Benedetta Berti from NATO discusses NATO's perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, transitioning from academia to policy-making, strategic competition among authoritarian countries, geopolitical alignment, the upcoming NATO Summit, and strengthening defense collaboration.

Financial Times correspondent Kathrin Hille joins to discuss Taiwan under President Lai, US relations, and Beijing's response. Topics include political turmoil in the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's foreign policy strategy, defense dynamics, and divergent leadership approaches in Taiwanese politics.

Professor Andrew Oros discusses demographic shifts in Asia and their impact on security in the region. Topics include aging populations, low birth rates, and the significance of demographics on national power. The conversation also delves into Japan's efforts to increase women representation in the military and China's approach to addressing demographic challenges affecting its military capabilities.

Amb. Julie Chung, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, discusses Sri Lanka's strategic importance in the Indo-Pacific, challenges in managing relationships amidst great power competition, rumors of a Chinese military base, and the importance of reconciliation and democratic values for the country's future success.

Richard Bush, a former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, discusses Taiwan's recent elections and the implications for democracy and human rights. The podcast delves into Taiwan's leadership transition, Beijing's strategy, US support for Taiwan, and the need for diverse voices in understanding Taiwan's politics.

Mike and Jude are joined by Demetri Sevastopulo, US-China Correspondent at the Financial Times. Demetri discusses covering China as a member of the news media and of what it takes to break news on China in a competitive market. Jude, Mike, and Demetri then exchange views on US-China relations today, including recent bilateral diplomacy and evolving cross-Strait dynamics. Next, they turn to debate on the US-China relationship in Washington, exploring the nature and bounds of bipartisan “consensus” on China. They conclude by discussing how nations around the world are viewing the US election. 

Experts discuss the historical and contemporary factors driving the US-India relationship, including shared concerns over China. They delve into covert operations between the two nations and examine issues surrounding democratic values and minority rights in India. The conversation also touches on India's diplomatic positioning and its impact on relations with the US.

Mike is joined by Dr. John Kunkel, Senior Economics Adviser at the United States Studies Centre. Dr. Kunkel has worked as an economist, speech writer, policy analyst, and adviser to government and industry executive and previously served as Chief of Staff to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. He has a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University and is the author of "America's Trade Policy Towards Japan: Demanding Results", a study of US-Japan trade relations from Reagan to Clinton. The conversation begins by placing the Australian economy amid the shifting economic order of recent years. Mike and John note that the contemporary Australian debate has come late in adapting to these global economic changes, partially due to the country’s large resource base and overall economic resilience and flexibility. They discuss the unique position of Australia’s experience with globalization, which allowed it to avoid the worst of the domestic economic drawbacks that afflicted Europe and the United States. They then delve into the impact of ‘Bidenomics’ and US industrial policy on the economic debate in Australia, assessing how Australia is looking at these more protectionist policies to understand both the wrinkles and opportunities they present. After a discussion of evolving global economic dynamics and what a new American trade agenda should look like, they conclude by discussing an upcoming economic security conference in Australia, which is targeted at interpreting different international economic security policies, and tracking how these are transitioning over time. 

Dr. Joseph Chinyong Liow, Tan Kah Kee Chair of Comparative and International Politics at Nanyang Technological University and Research Advisor for the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, discusses the state of U.S.-China strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific and Singapore's grand strategy. They also delve into ideological concerns in foreign policy choices in Southeast Asia, as well as the conflict in Gaza and reactions in Singapore and the region.

Mike and Jude are joined by Evan Medeiros, Penner Family Chair in Asian Studies and the Cling Family Senior Fellow in US-China Relations at Georgetown University. He is also a Senior Advisor with The Asia Group and previously served for six years on the staff of the National Security Council as Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia - and then as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia. He is editor and contributing author to the recent book Cold Rivals: The New Era of US-China Strategic Competition. The conversation begins by evaluating the relative successes and failures of U.S. engagement toward China over previous decades and the state of the U.S.-China relationship. They review the field of China studies in the United States, exploring how it has adjusted in recent years in response to a changing China and evolving bilateral ties. After assessing the effects of Xi Jinping’s arrival on China’s political stage on bilateral relations and the current state of crisis communications between the U.S. and China, they conclude by forecasting the what the relationship will hold in the coming years and the challenges and pitfalls of managing strategic competition.