ChinaPower

CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies
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Aug 31, 2021 • 35min

The Impact of Covid-19 on China’s Military: A Conversation with M. Taylor Fravel

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. M. Taylor Fravel joins us to discuss whether China has become more militarily assertive toward its neighbors during the pandemic. Dr. Fravel argues that, although some expected the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to halt or reduce its activity during the Covid-19 pandemic, the level of Chinese assertiveness seen prior to the pandemic has continued during the pandemic. He adds that the PLA’s ability to dispatch medical teams within China during the pandemic while maintaining its pace of operations in regional disputes shows that China is reaping the rewards of two decades of PLA modernization. Lastly, Dr. Fravel describes the benefits of increasing US collaboration with countries on the front lines of Chinese disputes.Dr. Fravel is the Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and Director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Fravel studies international relations, with a focus on international security, China, and East Asia. His books include, Strong Borders, Secure Nation: Cooperation and Conflict in China’s Territorial Disputes, (Princeton University Press, 2008) and Active Defense: China's Military Strategy Since 1949 (Princeton University Press, 2019). His other publications have appeared in International Security, Foreign Affairs, Security Studies, International Studies Review, The China Quarterly, The Washington Quarterly, Journal of Strategic Studies, Armed Forces & Society, Current History, Asian Survey, Asian Security, China Leadership Monitor, and Contemporary Southeast Asia.
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Aug 17, 2021 • 40min

China’s Involvement in Afghanistan: A Conversation with Laurel Miller

On this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Laurel Miller joins us to discuss the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and to assess China’s next steps in the region. Ms. Miller argues that China will continue to be cautiously involved with Afghanistan to fulfill its long-term vision of establishing peace and stability in the nearby region. She also estimates how China may use its influence in Pakistan to boost its political relations with the Taliban. Although Afghanistan was a bright spot for US-China cooperation in peace-process issues, Ms. Miller says that previous collaboration was exaggerated and that the brightness has been dimmed in recent years. Lastly, she weighs the likelihood of US-China cooperation on Afghanistan going forward.Laurel Miller is the Director of International Crisis Group’s Asia Program, where she leads the organization’s research, analysis, and policy advocacy in and about Asia’s regional matters. Prior to joining the International Crisis Group, Ms. Miller was a senior foreign policy expert at the RAND Corporation. From 2013 to 2017, she served as the deputy and then acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the US Department of State.
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Aug 3, 2021 • 36min

China’s Global Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Conversation with Dr. Yanzhong Huang

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Yanzhong Huang joins us to discuss China’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on China’s power. Dr. Huang assesses how China’s handling of the pandemic is viewed within China and around the world. He also discusses China’s Health Silk Road and its role in advancing China’s interests amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, Dr. Huang analyzes the differences between the countries that have received Chinese vaccines and those that have received Chinese masks and PPE. Lastly, Dr. Huang evaluates China’s influence within international health organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and provides recommendations for how the United States can work with China to combat the pandemic.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. 
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Jul 20, 2021 • 31min

Unpacking the China-Hong Kong Relationship: A Conversation with Kurt Tong

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Ambassador Kurt Tong joins new host Bonny Lin to discuss China’s approach toward Hong Kong. Ambassador Tong describes how the Hong Kong citizenry has responded to China’s recent policies in the city. He argues that Beijing initially prioritized tolerance toward Hong Kong when implementing its “One Country, Two Systems” policy; however, such tolerance has recently declined. Ambassador Tong also explains how China’s foreign relations impact its policies toward Hong Kong. In addition, Ambassador Tong provides predictions for the future of the China-Hong Kong relationship and compares Beijing’s past and current goals in the city. Lastly, he analyzes the Biden administration’s responses to the current situation in Hong Kong and provides recommendations for the administration’s Hong Kong-related policies in the future.Ambassador Kurt Tong is a Partner and member of the Executive Committee at The Asia Group, where he leads the firm’s work in Japan and Hong Kong, and on East Asia regional policy matters. Prior to joining The Asia Group, Ambassador Tong served as Consul General and Chief of Mission in Hong Kong and Macau, leading U.S. political and economic engagement with that important free trade hub. Prior to that role, he served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs at the State Department from 2014 to 2016, guiding the Department’s institutional strengthening efforts as its most senior career diplomat handling economic affairs.
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Jul 6, 2021 • 27min

The Best of ChinaPower: Xi Jinping’s Military-Civil Fusion Project: A Conversation with Greg Levesque

This special "best of ChinaPower" episode explores China’s efforts to integrate its military and civilian sectors to support its military development and broader national security agenda. Our guest, Mr. Greg Levesque, discusses how Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) fits into China’s grand strategy and evaluates how effectively it has implemented the program to date. Levesque also weighs the risks and rewards of MCF in Beijing’s strategic calculus, and offers a path for how the US and its allies can respond to the growing nexus between military and civil development in China.Greg Levesque is co-founder and CEO of Strider, a technology company enabling organizations to combat intellectual property theft and supply chain vulnerabilities outside of the cyber domain. Greg has advised and supported Fortune 500 companies as well as US and European government agencies on matters of economic statecraft, particularly around China.This episode was first released on May 5, 2020. Listeners can find Bonnie Glaser's new work with her China Global podcast.
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Jun 22, 2021 • 29min

The Best of ChinaPower: Highlights of the 2020 DoD Report on Chinese Military Power: A Conversation with Chad Sbragia

This special "best of ChinaPower" episode examines the trajectory of Chinese military developments and national strategy, as well as key findings of the 2020 Department of Defense (DoD) annual report to Congress entitled Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China. Our guest, Mr. Chad Sbragia, then-Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China, discusses a wide range of topics, including China’s capacity to launch an amphibious assault on Taiwan, China’s nuclear strategy, and the Belt and Road Initiative. Mr. Sbragia also highlights the growing alignment between the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and China’s broader national strategy, and he explores the implication of PLA modernization for stability and crisis prevention in the coming years. Mr. Chad Sbragia is the Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs within the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2019-2021. In this capacity, he was responsible for advising senior leadership within the Department of Defense on all policy matters pertaining to the development and implementation of defense strategies, plans, policies, and bilateral security relations for China. This episode was first released on September 22, 2020. Listeners can find Bonnie Glaser's new work with her China Global podcast. 
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Jun 8, 2021 • 24min

The Best of ChinaPower: Unveiling China’s Digital Currency Goals: A Conversation with Kevin Desouza

This special "best of ChinaPower" episode unpacks China’s push to develop a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Our guest, Dr. Kevin Desouza, explains Beijing's motives and compares China’s plans for creating its own national digital currency with those of other countries. Dr. Desouza explores how a national digital currency can be used to bolster China’s finance and technology sectors, as well as its economy as a whole. He also offers his views on what China’s timeline might be for rolling out its own CBDC, particularly in light of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.Dr. Kevin Desouza is a professor of Business, Technology, and Strategy in the School of Management at the Queensland University of Technology Business School. Dr. Desouza is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Governance Studies Program at the Brookings Institution, and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the China Institute for Urban Governance at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He has held tenured faculty appointments at the University of Washington, Virginia Tech, and Arizona State University.This episode was first released on May 19, 2020. Listeners can find Bonnie Glaser's new work with her China Global podcast. 
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May 25, 2021 • 27min

The Best of ChinaPower: The Implications of China’s Conventional Missile Arsenal: A Conversation with Ankit Panda

In this special "best of ChinaPower" episode, Mr. Ankit Panda discusses China's growing conventional missile arsenal and associated implications for military strategy and security in the Indo-Pacific region. He touches on the role of China’s ground-based missiles in the projection of military strength, noting that an increased arsenal can hamper US forces in the region and give the People’s Liberation Army increased maneuverability. Mr. Panda specifically highlights the importance of anti-ship ballistic missiles to China’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy in areas like the South and East China Seas. He also discusses the consequences of the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and the political obstacles to expanding the US’ arsenal along China’s periphery. In addition, he explains the strategic implications of China's dual-capable missile force, specifically the DF-26 missile’s ability to rapidly convert between nuclear and conventional warheads. Finally, Mr. Panda analyzes the role of hypersonic glide vehicles, noting that, while the underlying technology is not new, advances in materials science have allowed more countries to develop HGV systems.Ankit Panda is the Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. An expert on the Asia-Pacific region, his research interests range from nuclear strategy, arms control, missile defense, nonproliferation, emerging technologies, and US extended deterrence. He is the author of Kim Jong Un and the Bomb: Survival and Deterrence in North Korea.This episode was first released on December 8, 2020. Listeners can find Bonnie Glaser's new work with her China Global podcast. 
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Apr 16, 2021 • 25min

Decoding China's Diplomacy Discourse: A Conversation with Malin Oud

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Malin Oud joins us to discuss the importance of language in understanding China’s diplomatic and international cooperation strategies. Ms. Oud breaks down China’s efforts to both redefine international values and standards, such as “democracy,” “rule of law” and “human rights," and promote its own definitions when interacting with other nations via diplomacy and international cooperation. She argues that China’s efforts to both weaken current international norms and promote its own norms on the global stage indicates that China has growing confidence in itself and its political system. This increased confidence, Ms. Oud explains, has increased China’s desire to build its discursive power, and become a “rule maker” rather than a “rule taker.” Lastly, Ms. Oud states that when Western nations engage with China, they need to not only understand what China means when it uses the language of international values and standards, but also strengthen their own, domestic capabilities so as to meaningfully defend current standards and international norms. Malin Oud is the Director of the Stockholm Office of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. She was the founder and Managing Director of Tracktwo, Sweden, and was previously the Programme Manager for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Her most recent report, The Decoding China Dictionary, co-edited with Katja Drinhausen, was published earlier this year by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and International Law.
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Mar 30, 2021 • 24min

The Impact of Covid-19 on China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A Conversation with Agatha Kratz

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Agatha Kratz joins us to discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Dr. Kratz provides background on the history and past successes of the BRI from 2013-2020. She argues that, prior to the pandemic, China’s BRI was at a low point. There were fewer contracts and increased scrutiny on past unsustainable projects and loans. Dr. Kratz contends that those pre-existing trends were further accentuated by the Covid-19 travel restrictions, deteriorated financial conditions, and disruptions in trade. Nonetheless, she explains, new BRI projects have arisen as a result of the pandemic, such as the “Health Silk Road”.  Lastly, Dr. Kratz identifies the core problem with the BRI to be the long-lasting debt – which can lead to debt crises – in recipient countries. China’s common practice of debt renegotiations, rather than debt forgiveness, creates a further disincentive. Together, they slow the appetite for further BRI projects. Alternatively, she explains, recipient countries have begun to seek more sustainable and profitable projects. Dr. Agatha Kratz is an Associate Director at Rhodium Group, where she coordinates European activities and leads research on European Union-China relations and China’s commercial diplomacy. She also contributes to Rhodium’s work on China’s global investment, industrial policy, and technology aspirations. Dr. Kratz is a non-resident Adjunct Fellow of the Reconnecting Asia Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies under the Simon Chair in Political Economy.

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