ChinaPower

In this joint episode of Pekingology and the ChinaPower Podcast, CSIS Freeman Chair Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin and co-host CSIS China Power Project Deputy Director and Fellow Brian Hart are joined by Dan Wang to discuss his new book, Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future. The conversation unpacks China’s monumentalism in its grand engineering projects, the advantages and consequences of building at such scale, China’s push to lead in key technologies, Beijing’s social engineering efforts, and much more. Dan Wang is a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover History Lab. Previously, he was a fellow at the Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center and a lecturer at Yale University’s MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies. From 2017 to 2023, he worked in China as the technology analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, based in Hong Kong, Beijing, and then Shanghai. For more from Dan Wang, please read his latest piece in Foreign Affairs - The Real China Model: Beijing’s Enduring Formula for Wealth and Power.

In this special episode, listen to one of CSIS’s newest podcasts, Echonomics, that investigates how past economic events in Asia continue to impact U.S. policy today.  In the 1980s, Japanese companies were snapping up prime New York real estate and Japanese cars lined both Main Street and Wall Street, spiking economic anxiety in the U.S. As a result, Americans and politicians targeted the country, through the destruction of Japanese-made products and heavy tariffs.  Today, China finds itself in a similar situation.  Ambassador Carla Hills, Bill Reinsch, Craig Allen, Kim Menke, and Don Morrissey discuss the similarities and differences between the anti-Japanese sentiment of the 1980s and the anti-Chinese sentiment of today.  Check out other episodes here. 

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Yanzhong Huang joins us to examine China’s growing influence over the global pharmaceutical industry and the risks it poses for the United States. Dr. Huang explains how China evolved from a low-cost manufacturer of chemical inputs to a comprehensive pharmaceutical power producing advanced drugs and playing an important role in global pharmaceutical innovation. He highlights areas of acute U.S. dependence, from antibiotics and vitamins to critical precursor chemicals, and recounts how the Covid-19 pandemic underscored the vulnerability of U.S. supply chains. Dr. Huang explains the highly interdependent nature of global drug supply chains and notes that even if countries attempt to build alternative production capacity outside of China, they would still rely on Chinese suppliers at certain stages of the supply chain and would need years to replicate China’s integrated industrial ecosystems. He concludes with an assessment of U.S. policy options for building resilience, including targeted de-risking of key medicines and diversifying suppliers among trusted partners.  Dr. Yanzhong Huang is a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he directs the Global Health Governance roundtable series. He is also a professor and director of global health studies at Seton Hall University's School of Diplomacy and International Relations, where he developed the first academic concentration among U.S. professional international affairs schools that explicitly addresses the security and foreign policy aspects of health issues. He is the founding editor of Global Health Governance: The Scholarly Journal for the New Health Security Paradigm.  Dr. Huang is the author of multiple books and reports, including most recently The COVID-19 Pandemic and China’s Global Health Leadership, published in 2022. 

In this special episode, listen to one of CSIS’s newest podcasts, Echonomics, that investigates how past economic events in Asia continue to impact U.S. policy today.  After decades of negotiations, promises to open its markets, and convincing the Chinese people of the country’s next step, China officially joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. Wendy Cutler, Ambassador Xiangchen Zhang, and Bill Reinsch discuss why China and the world wanted the country to join the WTO and why many have come to regret it.  Check out other episodes here. 

Mona Yacoubian, a seasoned expert in Middle Eastern affairs, and Tuvia Gering, a China analyst focused on geopolitical dynamics, delve into the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. They discuss the impact of recent military confrontations and Iran's nuclear ambitions. China's cautious balancing act in this conflict emerges as a key point, with Yacoubian emphasizing its preference for economic ties over military commitments. Gering explores internal Chinese debates about support for Iran and the potential shifts in regional security dynamics that could foster new alliances.

Meia Nouwens, a Senior Fellow specializing in Chinese security and defense, and Veerle Nouwens, Executive Director for IISS–Asia, delve into insights from the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue. They discuss the significance of cross-regional security issues and hybrid threats, showcasing President Macron's historic speech emphasizing Europe's role in the Indo-Pacific. The conversation also highlights China's shifting focus from the U.S. to regional partnerships, exploring diverse perceptions of China from other nations, along with U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth's reassurances to allies.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Ely Ratner joins us to discuss the case for a defense pact in the Indo-Pacific. Dr. Ratner starts by laying out his argument of why he thinks now is the right time for this type of agreement, discussing that the pact may serve to help maintain stability and deterrence in the region amidst China’s aggressive ambitions to reshape the global order. Dr. Ratner discusses the four countries, U.S., Japan, Australia, and the Philippines, that he believes the pact will include to start with and what their responsibilities will be within the pact. He shares that he envisions one of the main features of this partnership to be greater military integration among its members and to serve as a framework to garner the collective power of US allies and partners through a multilateral collective security agreement. Dr. Ratner discusses the viability of the pact and the reasons he thinks there are more opportunities for the pact to be successful now than there was in the past, including greater strategic alignment among the four partner countries, increased intra-Asian cooperation, and the growing reciprocity in U.S. alliances themselves. Dr. Ratner also considers how these different countries may respond to the idea of this pact, especially considering China may react badly to it. He underscores that Beijing is likely to behave badly regardless of this pact and states countries should not turn away from it because of Beijing. Finally, Dr. Ratner underscores how this pact would not require the U.S. to extend new commitments abroad and describes the continuing will and desire he sees from the Trump Administration to continue cooperation and strengthening of alliances in the region. Dr. Ely Ratner is a Principal at The Marathon Initiative, a bipartisan think tank dedicated to preparing the United States for an era of sustained great power competition. He served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs from 2021-2025. Prior to confirmation, he was the Director of the DoD China Task Force and a Senior Advisor to China to the Secretary of Defense. Before arriving at the Department of Defense, Dr. Ratner was the Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), where he was a member of the executive team and responsible for managing the Center’s research agenda and staff. Dr. Ratner served from 2015 to 2017 as the Deputy National Security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, and from 2011 to 2012 in the office of Chinese and Mongolian affairs at the State Department. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Joseph Torigian, a research fellow and author, dives deep into the life of Xi Zhongxun, the father of Xi Jinping, and his monumental influence on China's current political landscape. The discussion reveals how Xi Zhongxun's struggles during the Cultural Revolution fostered values in his son like sacrifice for the greater good. Torigian outlines Xi Zhongxun’s pivotal roles in ethnic policies and Taiwan relations, presenting a lens to understand Xi Jinping's aspirations and his Hobbesian worldview rooted in his father's legacy.

Janka Oertel, Director of Asia Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, shares her insights on the changing dynamics between Europe and China. She highlights the impact of U.S. policies on the relationship and how competitive pressures from China have strained ties. Oertel discusses Europe's shift towards self-reliance in defense and economic diversification, especially in light of China's support for Russia. She also explores opportunities for collaboration between the EU and the Indo-Pacific, emphasizing the importance of a unified approach to tackle shared challenges.

In this conversation, Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow at CSIS, and Eric Labs, a senior analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, delve into the stark contrast between U.S. and Chinese shipbuilding capabilities. They discuss how China's industrial growth, fueled by state support, poses significant strategic challenges for the U.S. The duo outlines potential policies to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding, including labor improvements and partnerships with allies. Their insights illuminate urgent concerns over U.S. naval readiness amid a changing global landscape.