The Pacific Century

Is Kim Jong-un dying?  Why has he allowed the naming of a deputy?  Will the Biden administration ignore the Korean peninsula?  What role is Xi Jinping playing?  Misha and John are joined by eminent North Korea expert Andrei Lankov, of Seoul’s Kookmin University.

Long-time China investor Dan Rosen joins John and Misha to talk about the prospects for the Chinese economy, the prospects for economic reform, the real threat to China’s economic future, and the question of whether the West was right to invest politically and economically in China. 

Critics of the US say that Washington is forcing a new Cold War with the PRC.  But liberal nations around the world are pushing back on Beijing’s aggressive actions, separately from the US.  From the UK to Japan, Australia, and India, democratic states are deciding that the PRC threatens their interests.  John and Misha talk about what it’s not about (Washington, London, or Tokyo), but about Beijing.

Misha and John are joined by Eunice Yoon, the Beijing bureau chief for CNBC.  They discuss China’s view of Biden and the US, whether the Chinese economy is as strong as touted, Xi Jinping, Belt and Road, and the AI race.  Eunice also talks about how she wound up in Beijing, whether she’s surveilled by the police, and why she’s such a fan of cars.

Misha and John are joined by Admiral Phil Davidson, Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, for his last public interview before retiring from the Navy.  Adm. Davidson discusses what it’s like to run the world’s largest military command, the weapons systems he’d like to have, China’s growing challenge, the threat of Chinese and North Korean nuclear weapons, and working with allies.

Misha and John are joined by Robin Harding, Tokyo bureau chief for the Financial Times. They discuss the summit between President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Suga, their plans to deepen the US-Japan alliance, the threat from China, cooperation on 5G, and the future of Japanese politics.

Misha and John are joined by special co-host Mike Gallagher to talk with their new Hoover colleague, Matt Pottinger, former Deputy National Security Advisor.  Matt discusses Chinese pressure on western businesses, the role of Congress in dealing with Chinese investment policies, how to think about the military competition, and how he got involved in Chinese studies.

Misha is joined by Tom Tugendhat MP, Oxford’s Rana Mitter, and Cindy Yu, of The Spectator, to talk about the UK’s new Integrated Review and its focus on China and the Indo-Pacific.  They discuss London’s focus on expanding Britain’s presence in Asia, how London will deal with China, the role of US-UK cooperation in Asia under the Biden Administration, and how Britain will work with Asian partners like Australia, Japan, and India. 

John and Misha are joined by Eric Schmidt, former Chairman and CEO of Google/Alphabet and chairman of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Eric discusses the ways in which the US can win the tech competition with China, why AI is the crucial technology of the future, the proper role of government policy, the divide between Washington and Silicon Valley, where the US fell short in 5G, building talent at home, and how to work with techno-democracies.

John and Misha are joined by Tom Tugendhat MP, from London, for a discussion with Michele Flournoy, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy in the Obama Administration, on the China challenge, whether the US is maintaining its edge in the Pacific, the role of allies, the impact of new technologies, and the threat of war.