CSIS Podcasts

Dr. Anthony Fauci sat down with J. Stephen Morrison, CSIS, on August 13, for a conversation on his remarkable 54 year career of service as a doctor and scientist. Listen to hear about his early upbringing in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn; his Jesuit training; his expansive leadership at NIH on HIV/AIDS in the darkest days; the creation of a position of influence in science and public health unprecedented in American history, tied to the trust and confidence of six presidents; and, of course, his confrontation with President Trump during Covid and Trump’s campaign to discredit and damage him.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Dr. I-Chung Lai and Professor Jacques deLisle to unpack China’s 2005 Anti-Secession Law and its important implications for cross-Strait relations—the topic of an international conference co-hosted by CSIS and Prospect Foundation in early August 2024. Dr. Lai dissects the legislation’s nine articles, particularly Article 8’s conditions in which China can employ ‘non-peaceful means’ toward Taiwan. Professor deLisle speaks to the implications of the recent “22 Opinions” that China released to strengthen the Anti-Secession Law. The 22 Opinions criminalizes support for Taiwan independence and could be used even against foreign individuals who are not from China or Taiwan. However, Professor deLisle suggests that international recognition and enforcement of these laws would raise human rights concerns. Finally, Dr. Lai and Professor deLisle offer their recommendations on how the United States, Taiwan, and the international community can effectively respond to China’s actions. Dr. I-Chung Lai is the president of Prospect Foundation, a Taiwan-based think tank. Prior to joining the Prospect Foundation, he held several prominent positions within the Democratic Progressive Party, serving as executive director of the DPP Mission to the United States and as the director general of the Department of International Affairs. He has also worked as a special assistant with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Tokyo. Professor Jacques deLisle is a Stephen A. Cozen professor of law and professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania. His research and teaching focus on contemporary Chinese law and politics, including legal reform and its relationship to economic reform and political change in China, the international status of Taiwan and cross-Strait relations, China’s engagement with the international order, legal and political issues in Hong Kong under Chinese rule, and U.S.-China relations. DeLisle is the director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary China, co-director of the Center for Asian Law, and director of the Asia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.  

A short, spoken-word summary from CSIS’s Andreyka Natalegawa and Gregory B. Poling on their white paper, “U.S. and Chinese Soft Power and Influence in Southeast Asia.”

On July 31, Ismail Haniyeh, a senior leader of Hamas, was killed in Tehran. Just a day earlier, an Israeli airstrike killed a Hezbollah commander in the suburbs of Beirut. Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about how these events may continue to escalate, and their potential impact on the Israel-Hamas war. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.Jon Alterman, "Do Leaders Want Gaza Negotiations to Succeed?" CSIS, August 9, 2024.

In this episode of The Trade Guys, we talk about the presidential candidates views on trade policy, a recent climate deal that could impact trade policy, and Vietnam’s new NME status by the Department of Commerce. 

On this episode of China Field Notes, Scott Kennedy speaks with Michael Laske, a sage veteran auto industry consultant in China. In this in-depth conversation, he explains how over the last three decades China’s domestic auto firms went from being students in joint ventures to achieving global leadership in electric vehicles and batteries. He analyzes why Chinese industrial policy has been more effective in this sector than in others as well as the important value to the West of having their firms in China and Chinese firms in the Western markets.Since 1995, Michael has led the development of AVL List GMBH in China. AVL List is the leading provider of engineering and technology development support, and hardware and software testing solutions necessary for innovation and technology development in mobility sectors, particularly automotive applications. He has witnessed and directly participated in the growth of the automotive sector in China, as China eventually emerged as the largest market and later as a major source of technical innovation and exports. Michael believes that the automotive sector and its global relationships provide important insight into and strongly influence global geopolitical strategy and commercial developments. Michael Laske received an MA and an East Asian Institute Certificate from Columbia University’s School of International Affairs in 1980. Following four years in Taiwan, Michael and his family moved to China in January 1989, where he remains based.

Throughout the Western Hemisphere ports play a critical role in fostering economic growth, and serving as gateways through which the region engages a world that is eager for it to play a greater role in global value chains. At the same time, the region’s ports have made headlines for their role in the burgeoning trans-oceanic trade in illicit narcotics, gold, timber, and wildlife, while port cities consistently rank as some of the most violent locales in Latin America and the Caribbean.In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Douglas Farah, President of IBI Consultants. Together, they discuss the growing relevance of ports for criminal organizations to move illicit goods across oceans and national borders, as well as best practices for addressing these challenges. They also delve into China's growing role into the Western Hemisphere's port infrastructure and the potential vulnerabilities this may pose for the region. 

In this episode of Pekingology, Freeman Chair in China Studies Jude Blanchette is joined by Manoj Kewalramani, Fellow for China Studies and the Chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at the Takshashila Institution. He is also a non-resident Senior Associate with the Freeman Chair in China Studies, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They discuss interpreting Beijing's actions and Sino-India relations. 

The African continent faces several unique challenges that increase its vulnerability to cyber-attacks: a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, outdated software, lack of digital literacy among individuals, and struggles with personal data protection. While digital accessibility is on the rise in Africa, 60 percent of Africans (about 700 million people) remain unconnected to the internet. Digital literacy is the first step in tackling this challenge as connecting people is essential for improving education, job opportunities, and healthcare, as well as economic growth. However, Africa innovation and solutions show promise in ensuring the continent will overcome these hurdles and actively participate in the “digital revolution”.Fran Katsoudas, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy and Purpose Officer at Cisco, joins Mvemba to share findings from Cisco’s recently launched report “Elevating Africa's Cyber Resilience: Unveiling Regional Challenges and Charting AI Solutions.”

Greg and Elina unpack the aftermath of Gen. Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s passing in Vietnam with Alex Vuving. Japhet and Lauren cover the latest: from the region’s Olympic representation to digital regulation.