The Asia Chessboard

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. 

Mike and Jude are joined by Sergey Radchenko, the Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Sergey is an accomplished author, and has written extensively on the Cold War, nuclear history, and on Russian and Chinese foreign and security policies. The conversation begins by delving into the nature of Beijing’s ties with Moscow, and how they have evolved from the Cold War. They explore points of divergence in the interests of China and Russia, and assess how both countries have reacted to frictions in the relationship over time. Next, they turn to the war in Ukraine, examining to what extent tightening Beijing-Moscow ties might have affected Putin’s ultimate decision to invade, and then discuss China’s strategic interests in how the conflict ends. Finally, they discuss ideological alignment between China and Russia, and how each state aims to shape the global order, before briefly considering the scope of Russia’s likely responses to escalating tensions between the U.S. and China in Asia. 

Huong Le Thu, Deputy Director of the Asia Program at the International Crisis Group, discusses Vietnam's strategic thinking and its leverage of competition between China and the US. They explore Vietnam's decision to upgrade its relationship with the US and Chinese inroads in South and Southeast Asia. Vietnam is adopting an omnidirectional foreign policy to improve resilience, while envisioning an evolving role for ASEAN.

Mr. Tatsuya Terazawa, Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Energy Economics in Japan, discusses Japan's strategy for de-risking and technology competition. They explore China's role in the clean energy transition and the need for better coordination among stakeholders. The dispute between China and Japan over Fukushima's wastewater and the balancing act of reducing emissions while safeguarding business interests are also examined.