Join Dr. I-Chung Lai, president of the Prospect Foundation and a key player in Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party, and Professor Jacques deLisle, a geopolitical expert, as they delve into the implications of China's 2005 Anti-Secession Law. They dissect the contentious Article 8, outlining conditions for potential military action against Taiwan. The conversation touches on China's recent '22 Opinions' that could criminalize foreign support for Taiwanese independence, raising significant human rights concerns. Their insights include strategic recommendations for the U.S. and Taiwan on responding to this complex legal landscape.

Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser at CSIS and an expert in Chinese economic policy, discusses the implications of China's Third Plenary Session. He highlights the lack of drastic changes in economic measures but warns of challenges from the leadership's statist approach. The conversation reveals the link between national security and economic strategies, focusing on high-tech development as a key to reducing reliance on foreign industries. Kennedy also shares cautious predictions for China's economic growth in the next two years amid various domestic challenges.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Victor Cha joins us to discuss his major takeaways from the June 2024 Putin-Kim summit and the significance of North Korea and Russia’s new mutual defense clause for the international community. Dr. Cha dissects how North Korea's relationships with Russia and China have evolved over time and notes that the new defense clause gives North Korea an opportunity to leverage its closer relationship with Russia to its advantage vis-a-vis North Korea-China relations. Dr. Cha explains the global and regional implications of the mutual defense agreement. Finally, Dr. Cha discusses his recommendations for how the United States, South Korea, and other and allies and partners should address this growing relationship. *This podcast was recorded prior to the 2024 NATO DC Summit. Dr. Victor Cha is a Senior Vice President for Asia and holds the CSIS Korea Chair. He is professor of government and holds 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 SFS. While working for the White House between 2004-2007, Dr. Cha was the director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council. He was responsible primarily for Japan, the Korean peninsula, Australia/New Zealand, and Pacific Island nation affairs. Dr. Cha was also the deputy head of delegation for the United States at the Six-Party Talks in Beijing. He is the author of five books, including the award-winning Alignment Despite Antagonism: The United States-Korea-Japan Security Triangle. 

Dr. Aaron Glasserman discusses China's ethnic minority policies, emphasizing CCP's efforts to assimilate minorities into Han identity. He highlights Xi Jinping's push for ethnic fusion and lack of collective organization among minority groups. China's policies have minimal impact on its international image and foreign policy.

In this episode of the ChinaPower podcast Meia Nouwens joins us to discuss the major themes and takeaways from the 2024 Shangri-La Dialogue. She discusses this year’s record number of high-level participants and the significance of the dialogue for regional security. Nouwens unpacks both Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun’s and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s speeches and analyzes what they can tell us about the current state of U.S.-China relations. Finally, Nouwens speaks to how China’s participation and actions this year differed from previous years and what messages China may have been conveying regarding its approach to global security going forward.Meia Nouwens is a senior fellow for Chinese Security and Defense Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).  Her expertise lies in Chinese cross-service defense analysis, China’s defense industry and innovation, as well as China’s regional strategic affairs and international relations. She leads IISS research on China’s Digital Silk Road and was a co-lead of the China Security Project with the Mercator Institute for China Studies. Prior to commencing at IISS, she worked for the European External Action Service as a policy officer in Taipei, and as a trade analyst in the EU’s delegation to New Zealand. Meia holds a BA Hons in international relations and political science from Macquarie University, a master’s in international relations and diplomacy from Leiden University in conjunction with the Clingendael Institute, and an MPhil in modern Chinese studies from the University of Oxford and Peking University.

Dr. Oriana Skylar Mastro discusses China's rise to power using the 'Upstart' approach, emphasizing entrepreneurship and strategic gaps. She explores China's strategies of emulation, exploitation, and entrepreneurship, contrasting them with past rising powers. Recommendations for US policy include encouraging beneficial emulation and exploring new strategies for international security cooperation.

Dr. Lauren Dickey discusses Taiwan's upcoming presidential inauguration, predicting a continuation of pragmatic approaches towards cross-Strait relations. She expects Beijing to engage in grey zone activities rather than major conflict. Lai may face legislative challenges and trade-offs with the KMT. Predictions are made for Lai's defense priorities and implications for US-Taiwan defense relationship.

Dr. Joel Wuthnow discusses China's PLA restructuring, emphasizing the formation of the Information Support Force and its role in modernizing information warfare. He clarifies that the changes do not signal an offensive shift but aim to enhance integration capabilities. Dr. Wuthnow also shares insights on future priorities for the PLA.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Leta Hong Fincher joins us to discuss the legal and social status of women in China. Dr. Fincher, who has written widely on gender issues in the PRC, reviews the history of Chinese marriage and divorce policies with an eye towards China’s contemporary feminist movements. She speaks to how the privatization of housing in the 1990s led to widening gender income gaps and the way women are increasingly discriminated against in the workplace. She highlights, amidst China’s ongoing demographic struggles, the plight of so-called “leftover women,” or sheng nu, who are faced with growing government and societal pressure to marry and start families. Dr. Fincher concludes by discussing the future of feminism in China, emphasizing the resilience and popularity of feminist movements despite the challenges they have faced.Dr. Leta Hong Fincher is a journalist and research associate at Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute. A sociologist by trade, she focuses on feminist issues in China and has published two books on this subject – Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China (2018) and Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China (2014, with a recently-published 10-year edition). Dr. Fincher is fluent in Mandarin and was the first American to receive a PhD in sociology from Beijing’s Tsinghua University. 

Dr. Zhao Hai discusses China's views on the Russia-Ukraine war, highlighting concerns about escalation and nuclear weapons. He explains China's perspective on the conflict as a shift towards multi-polarity, with implications for the Indo-Pacific. Dr. Zhao also explores the impact of the conflict on global order, international norms, and China's diplomatic relations amidst the crisis.