Losing Our Edge? Michèle Flournoy Talks U.S.-China, Taiwan, and Efficient Defense

In this week's episode, A'ndre and Ryan speak with Michèle Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy during the Obama Administration, on U.S.-China strategic competition, the Taiwan question, and enhancing defense capabilities without a budget increase.  We get Michèle's take on the state of the Biden Administration's defense policy, asking her whether the Afghanistan withdrawal and the AUKUS submarine deal has dented U.S. credibility at a perilous time in great power competition. Michèle then discusses U.S.-China competition, assessing Indo-Pacific strategy, the Quad, and Xi Jinping's own leadership style. We spend a great deal of the conversation focusing in on Taiwan -- the realities of China's approach towards Taiwan, whether strategic ambiguity is ending,  the state of U.S. military support for Taiwan, and why the U.S. risks losing its edge to China in tech capabilities.  Michèle, who co-founded WestExec Advisors and the Center for a New American Security, closes out the conversation with a discussion on defense innovation and fostering technological advances in our security capabilities -- and why we can do that without another defense budget increase.