Hudson Institute Events Podcast

The historic C5+1 summit in Washington—at which President Donald Trump will host the heads of state from the five nations of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan)—will aim to create new momentum for American engagement in the region. In an era defined by great power competition and the fight against transnational terrorism, the United States and the five nations of Central Asia share many common interests. Additionally, Central Asia lies at the heart of the supercontinent and is rich in energy and mineral resources. After 10 years of engagement through the C5+1 format, Washington and its C5 partners need to elevate their cooperation to a new level. At Hudson, a panel of experts will discuss the future of US engagement in Central Asia and opportunities to deepen cooperation. Hudson Executive Vice President Joel Scanlon will provide introductory remarks and Kazakh Ambassador to the US Magzhan Ilyassov will give a keynote address.

In 2019, the Chinese Communist Party cracked down on political freedom in Hong Kong and violated the special region’s autonomy. The Trump administration began rolling back America’s special treatment of Hong Kong the following year. But that process is not yet complete. Over the past five years, the CCP has opportunistically exploited Hong Kong’s unique status in international institutions and within the United States to harm the interests of America and its allies. Policymakers should align Hong Kong’s legal status with the CCP’s exploitation of the island. Join Senior Fellow Michael Sobolik and an expert panel for a discussion about a new report from Hong Kong Watch on the state of Hong Kong and how US policymakers can close the loopholes Beijing exploits.

On September 4, the United States and Japan outlined the structure of the $550 billion US-Japan investment fund, and gave further insight into how Washington and Tokyo will use it to advance their industrial and technological leadership. The allies agreed to focus on several strategic sectors—including shipbuilding, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and energy—that will spur mutual growth, secure allied supply chains, and insulate the US, Japan, and their allies against economic coercion.To further explore the fund and its allocation, Hudson Institute’s Japan Chair will host an event featuring two panels with financial, industrial, and policy experts. They will:Explain how the fund will operate and address and lingering questions about implementation.Identify specific strategic chokepoints that the $550 billion fund can help solve.

America’s AI Action Plan, which the White House released this July, presents a comprehensive vision for American dominance in the global artificial intelligence race. As technological advancement and geopolitical tensions accelerate, the Trump administration and Congress have a historic opportunity to enact strategic policy that fosters innovation, secures critical technology and information infrastructure, and wields American AI power effectively on the international stage. To discuss how America can secure its AI leadership, Senior Fellow Jason Hsu will host Congressman Rich McCormick (R-GA), a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and a former member of the bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.

In 2025 signs of weakness in the Russian economy are increasingly visible: high inflation, growing financial stresses, gasoline and food shortages, rapidly slowing oil revenues, shortages of key manufacturing parts, failed auctions of sovereign bonds, and depletion of its sovereign wealth fund. Many analysts predict the Kremlin’s ability to maintain its war economy will be severely stressed in the coming months, especially as Ukrainian strikes reach more Russian infrastructure and degrade the petroleum industry that pays for the war. Join noted economists Anders Aslund and Volodymyr Lugovskyy and Hudson Senior Fellow Thomas Duesterberg for an event that will analyze how growing economic problems are affecting Vladimir Putin’s war effort and his ability to avoid an economic crisis.

Refining capacity is the greatest vulnerability in the United States’ critical minerals supply chain. After a decades-long campaign to price out competitors, China now dominates the refining sectors for many minerals and metals that are central to the global economy and to the US defense sector. In some sectors, Chinese firms account for as much as 90 percent of global capacity. This dominance is central to Beijing’s quest to recenter the international system away from the US and toward China. Washington needs to engage in a strategic and sustained effort to escape this predicament—and African nations will play a critical role. Hudson Senior Fellow Joshua Meservey will host senior representatives from Rainbow Rare Earths, ReElement, and US Strategic Metals—firms on the frontier of the critical minerals industry—to discuss what this effort will entail. The discussion will cover the scale of the challenge, how the US government can better support domestic and allied refining, and how African nations can climb the critical minerals supply chains.

On October 10, Chinese Communist Party authorities handcuffed and detained the lead pastor of Zion Church, Ezra Jin Mingri, beginning China’s largest crackdown against a single house church in over 40 years. Party officials also detained or disappeared an estimated 30 other pastors and associates of Zion Church. Days earlier, the CCP escalated its rhetoric in the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. Beijing often demands that other nations remain silent about its human rights record as part of negotiations. But Pastor Jin’s arrest is a reminder of the human cost of acquiescence to that demand. Join Hudson for a conversation with Pastor Jin’s daughter and son-in-law about Pastor Jin, why he and the other detained Zion Church members matter for US foreign policy, and what the US government can do to secure the church members’ release. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Representatives Young Kim (R-CA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), and Jim McGovern (D-MA) will provide virtual remarks.

Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East will host a conference, featuring a keynote address by Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), to examine the implications of the recent Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement. The conference will also explore the evolving role of the United States in the South Caucasus and assess how renewed peace efforts could reshape the Eurasian strategic landscape.

Southeastern Europe presents many opportunities to the transatlantic community, yet the region still poses numerous challenges. Adversaries have taken advantage of local divisions to cause security problems that could quickly escalate to strategic threats. The region also suffers from poor energy security, and many Southeastern European nations have stalled in their progress toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Concurrent with the World Bank–International Monetary Fund annual meetings in Washington, DC, Hudson will host a high-level discussion on Southeastern Europe. The first panel will explore the geoeconomic opportunities and challenges, while the second will examine the geopolitical and security dimensions of the region.

Hudson Institute’s Nadia Schadlow will host a conference on the future of America’s industrial base. The event will bring together representatives from new firms at the forefront of reindustrialization—companies working to address supply chain vulnerabilities, strengthen national security, and overcome institutional barriers. Company representatives will discuss their experiences, how their firms have navigated obstacles, and what changes the United States needs to make to fortify its manufacturing base. Additionally, investors and manufacturing sector experts will outline the most effective frameworks for attracting private capital and building sustainable public-private partnerships.