1970s. 

Tune into this episode for an engaging discussion about geopolitics in East Asia!

[00:00 - 09:14] Exploring China's Geopolitical and Military Ambitions

• Japan and South Korea have never had an independent diplomatic meeting outside of a more significant summit
• The U.S. and Japan have had their differences going back to World War II, but Japan and Korea never had the same forcing function
• China is playing a significant role in pushing Japan and Korea together as they trust China less than each other
• The Camp David Summit is about trying to make it more difficult for them to focus on historical issues and force them into the future

[09:15 - 17:39] Split Opinions on Responding to Economic Downturn and Taiwan Tensions

• Xi Jinping's thinking is uncertain, and both a weak, inward-looking China and an aggressive, brittle China are possible
• Russia's experiment of consolidating national unity by attacking Ukraine has not worked out
• Taiwan is different from Ukraine, and it is unclear what the U.S. commitments are with Taiwan
• Chinese people have delivered remarkable economic growth in the past decades, but now the growth numbers for this year are lower

[17:40 - 24:42] Examining the Challenges of the U.S.-China Conflict Over Taiwan

• The Biden team has three pillars of their approach: Invest, Align, and Compete with China
• Taiwan has strategic value as it is close to U.S. treaty alliances with Japan and the Philippines
• China trying to invade Taiwan is one of the hardest things militarily in the world
• The U.S. Navy is smaller than China's, and U.S. facilities and people in the region would be under threat if a conflict arises

[24:43 - 37:22] Examining Command and Control in Southeast Asia 

• U.S. could strike the Chinese mainland if a decision is made in Oval Office or White House Situation Room
• China hasn't been involved in a major conflict for 50 years, and technology is different now

Quote:

"It is a fascinating moment in time, watching Japan and Korea finally try and move past some of their historical differences." - Zack Cooper

Connect with Zack!

Twitter: @ZackCooper

Connect with me on LinkedIn!

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