Straight Talk with Hank Paulson

Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, Senior International Partner at WilmerHale and former Chief Trade Negotiator and Principal Trade Policymaker for the United States, joins Hank to discuss the importance of trade in boosting the American economy, what has changed since China was welcomed into the WTO in 2001, and how the US can chart a path forward. Charlene Barshefsky: wilmerhale.com/en/people/charlene-barshefsky

Hank speaks with business executive and longtime friend Ginni Rometty about what she learned while leading IBM, the role of corporations in addressing the challenges of 2020, and her advice for young women in business. Ginni Rometty: ibm.com/about/ginni/

Hank welcomes Elizabeth Economy, Senior Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution & Senior Fellow for China Studies at CFR, and Michael Pillsbury, Director for Chinese Strategy at Hudson Institute, to Straight Talk. They discuss how US-China ties have evolved in recent years, Xi Jinping's ambitions, and where the Sino-American relationship is headed. Elizabeth Economy: hoover.org/profiles/elizabeth-economy Elizabeth's books: https://amzn.to/36xqqmy Michael Pillsbury: https://michaelpillsbury.net/

Hank is joined by Jennifer Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy, and Tom Lovejoy, United Nations Foundation Senior Fellow, to discuss what inspired their passion for conservation, the need to address the biodiversity crisis, and the launch of Financing Nature, a landmark report from the Paulson Institute, The Nature Conservancy, and Cornell's Atkinson Center. Jennifer Morris: nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/latin-america/latin-america-conservation-council/members/jennifer-morris/ Tom Lovejoy: unfoundation.org/who-we-are/our-people/thomas-lovejoy/

Hank is joined by Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, on the seventh episode of Straight Talk. They discuss Haass’ latest book—The World: A Brief Introduction—intellectual curiosity, the role of think tanks, America’s global standing in a post-COVID world, and confronting the China challenge. Richard N. Haass: cfr.org/expert/richard-n-haass The World: A Brief Introduction: https://bit.ly/36AM6yu

In this episode, Hank is joined by Cui Tiankai, China's Ambassador to the US, to discuss what he has learned during his seven years as ambassador, his hopes for the future of US-China relations, and the need for better global governance and cooperation to address the pressing issues of our time. Ambassador Cui: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/sgxx/ctk/msg/

Hank speaks with friend and Harvard scholar Graham Allison about geopolitics and US-China relations, including the two countries' shared interests, economic health, and how the upcoming US election is impacting this important bilateral relationship. Graham Allison: hks.harvard.edu/faculty/graham-allison Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?: https://amzn.to/2HYKPa5

Episode 4 was recorded on Friday, July 10.   Hank is joined by his friend & former colleague Lloyd Blankfein (Senior Chairman, Goldman Sachs) to discuss impostor syndrome, the past, present, and future of markets, as well as economic changes due to the COVID pandemic. Lloyd Blankfein: www.goldmansachs.com/our-firm/leadership/lloyd-blankfein.pdf

Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. Secretary of State and author, discusses her life in diplomacy and her recent autobiography. She reflects on the challenges of writing and the importance of memoirs. Albright talks about America's shifting role in the wake of the pandemic and explores the intricacies of U.S.-China relations. She also shares quirky anecdotes from her brief Hollywood career, revealing how public figures influence culture and politics across generations.

In the second episode, Hank speaks with two leading experts on US-China relations, Ely Ratner and Evan Feigenbaum. They discuss a current framework for the US-China relationship, how the US can properly balance national security with economic progress, and where the US can achieve positive results while navigating a number of important conflicts with China. Ely Ratner: cnas.org/people/ely-ratner Ely's books: https://amzn.to/2Ss2BVh Evan A. Feigenbaum: carnegieendowment.org/experts/719 Evan's book "China's Techno-Warriors:" https://amzn.to/3cZV1uk