China and the NBA Call a Timeout: A Conversation with Victor Cha

This episode explores China's retaliatory actions against the NBA after a recent incident, as well as the larger questions surrounding the Chinese government’s treatment of foreign private companies. Our guest, Dr. Victor Cha, discusses how both US and Chinese audiences have reacted to the NBA controversy and weighs in on whether Chinese public opinion might sway Beijing’s handling of the incident. Dr. Cha also addresses the struggles that other foreign companies have faced in China and how Beijing uses “predatory liberalism” to serve its political interests.

Dr. Victor Cha is a senior adviser and holds the Korea Chair at CSIS. He is also a Professor of Government and the holder of the D.S. Song-KF Chair in the Department of Government and the School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown University. In July 2019, he was appointed Vice Dean for Faculty and Graduate Affairs in the SFS. His article, “Flagrant Foul: China’s Predatory Liberalism and the NBA,” will appear in the December issue of the Washington Quarterly.