China's steady diplomacy in Latin America has created new avenues for influence in the region. Beijing now has a larger footprint, stronger diplomatic ties, and greater economic leverage in Latin America than at any time in the past. Join Hudson Institute for an event hosted by China Center Director Miles Yu that will examine developments in China's engagement with Latin America and consider how the United States should respond to this challenge.

Last year, Tokyo released its newest National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and Defense Buildup Program. These ambitious documents mark a significant shift in Japan’s strategic and defense postures. Hudson Institute’s Japan Chair hosts two professors from Keio University—Dr. Motohiro Tsuchiya and Prof. Koichiro Tanaka—to discuss the hurdles Tokyo needs to overcome to improve its active cyber defense and transition to different energy sources for both civilian and military use.

On March 22, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Jack Daniel’s v. VIP Products, an important dispute at the intersection of the First Amendment and trademark law. The case concerns VIP’s dog toy that copies Jack Daniel’s iconic Tennessee whiskey bottle, but with the name changed to “Bad Spaniels” and other humorous elements added. Jack Daniel’s claims that the toy infringes its trademarks and trade dress, while VIP maintains that its parodic use is protected expression. The Supreme Court will decide whether the Ninth Circuit erred in applying a First Amendment test that gives broad protection to humorous products that allegedly infringe. It will also address whether VIP’s use is noncommercial and thus immune from liability for tarnishing Jack Daniel’s reputation.Please join Hudson Legal Fellow Devlin Hartline and expert panelists Megan K. Bannigan, Ben Sheffner, and Vijay Toke for a discussion on the importance of striking the right balance between free speech and trademark protection.

Forty years ago, on March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan addressed the American people to unveil “a vision of the future which offers hope,” namely, a program to counter the Soviet missile threat through defensive measures. Thus, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), the missile defense system that ultimately helped the United States prevail over the Soviet Union, was born. SDI was born from Reagan’s disdain for mutual assured destruction, and to instead encourage advances in defenses.Hudson Senior Fellow and Keystone Defense Initiative Director Rebeccah Heinrichs is joined by Will Inboden to discuss his new book, The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink. They will also reflect on President Reagan’s visionary leadership for SDI as well as lessons for today’s major powers rivalry with the Chinese Communist Party.

Technology standards like 5G have revolutionized the way we use our smartphones, and they are bringing similar changes to other industries as connectivity becomes an invaluable feature for most products. Although the next revolution in the industry is already underway, some have questioned whether the government needs to revise the system by providing more information about the patents that are essential to practice technology standards. Join Hudson Institute’s panel to learn more about the methodologies for identifying essential patents.

The supply chain crisis provided a glimpse of America’s vulnerability to shipping bottlenecks as freight rates skyrocketed, key supplies were delayed or simply unavailable, consumer prices surged, and US exports were left behind. The US government could do little about the problem, in part because America has essentially no control over the international maritime logistics system. Fewer than 100 ships out of a global fleet of 50,000 are American, and no American shipping company is in the top 25. While the pandemic triggered the recent supply chain chaos, there is growing concern that China could weaponize its increasing control over supply chains and shipping, with catastrophic consequences for the US and global economy.Former Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Peter DeFazio joins Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Roberts for a conversation on shipping and international trade, which will address why America finds itself in such a vulnerable position and what can be done to turn the ship around.

The outbreak of war in Ukraine triggered a much-ballyhooed Zeitenwende, or watershed moment, in Germany. One year later, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has just visited Washington for talks with President Joe Biden. What are Germany’s attitudes toward Russia, the United States, and China—and how are they reflected in Germany’s new policy outlook? Please join Peter Rough, senior fellow and director of Hudson’s Center on Europe and Eurasia, as he sits down with MP Michael Link, coordinator for transatlantic relations at Germany’s foreign ministry, to take stock of Zeitenwende and the transatlantic relationship.

Last year the 117th Congress aptly assessed that the United States needed to support Ukrainians’ struggle for national independence. It did so by making substantial investments in Ukraine’s defense so that Kyiv could be victorious against Russia, a strategic adversary of America. The $113 billion in congressional aid to Ukraine has proven to be money well spent. The summer package helped propel Ukraine’s fall counteroffensive, in which the Armed Forces of Ukraine regained lost territory in the east and south, including the key city of Kherson. As the war enters its second year, a majority of Americans continue to favor US support for Ukraine. Congressional support for Ukraine’s defense will continue to play a crucial role, especially as Ukrainian officials work to ensure that their country does not win on the battlefield but then lose the war due to economic insolvency. If the US maintains its support, a decisive Ukrainian victory will both deter further Russian aggression in Europe and prevent an emboldened China from pursuing its revanchist aims in the Indo-Pacific.Hudson Senior Fellow Luke Coffey sits down with Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) to analyze key aspects of Ukraine’s fight against the invading Russian forces, including the last Congress’s investments in Ukraine and the future of support in the 118th Congress for Ukraine’s defense.

India’s stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led some to reexamine the trajectory of Indian grand strategy. Over time, is India more likely to align closely with its primary Quad partners—Japan and the United States—or is it more likely to become a third pole in international affairs, independent of both China and the US? Please join the Honorable Shigeru Kitamura, the former secretary general of Japan’s National Security Secretariat, who will examine India’s strategic trajectory in a conversation with Hudson Institute Distinguished Fellow Ken Weinstein.