China in the World

Southeast Asia is home to more than 600 million people and the region generates over $3 trillion in economic activity per year. As a critical hub in this increasingly dynamic region, Singapore stands out as a leader in economic development and political stability. In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Lam Peng Er about the current state and future trajectory of China-Singapore relations. The interview covers Singapore’s stance on the war in Ukraine and its special but awkward relationship with China. Haenle and Lam also discuss Singapore’s strategy for navigating growing U.S.-China competition and assess the United States’ new Indo-Pacific Strategy as well as its potential impact on Southeast Asian geopolitics.Dr. Lam Peng Er is a Senior Research Fellow at the East Asian Institute (EAI), National University of Singapore. He is the author of Japan’s Peace Building Diplomacy in Asia: Searching for an Active Political Role(London and New York: Routledge, 2009). Dr. Lam is an executive editor of the International Relations of the Asia-Pacific (A Journal of the Japan Association of International Relations published by Oxford University Press) and Asian Journal of Peacebuilding (Journal of the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies, Seoul National University).

Beijing and Brussels have long been at odds over human rights issues and economic practices. The recent EU-China summit ended without significant breakthroughs, as the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment remains unsigned. Now, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could further jeopardize any future cooperation. How will the war in Ukraine impact China-EU relations going forward? Where does Europe stand amid ongoing U.S.-China competition? And what are the possible pathways to cooperation between China and the EU? During a live recording of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle spoke with Yeo Lay Hwee, director of the European Union Centre in Singapore, Jia Qingguo, professor and former dean of the School of International Studies of Peking University, and Philippe Le Corre, a nonresident senior fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This panel is the fourth of the Carnegie Global Dialogue Series 2021-2022 and is available to be viewed on the Carnegie Endowment's website. https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/04/12/china-eu-relations-amid-ukraine-crisis-event-7859

As President Biden wraps up his first year in office and as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens to reorient the international order, China watchers reflect on the evolution of U.S.-China relations since President Nixon’s first visit to China in February 1972. 50 years later, there remain significant risks and tensions in the U.S.-China relationship. How has the bilateral relationship changed since diplomatic normalization? What are the main features of Biden’s approach to China? How will Beijing’s position on the war in Ukraine impact U.S.-China ties and China’s place in the world? On this joint episode of the China in the World podcast and the 12 Geniuses podcast, Paul Haenle joins Don MacPherson to discuss the history and trajectory of U.S.-China relations in the context of the war in Ukraine.For more in-depth analysis on China’s response to the war in Ukraine, be sure to check out Haenle’s recently published article for the Carnegie Endowment, “China’s Ukraine Calculus Is Coming Into Focus”, as well as Haenle’s recent ChinaFile commentary, “China’s Calculus on the Invasion of Ukraine.”https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/04/04/china-s-ukraine-calculus-is-coming-into-focus-pub-86801https://www.chinafile.com/conversation/chinas-calculus-invasion-of-ukraine

Over a year since President Joe Biden assumed office, U.S.-China relations remain on edge. The Xi-Biden summit in November 2021, as well as high-level meetings in Anchorage, Beijing, and Rome yielded few, if any, breakthroughs. Critical trade and technology issues remain unresolved. China’s refusal to oppose Russia over the invasion of Ukraine threatens to further undermine U.S.-China ties. How will developments in Ukraine impact U.S.-China relations?  How will the United States and China find a way to reduce trade and technology tensions? Fifty years after Nixon’s visit to China, how can U.S.-China relations find a more stable equilibrium? During a live recording of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle spoke with William Choong, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and Tong Zhao, Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This panel is the third of the Carnegie Global Dialogue Series 2021-2022 and is also available to be watched online.

2021 was an eventful year in Chinese politics. The last 12 months featured the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, the announcement of Xi Jinping’s new common prosperity drive, and the publication of the Party’s third resolution on history. In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Chen Gang about recent developments in Chinese politics and foreign policy. The interview covers key takeaways from China’s Two Sessions in March, Chen's expectations for the 20th Party Congress, and his analysis of the politics behind the common prosperity drive and the dual circulation strategy. Haenle and Chen also discuss China’s views of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as well as recent developments in U.S.-China relations, including the potential for further cooperation on climate change.Dr. Chen Gang is Assistant Director and Senior Research Fellow of the East Asian Institute (EAI), National University of Singapore. He is the author of The Politics of Disaster Management in China: Institutions, Interest Groups, and Social Participation (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), China’s Climate Policy (London and New York: Routledge, 2012), and Politics of China's Environmental Protection: Problems and Progress (Singapore: World Scientific, 2009).

In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Elizabeth Economy about her new book, “The World According to China.” Dr. Economy’s book challenges the notion that China’s foreign policy ambitions are circumscribed by a set of narrow sovereignty interests. Instead, she explores Xi Jinping’s vision to transform the global order through a combination of soft, sharp, and hard power. The book explores multiple dimensions of Chinese power, including China’s attempt to reshape international institutions, expand its economic influence, modernize its military, and consolidate its dominance in Asia. Although the book describes China’s reemergence on the world stage as nothing short of remarkable, it warns that China faces significant headwinds to achieve its international objectives. Elizabeth Economy is a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce (for China). She is on leave from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, where she is a senior fellow. Dr. Economy’s latest book is “The World According to China,” published in January 2022 via Polity Books.

In recent months, China and Russia have upgraded their strategic partnership, conducted joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan, and deepened collaboration on nuclear and space technology. Beijing and Moscow have also taken steps to test the credibility of U.S. alliances in the Indo-Pacific and trans-Atlantic regions. But as China-Russia ties have grown increasingly robust, Washington has become more and more concerned, labeling an “increasingly assertive China” and a “destabilizing Russia” as its chief foreign policy challenges and engaging both countries in dialogue and diplomacy. However, this narrative of China-Russia partnership has its limits—widening trade and economic disparities and intensifying competition for influence in Central Asia produce substantial points of tension between the two nations. How will China and Russia navigate the complex, often conflicting, dynamics in their relationship? And how might their interactions impact the United States’ regional and global strategy? During a live recording of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle spoke with Guan Guihai, Associate Professor and Executive Vice President of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University, Jennifer B. Murtazashvili, the Founding Director of the Center for Governance and Markets and Associate Professor at the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, and Alexander Gabuev, Senior Fellow and the Chair of the Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. This panel is the second of the Carnegie Global Dialogue Series 2021-2022 and is also available to be watched online. 

The China-India relationship remains strained as the year-and-a-half long standoff in eastern Ladakh continues. The border issue coupled with tensions over the COVID-19 outbreak pushed India to decouple from China, limiting Chinese investment in Indian tech companies and banning many of Beijing’s most successful mobile applications. At the same time, India has renewed its commitment to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, bolstered its defense partnerships with Australia and Japan, and become more active in Indian Ocean maritime security. Can the two countries find common ground despite lingering tensions? And what do deteriorating China-India relations mean for the United States’ approaches to the world’s two most populous countries?During a live recording of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle spoke with Han Hua, Director of the Center for Arms Control and Disarmament at Peking University's School of International Studies, and Darshana Baruah, associate fellow with the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This panel is the first of the Carnegie Global Dialogue Series 2021-2022 and is also available to be watched online.

In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Peter Martin about his new book, “China's Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy.” Peter Martin’s book charts the history of Chinese diplomacy, from the rise of the Communist Party during the Republican era to the end of 2020. Mr. Martin's research references hundreds of primary documents, including personal memoirs and diaries recorded by Chinese government officials. He explains that “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy, as it has come to be known, is nothing new, and that its roots lie in the internal incentive structure of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Both public opinion and the directives of Party superiors combine to compel China’s diplomatic corps to be assertive players on the international stage.Mr. Peter Martin is a Defense Policy and Intelligence Reporter for Bloomberg News. Mr. Martin has written extensively about China and U.S.-China relations. His latest book is “China’s Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy,” published in June 2021 via Oxford University Press.

Leading a largely closed-off society and rarely engaging with foreign leaders, Kim Jong-un is one of the most misunderstood leaders in the world. Is Kim a rational actor? Does he have a long-term strategy for North Korea? What resources does Kim have at his disposal and how does he achieve his objectives? David Shin’s new book, Kim Jong-un's Strategy for Survival: A Method to Madness, provides answers to these questions and more. The book focuses on four cases that reveal North Korea’s survival strategy: the 2013 nuclear crisis, the 2015 landmine incident, the 2017 nuclear crisis, and the 2018 charm offensive. Dr. Shin argues that Kim Jong-un is far from a madman and, like the two Kims before him, has consistently been underestimated.  In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with David Shin, Associate Professor and Deputy Chair of the National Intelligence University (NIU), about his new book, Kim Jong-un's Strategy for Survival: A Method to Madness. The discussion covers Kim Jong-un’s strategy and tactics in 2017 and 2018, gauges the future of US-DPRK relations, and applies the book’s finding to assess the Biden administration’s early approach toward North Korea.