Sounds Strategic

On 6 and 9 August 1945, the US military bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki using a weapon of unprecedented destructive capability, the atom bomb. These bombings marked the beginning of the nuclear age and remain the only use of a nuclear weapon in an active conflict.To commemorate the 75th anniversary of these events, Meia Nouwens is joined by Dana Allin, Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy and Transatlantic Affairs, and Mark Fitzpatrick, Associate Fellow and former Executive Director of IISS–Americas, to discuss the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the lessons that are at risk of being forgotten today.They discuss the narrative around the use of the atom bomb, its impact on the national psyche of Japan and its role in creating the nuclear taboo and, eventually, the concept of nuclear deterrence through mutually assured destruction. Both Dana and Mark argue that it falls to today’s leaders to remember the lessons of the past and to slow the recent erosion of nuclear arms controls.We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 25 August 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode of Sounds Strategic, Meia Nouwens is joined by John Raine, Senior Adviser for Geopolitical Due Diligence, and Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia and Editor of the Strategic Survey, for a discussion on political risk and ‘corporate foreign policy’.The economic instability caused by the COVID-19 crisis, coupled with the intensifying geo-economic rivalry between the US and China, has increased economic instability and dampened corporate prospects globally. John and Nigel argue that these factors have increased the need for robust ‘foreign policy’ among all public-facing organisations, from multinational corporations to universities. For them, good corporate foreign policy assesses, plans for and proactively addresses political risk in its many forms to better insulate companies and organisations from the highly politicised economic headwinds already gathering in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. John and Nigel also discuss the growing power of corporations within the international system and the underlying risks created by the intermingling of economic and defence concerns most clearly seen in the current US–China tech war.We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 12 August 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate the 50th episode of Sounds Strategic, Robert Ward, Director of the Geo-economics and Strategy programme at the IISS, hosts Meia Nouwens and Nigel Inkster for a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation on China, its foreign-policy motivations and what its possible dominance in technology could mean for the West.In the episode, Meia and Nigel examine the limits of China’s assertive, ‘wolf-warrior’ approach to foreign affairs. They discuss whether China’s recent behaviour is part of a grand strategic vision or simple opportunism at a time of increased international instability during the COVID-19 crisis.At the heart of Western concerns around Huawei is China’s potential to dominate the tech sector in the future. Meia and Nigel both highlight the dangers of decoupling from China and instead stress the importance of effective engagement as a means to ensure the West’s continued prosperity and to manage the political and economic challenge China represents in the 21st century.Meia and Nigel also discuss the possible futures of Taiwan and Hong Kong, the impact of COVID-19 on the political authority of President Xi Jinping and whether a possible Biden presidency could meaningfully change US–China relations.We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 29 July 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following a special presentation by US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Meia and Antônio speak with Research Fellow Aaron Connelly on how the United States’ strategy towards Southeast Asia is viewed by Southeast Asian countries themselves. In the episode, Aaron explains why Secretary Esper’s recent remarks may indicate US policymakers are moving away from large-scale multilateral initiatives and towards ‘minilateralism’. Aaron also explores why some Southeast Asian states stand by a policy of non-alignment, despite Beijing’s heavy-handedness in recent years. In addition, Meia, Antônio and Aaron discuss how US Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea have changed over the years, recent tensions within the US–Philippines relationship, and upcoming elections in Malaysia.We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 22 July 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the return of great-power competition to the forefront of international affairs, there has been a renewed focus among the world’s advanced militaries on what capabilities will be required to win or compete in possible conflicts in the future. In this week’s episode, Franz-Stefan Gady joins Meia and Antônio to discuss the concepts that underpin debates around future warfighting, and why doctrinal and organisational considerations will play an equal, if not greater, role for military planners looking to prepare for the future.They also discuss the limits of ‘grey-zone’ conflict, why authoritarian regimes may struggle to develop effective military organisational structures and how COVID-19 could impact military operations.We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 15 July 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe was already facing a host of complex geopolitical and economic challenges at the start of 2020, even before the COVID-19 crisis. In this week’s episode, Meia is joined by Sarah Raine and Fabrice Pothier for a wide-ranging and in-depth discussion on how the EU’s political agenda has been impacted by the pandemic and what issues remain at the forefront of its policy priorities.Domestically, the EU has experienced profound disruption because of COVID-19. Fabrice and Sarah examine how European states and the EU have responded to the crisis, as well as what this disruption means for Germany’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. They also discuss the prospects and dynamics of upcoming UK–EU negotiations.The EU is also managing a busy foreign-policy portfolio. Fabrice and Sarah explore the EU’s complex relationship with China, which is at once a ‘systemic rival’ to the EU as well as its global ‘partner’. They also assess the state of transatlantic affairs, NATO and the possibility of French-led rapprochement with Russia. We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 2 July 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China has been expanding its economic and diplomatic reach in the Gulf for little over a decade, but should growing Gulf–China relations concern the United States? In this week’s episode, Camille Lons speaks with Antônio and Meia on the dynamics of China’s growing presence in the Gulf, how it has evolved in recent years and its limitations. At its core, China’s interest in the Gulf remains primarily economic rather than security driven. As a result, Gulf states will continue to look to the US as the region’s security guarantor. However, as Camille explains, the recent development of a Chinese base in Djibouti and increasing arms sales to the Gulf from China are significant additions in the Gulf–China relationship.Much will be determined by the post-COVID-19 recovery. Camille explains that the increasing diversity in China’s energy mix may in turn weaken revenues in the Gulf. It is not yet clear how Belt and Road Initiative projects in the region will be affected, but, with increasing collaboration on high-technology projects, China’s presence in the Gulf will likely continue to grow into the future.We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 23 June 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Japan was already heading towards economic difficulties before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world’s economy. How will Japan’s economy fare in the post-COVID period? And will it affect the country’s geostrategic and geo-economic ambitions? In this week’s episode, Meia discusses these questions with Robert Ward and Yuka Koshino.Robert explains that Japan will likely experience a severe economic shock in the post-COVID period. This will likely have negative implications for the re-election prospects of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but Robert asserts that Japan will seek to maintain its position as a counterbalance to China in the Asia-Pacific region.Yuka highlights the various defence concerns facing Japan, including an increasingly assertive China and a hostile regime in North Korea. She explains how Japan remains committed to the US alliance and engaged with regional and extra-regional partners.We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 16 June 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The profound economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led some to question the utility and necessity of traditional defence spending as a means of ensuring national security, especially in Europe. In this week’s episode of Sounds Strategic, Antônio speaks with Bastian Giegerich and Fenella McGerty on why defence spending remains important and the implications of the COVID-19 crisis for European defence projects, NATO and the future of the transatlantic relationship.Fenella explains how this current economic crisis is fundamentally different compared to the financial crisis in 2008–09 and why its impact on defence spending will be more complex as a result. Bastian argues that effective defence spending will be critical for Europe in the post-COVID period and highlights the challenges the EU and NATO will face if the US becomes a less reliable ally in the defence of Europe at a time of heightened global competition. We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 10 June 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode, Meia is joined by Lynn Kuok and Euan Graham for an in-depth discussion on what China’s activity in the South China Sea means for ASEAN, Australia, the US and Europe, and whether such actions are indicative of shifting geopolitical power dynamics.Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, China has maintained a constant presence in the South China Sea, even encroaching on the Exclusive Economic Zones of several Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Lynn explains the factors hindering ASEAN’s ability to curtail such Chinese activity and Euan assesses how Australia is adapting its foreign relations in response to China’s rising status within the international community.Meia, Lynn and Euan also consider the strategic implications of the new Chinese national security laws being imposed on Hong Kong and how they may impact China’s policy towards Taiwan and its foreign policy more broadly.We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Date of recording: 4 June 2020Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.