Great Power Podcast

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Dr. Joshua Eisenman about China-Africa relations, Beijing's strategic interests in the continent, and what it means for the United States. Author Biography Joshua Eisenman is an Associate Professor of Politics at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Eisenman has been a visiting faculty member at Fudan University (summer 2017), Peking University (summer 2016), and NYU–Shanghai (2011–12). He was a policy analyst on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (2003–05) and has been senior fellow for China studies at the American Foreign Policy Council since 2006. Before coming to Notre Dame in 2019, he was assistant professor of public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Eisenman holds a PhD in political science from UCLA, an MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) where he studied at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, and a BA in East Asian Studies from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Resources from the Conversation Read Josh's book with Amb. David Shinn, China and Africa: A Century of Engagement Read Josh's edited volume with Eric Heginbotham, China Steps Out: Beijing's Major Power Engagement with the Developing World Follow Josh on Twitter Email Michael for questions or comments: GreatPowerPod@afpc.org

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Dr. Jonathan Ward about the strategic alignment between Russia and China, what it means for our allies and partners across Eurasia, and how Washington should respond. Resources from the Episode Read Jonathan’s book, China’s Vision of Victory Check out Jonathan’s consulting company, Atlas Organization Watch Jonathan’s media hits Read the latest issue of AFPC’s Indo-Pacific Monitor Guest Biography Jonathan Ward has been studying Russia, China, and India for nearly twenty years since his undergraduate days in Russian and Chinese language at Columbia University. Dr. Ward is the author of China’s Vision of Victory, a guide to the global grand strategy of the Chinese government which has been widely read in US government and national security circles, as well as by audiences in business and finance. He earned his PhD at the University of Oxford where he specialized in China-India relations, after initially being admitted to Oxford for a doctorate in Russia-China relations during the Cold War. He has traveled widely in Russia, China, India, Latin America and the Middle East, and speaks Russian, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic, among other languages. As a subject matter expert, Dr. Ward has been an advisor to the US Department of Defense on Chinese long-term strategy and has briefed numerous US government audiences including at US Strategic Command, US Indo-Pacific Command, the US Department of Commerce, the US Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Strategy Division of the US Naval Staff. Through his consulting company, Atlas Organization, Dr. Ward helps Fortune 500 companies and financial institutions understand US-China global competition, improve their risk assessments on China, and build new global strategies that can withstand historic geopolitical change. He is a frequent commentator on national and international television and radio, with appearances on Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business, Fox, MSNBC and CNN International, among other stations. His next book, on the future of US strategy towards China is forthcoming in 2023.

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Jon Pelson, author of Wireless Wars: China's Dangerous Domination of 5G and How We're Fighting Back. The conversation covers Huawei's rise to global dominance of telecommunications, the national security risks that Huawei and other Chinese tech companies pose to democracies like the United States, and how America can regain its footing in its technological competition with the Chinese Communist Party. Author Biography Jonathan Pelson joined Lucent Technologies during the telecom boom of the ‘90s, helping create and market some of the company’s breakthrough technology solutions. He later served as the Chief of Convergence Strategy for British Telecom, developing a global wireless plan for the company. During his time with these and other telecom companies, he traveled to China and saw that country’s fledgling telecommunications companies grow and eventually seize the world lead. With deep personal experience in the sector and rare access to the people who ran the world’s largest telecom companies, he decided to investigate how the lead was lost to the Chinese and what we could do to take it back. Jon has a degree in economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. Resources from the Conversation Read Jon Pelson's book, Wireless Wars: China's Dangerous Domination of 5G and How We're Fighting Back Read about US policies to stymie Huawei's market dominance Read Michael's analysis about the security and military risks Huawei poses to the US and our allies Follow Jon on Twitter

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Victoria Coates, Distinguished Fellow in Strategic Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC), about Russia's war threats against Ukraine, the related energy politics of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and what the road ahead could look like. Guest Biography Victoria Coates joined the American Foreign Policy Council as a Distinguished Fellow in Strategic Studies in January 2022. Coates works on regional issues such as energy policy, countering predatory Chinese activity, expanding the historic Abraham Accords between Israel and Muslim-majority nations, and establishing a U.S.-led Middle East strategic alliance. Coates routinely appears on TV and radio outlets such as Fox News and CNN. Her writing has appeared in Bloomberg, FoxNews.com, The Jerusalem Post, The New York Post, Newsweek, The National Interest, National Review, The New Criterion, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Examiner, and The Washington Times. Coates previously served as the Deputy National Security Advisor for the Middle East and North Africa on the National Security Council staff and the Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Energy in the Donald J. Trump administration.  She also served as the National Security Advisor in the office of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and as Director of Research for (former) Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s 2011 memoir, Known and Unknown.  Coates holds a B.A. from Trinity College, a M.A. from Williams College, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, all in art history.  Coates is the author and presenter of dozens of publications and conference papers worldwide on the intersections of art and history, including David’s Sling: A History of Democracy in Ten Works of Art (Encounter Books, 2016). Resources from the Conversation Read about Russia's military deployments along Ukraine's borders Read Donald Rumsfeld's book, Known and Unknown: A Memoir Read about Senator Ted Cruz's position on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline Read about Senate Democrats and their position on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline Read Victoria's book, David's Sling: A History of Democracy in Ten Works of Art Follow Victoria's work at AFPC Follow Victoria on Twitter

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Ambassador Samuel Brownback, the former Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, about the role of religious freedom in foreign policy, the tension between human rights and geopolitics, and global hotspots of religious persecution. Guest Biography Samuel Brownback served as the United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom from 2018 to 2021. Previously, Brownback served as the U.S. representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district (1995–96), as a United States senator from Kansas (1996–2011), and the 46th governor of Kansas (2011–18). Resources from the Conversation Read Kenneth Waltz's book, Man, The State, And War: A Theoretical Analysis Read Ambassador Brownback's comments about spiritual capital Read about Ambassador Brownback's advocacy for Uyghurs, North Koreans, and the Rohingya Read the JADE Act

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Josh Rogin, Washington Post foreign policy columnist and CNN political analyst, about the tectonic shifts in America's China policy, how Republicans and Democrats are engaging these shifting dynamics, and what the future of US-China relations could look like. Guest Biography Josh Rogin is a Washington Post foreign-policy columnist and CNN political analyst. He has reported for Bloomberg View, the Daily Beast, Foreign Policy, Congressional Quarterly, Federal Computer Week, and Japan's Asahi Shimbun. He lives in Washington, DC. Resources from the Conversation Read Josh's book, Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for the 21st Century Read Josh's reporting about the University of Texas-Austin Read Josh's reporting about congressional efforts to block legislation honoring Liu Xiaobo Read background on China's earlier coverup of the SARS virus Read Josh's reporting about congressional leadership blocking Hong Kong legislation Read Josh's reporting about congressional Democrats pulling out of the China Task Force Read Josh's reporting about congressional legislation to compete with China Read Josh's reporting about the Biden administration's stance on Uyghur human rights legislation

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Ilan Berman, Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy  Council, about America's and China's competing interests in the Middle East, the fallout of America's withdrawal from Afghanistan, and how the  broader region views the burgeoning competition between Washington and Beijing. Guest Biography Ilan Berman is Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council  in Washington, DC. An expert on regional security in the Middle East,  Central Asia, and the Russian Federation, he has consulted for the U.S.  Central Intelligence Agency as well as the U.S. Departments of State and  Defense, and has also provided assistance on foreign policy and  national security issues to a range of governmental agencies and  congressional offices. He has been called one of America's "leading  experts on the Middle East and Iran" by CNN. Mr. Berman is a member of  the Associated Faculty at Missouri State University's Department of Defense and Strategic Studies. A frequent writer and commentator, he has  written for the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post and USA Today, among many other publications. He has also edited and published multiple books. Resources from the Conversation Read Ilan Berman's book, Wars of Ideas: Theology, Interpretation and Power in the Muslim World Read Kai Strittmatter's book, We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China's Surveillance State Liston to AFPC podcast, Disinformation Wars Subscribe to AFPC's Indo-Pacific Monitor

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) about the Biden administration's foreign policy with China (as well as Russia, Iran, and  Afghanistan), and what a "peace through strength" approach would look like instead. Guest Biography Ted  Cruz has served as the junior United States senator for Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008. He is currently a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and was previously on the Senate Armed  Services Committee. Resources from the Conversation: Read Sen. Ted Cruz's interview with Margaret Brennan on November 21, 2021 Watch Sen. Ted Cruz's interview with Maria Bartiromo on September 19, 2021 Subscribe to AFPC's Indo-Pacific Monitor

In this episode of AFPC's GREAT POWER PODCAST,  host Michael Sobolik speaks with Michael Schuman, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, about the evolution of China's strategic culture throughout its dynastic era - and how it shapes the Chinese Communist Party's practice of foreign policy today. Guest biography Michael  Schuman the author of "Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of  the World." He is also a contributor to The Atlantic and a columnist for  Bloomberg Opinion, and, most recently, a nonresident senior fellow at  the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub. Previously, he was a correspondent for TIME magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Resources from the conversation Read Michael Schuman's book, Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of the World Read Michael Schuman's article in The Atlantic, "Washington Is Getting China Wrong" Follow Michael Schuman's work at the Atlantic Council Read Michael Schuman's articles at The Atlantic and Bloomberg Subscribe to AFPC's Indo-Pacific Monitor

In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host AFPC fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies Michael Sobolik speaks with Russell Hsiao, Executive Director of the Global Taiwan Institute, about the history of America's complex relationship with Taiwan, China's ambitions to conquer the island, and the political fate of Taiwan in the coming years. Guest Biography Russell  Hsiao is the executive director of GTI, senior fellow at The Jamestown  Foundation, and adjunct fellow at Pacific Forum. He previously served as  a senior research fellow at The Project 2049 Institute and national  security fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Prior to  those positions he was the editor of China Brief at The Jamestown  Foundation from October 2007- to July 2011 and a special associate in  the International Cooperation Department at the Taiwan Foundation for  Democracy. While in law school, he clerked within the Office of the  Chairman at the Federal Communications Commission and the Interagency  Trade Enforcement Center at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.  Mr. Hsiao received his J.D. and certificate from the Law and Technology  Institute at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of  Law where he served as the editor-in-chief of the Catholic University’s  Journal of Law and Technology. He received a B.A. in international  studies from the American University’s School of International Service  and the University Honors Program. Resources from the Conversation Follow the Global Taiwan Institute Subscribe to GTI's Global Taiwan Brief Subscribe to AFPC's Indo-Pacific Monitor