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Author: CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies

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A podcast unpacking critical issues underpinning China’s emergence as a global power.

173 Episodes
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In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Steve Tsang joins us to discuss his new book The Political Thought of Xi Jinping, coauthored with Dr. Olivia Cheung. Dr. Tsang explains that Xi Jinping thought is vastly different from the thought and practices of his predecessors, such as Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Core to Xi Jinping thought is the desire to achieve China’s national rejuvenation and the embracement of the “Tian Xia” concept of Chinese hegemony. Dr. Tsang points out that Xi seeks to position China in a more prominent role on the world stage. Dr. Tsang highlights that through Xi’s efforts to centralize the Communist Party under his control and to create an alternative to the US-led international order, Xi aims to reshape policy both within China and abroad. Finally, Dr. Tsang shares his thoughts on how best to deter Xi Jinping.   Dr. Steve Tsang is Professor of China Studies and Director of the China Institute, SOAS, London. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and an Emeritus Fellow of St Antony’s College at Oxford. He previously served as the Head of the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies and as Director of the China Policy Institute at the University of Nottingham. Before that he spent 29 years at Oxford University, where he earned his D.Phil. and worked as a Professorial Fellow, Dean, and Director of the Asian Studies Centre at St Antony’s College.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens joins us to discuss one of President Xi Jinping’s signature priorities: China’s national security. She delves into Xi's “Comprehensive National Security concept,” emphasizing its broad scope with over 20 different components, covering everything from border security to food security. Dr. Greitens discusses Xi Jinping’s preventive rather than reactive approach to security threats, in an attempt to treat what the CCP views as root causes to security issues rather than just the symptoms. Finally, Dr. Greitens explains how China’s views of national security influences how it exerts control at home and uses force abroad.  Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens is Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where she directs UT’s Asia Policy Program. Her research focuses on security, authoritarian politics, foreign policy, and East Asia. Currently, Dr. Greitens is on leave to serve as a Visiting Associate Professor of Research in Indo-Pacific Security at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute. She is also concurrently a Nonresident Scholar with the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Mr. Tuvia Gering joins us to discuss China’s strategy in the context of the Israel-Hamas war and the Red Sea crisis. He dissects the different views within China and the role China has played in both. He shares that China blames the United States for the war and that the PRC response to the region is informed by China’s desire to push back against the Western-led world order. Mr. Gering also discusses the politics behind the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the economic ramifications that have followed. Overall, China’s responses to both crises have been high on rhetoric and low on action. Finally, Mr. Gering warns of the possibility of broader escalation in the Middle east and the low likelihood of Chinese willingness to work with the United States.   Tuvia Gering is a nonresident fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, a researcher at the Diane & Guilford Glazer Foundation Israel-China Policy Center at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), and a Tikvah Fund’s Krauthammer fellow based in Jerusalem and specializing in Chinese security and foreign policy. Previously, he was a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) and the Israeli Chinese Media Center.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Matthew P. Funaiole and Mr. Brian Hart join us to discuss the work of Hidden Reach, a special initiative focused on analyzing China’s growing influence abroad. Ranging from China’s use of civilian research vessels to collection intelligence to its construction of ground stations in South America, Hidden Reach’s analysis explores “blind spots” that US media and policy have often overlooked. Funaiole and Hart discuss the key role that satellite imagery plays in open-source intelligence to tell the story of China’s expanding global influence and its implications. They dive into Hidden Reach’s existing work, with an eye towards future projects and the overarching goals of the initiative. Matthew P. Funaiole is vice president of iDeas Lab, Andreas C. Dracopoulos Chair in Innovation and senior fellow of China Power Project at the CSIS. He specializes in using data-driven research to unpack complex policy issues, specifically those related to Chinese foreign and security policy, cross-Strait relations, and maritime trade. From late 2015 through mid-2020, he was the principal researcher for the ChinaPower website. Prior to joining CSIS, Dr. Funaiole taught international relations and foreign policy analysis at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland, where he also completed his doctoral research. Brian Hart is a fellow with the China Power Project at CSIS and helps to lead Hidden Reach. Brian’s research focuses primarily on Chinese foreign and security policy, Chinese military modernization, U.S.-China relations, and Taiwan security issues. Prior to joining the China Power Project, he conducted research for the Project 2049 Institute, the Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS, and Trivium China. Brian earned his MA with honors in China studies and international economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and he received a graduate certificate in China studies from the SAIS Hopkins-Nanjing Center. He also received a BA with honors in politics and international affairs from Wake Forest University, where he graduated magna cum laude.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Mr. Hans Kristensen joins us to unravel the complexity of China’s expanding nuclear capabilities. Mr. Kristensen compares the composition of China’s nuclear stockpile to its global counterparts and analyzes China’s ongoing modernization campaign of its nuclear force in detail. Mr. Kristensen addresses the uncertainties surrounding China’s nuclear program and strategy, in particular the credibility of China’s long-held “no first use” policy. He dives into China’s potential escalation scenarios in the region and concludes by pointing out that he believes China could seek a nuclear war-fighting capability.  Mr. Hans M. Kristensen is director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, where he provides the public with analysis and background information about the status of nuclear forces and the role of nuclear weapons. Kristensen is co-author of the Nuclear Notebook column in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and the World Nuclear Forces overview in the SIPRI Yearbook. A leading expert on global nuclear weapon issues, Kristensen previously had a career spanning Greenpeace International, the Nautilus Institute, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Mr. Elbridge Colby joins us to discuss U.S. strategic competition with China. Mr. Colby stresses that he is most worried about the PRC military threat. He advocates focusing on Taiwan as a principal flashpoint and says the United States should “speak softly and carry a big stick” by equipping allies for military deterrence rather than focusing exclusively on economic deterrence. Colby further discusses the Biden administration’s approach, emphasizing that the United States should focus more carefully on not appearing to contain China.  He also shares that there is consensus among Republicans that China is a central challenge to the United States but there are debates within the party as to how much the U.S. should focus on China. He concludes by advocating for a shift towards prioritizing the PRC, both in terms of force planning and relationships with allies in the region. Elbridge A. Colby is the founder of the Marathon Initiative, a nonprofit that focuses on American preparedness for great power competition. He is also former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Strategy and Force Development at the Department of Defense during the Trump administration and was the co-lead for the development of the 2018 National Defense Strategy.  An expert on the challenges of strategic competition, Colby is also the author of The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict. This podcast was recorded on January 10, 2024.
On Thursday, October 5, 2023, the China Power Project held its eighth annual conference. The conference consisted of five separate debates by leading experts each taking a side on core issues underpinning China’s power. We will be releasing each of these debates as their own podcast throughout the holiday season. We will be back with our regularly scheduled debates in Mid-January 2024. For this debate, the proposition is “China's accelerated expansion of its nuclear arsenal represents a shift in China's nuclear strategy and doctrine.” Arguing for this proposition is Dr. Tong Zhao, who is a senior fellow at the Nuclear Policy Program and Carnegie China at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Arguing against this proposition is Dr. Fiona Cunningham who is an assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. To watch the debate recordings, read the transcripts, or view the live or twitter polling, visit our website at https://chinapower.csis.org/chinas-power-up-for-debate-2023/.
On Thursday, October 5, 2023, the China Power Project held its eighth annual conference. The conference consisted of five separate debates by leading experts each taking a side on core issues underpinning China’s power. We will be releasing each of these debates as their own podcast throughout the holiday season. We will be back with our regularly scheduled debates in Mid-January 2024.  For this debate, the proposition is “the United States and China are locked in a new cold war.” Arguing for this proposition is Dr. Michael Beckley, who is the director of the Asia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, an associate professor at Tufts University, and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Arguing against this proposition is Dr. Arne Westad, who is a professor at the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University.  To watch the debate recordings, read the transcripts, or view the live or twitter polling, visit our website at https://chinapower.csis.org/chinas-power-up-for-debate-2023/.
On Thursday, October 5, 2023, the China Power Project held its eighth annual conference. The conference consisted of five separate debates by leading experts each taking a side on core issues underpinning China’s power. We will be releasing each of these debates as their own podcast throughout the holiday season. We will be back with our regularly scheduled debates in Mid-January 2024. For this debate, the proposition is “China is more likely to blockade Taiwan than invade the island in the next ten years” Arguing for this proposition is Mr. Lonnie Henley, who is a senior fellow for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Arguing against this proposition is Dr. Phil Saunders, who is the director of the Center for the Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defense University. To watch the debate recordings, read the transcripts, or view the live or twitter polling, visit our website at https://chinapower.csis.org/chinas-power-up-for-debate-2023/.
On Thursday, October 5, 2023, the China Power Project held its eighth annual conference. The conference consisted of five separate debates by leading experts each taking a side on core issues underpinning China’s power. We will be releasing each of these debates as their own podcast throughout the holiday season. We will be back with our regularly scheduled debates in Mid-January, 2024. For this discussion, the proposition is “Xi Jinping has signaled that reunification with Taiwan is a legacy issue that he must achieve during his term in office.” The first speaker for this discussion is Ms. Bonnie Glaser, who is the managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund. The second speaker is Mr. Chad Sbragia, who is a research staff member at the Institute for Defense Analysis and is the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for China at the Department of Defense.  To watch the debate recordings, read the transcripts, or view the live or twitter polling, visit our website at https://chinapower.csis.org/chinas-power-up-for-debate-2023/.
On Thursday, October 5, 2023, the China Power Project held its eighth annual conference. The conference consisted of five separate debates by leading experts each taking a side on core issues underpinning China’s power. We will be releasing each of these debates as their own podcast throughout the holiday season. We will be back with our regularly scheduled debates in Mid-January 2024. For the first debate, the proposition is “the United States and China are making progress in creating a “floor” in U.S.-China relations to manage tensions and crises.” Arguing for this proposition is Mr. Rick Waters who is the managing director of the China Practice at the Eurasia Group. Arguing against is Mr. Dan Blumenthal who is a senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute. To watch the debate recordings, read the transcripts, or view the live or twitter polling, visit our website at https://chinapower.csis.org/chinas-power-up-for-debate-2023/.
This podcast episode is a joint and cross-over episode between the CSIS ChinaPower Podcast and the German Marshall Fund’s China Global Podcast. We are joined by Bonnie Glaser, Jessica Chen Weiss, and Thomas Christensen to discuss their recently released article titled “Taiwan and the True Sources of Deterrence.” The authors underline the article’s key point, that assurances, alongside threats, are an integral part of effective deterrence. They emphasize that in order for deterrence to work, the threat of punishment must be not only credible but also conditional. Finally, the authors outline what actions each of the three actors- the U.S., China, and Taiwan- should take to effectively convey assurances to one another. Ms. Bonnie Glaser is the managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific program. She is also a nonresident fellow with the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, and a senior associate with the Pacific Forum. She was previously senior adviser for Asia and the director of the China Power Project at CSIS. Ms. Glaser has worked at the intersection of Asia-Pacific geopolitics and U.S. policy for more than three decades. Dr. Jessica Chen Weiss is a professor for China and Asia-Pacific Studies in the Department of Government at Cornell University. She was previously an assistant professor at Yale University and founded the Forum for American/Chinese Exchange at Stanford University. Formerly, Dr. Weiss served as senior advisor to the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. State Department on a Council on Foreign Relations Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars. Dr. Thomas Christensen is a professor of Public and International Affairs and Director of the China and World Program at Columbia University. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs with responsibility for relations with China, Taiwan, and Mongolia. His research and teaching focus is on China’s foreign relations, the international relations of East Asia, and international security.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Mr. July Amador to discuss the Philippines’s view of the recent escalation of tensions in the South China Sea and China’s behavior in the waters and beyond. Mr. Amador dives into China’s coercive tactics in the Second Thomas Shoal and the Scarborough Shoal and its repeated violations of international law in those areas. He speaks to China’s advantages in resources and the staying power it possesses, giving it an edge over the Philippines and other regional actors. Mr. Amador highlights the need for collective action by the international community to condemn China’s actions and further bolster support and resources for the Philippines.  July Amador is executive director of the Philippine-American Educational Foundation. Previously, he was a civil servant in the Philippine government working on foreign affairs and national security. He continues to be active in Track 1.5 and Track 2 diplomacy and specializes on Philippine foreign policy and national security, US-Philippine alliance, and regional security.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Dawn Murphy to discuss China’s engagement with the global south, particularly the Middle East. Murphy lays out drivers of China’s engagement with the Middle East, which includes securing access to resources and markets and obtaining support for PRC policies. At the same time, China is building an alternative order in the Middle East, deepening relations with regional actors across the board. She argues that Beijing’s approach towards the Israel-Hamas conflict is consistent with its prior positions on tensions in the region. She explains that despite China’s growing influence in the region, it is not clear Beijing believes it can or should do more to end the Israel-Hamas conflict aside from facilitating dialogue among regional stakeholders. Beijing is unlikely to use its leverage to pressure Iran or other actors. Finally, she notes that China benefits from a stable and peaceful Middle East and there is potential for the United States and China to find common ground. Washington should understand the limits of Beijing’s willingness to become involved. Dr. Dawn Murphy is the author of the book “China’s Rise in the Global South: The Middle East, Africa, and Beijing’s Alternative World Order.” Dr. Murphy is an associate professor of National Security Strategy at the U.S. National War College. She specializes in Chinese foreign policy and domestic politics and U.S.-China relations. Her research analyzes China’s interests as a rising global power and its behavior towards the existing international order.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Daniel Kliman to discuss the new special report released by the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, titled How the People’s Republic of China Seeks to Reshape the Global Information Environment. Dr. Kliman underscored PRC ambitions for controlling the global information landscape and what that means for the U.S. and its allies. Dr. Kliman also shines light on specific PRC tactics, including five different ways China engages in information manipulation. Finally, he highlights how the United States is working with key allies and partners.  Dr. Daniel Kliman is the director of the Global Engagement Center’s China Division. Previously, he worked in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, where he served as Senior Advisor for Asia Integration. He was the former Program Director and Senior Fellow for the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. He has also worked at the German Marshall Fund as a Senior Advisor with the Asia Program. Dan is an expert in Asia-Pacific strategy, with a particular focus on U.S. competition with China.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Ilaria Mazzocco to discuss China’s booming automotive industry. Ilaria explains that the Chinese government’s support for the industry plays a big role in its rapid developments. She also unpacks the growing popularity of Chinese-manufactured vehicles and Chinese car brands. Finally, Ilaria highlights the need for the United States and the European Commission to provide incentives for their companies to be more innovative to compete with the Chinese auto industry. Dr. Ilaria Mazzocco is a senior fellow with the Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at CSIS. Prior to joining CSIS, she was a senior research associate at the Paulson Institute, where she led research on Chinese climate and energy policy for Macropolo, the institute’s think tank. She holds a PhD from the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where her dissertation investigated Chinese industrial policy by focusing on electric vehicle promotion efforts and the role of local governments.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Ian Johnson to discuss his new book Sparks: China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future, which sheds light on China’s dissident journals and historians. Ian explains that Xi Jinping has made shaping narratives of history one of his signature priorities. He further explains how underground historians are still fighting to control the understanding of Chinese history and, with time, could shape the future trajectory of their country. Johnson urges Western intellectuals to engage with these Chinese historians and to understand the diversity of views within China. Ian Johnson is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and is an expert on Chinese politics, society, and religion. He has lived more than twenty years in China as a student, journalist, and teacher. His work appears regularly in The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, and other publications, and for five years he was on the editorial board of The Journal of Asian Studies.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by David Logan and Phil Saunders, who’ve recently co-authored a new report titled Discerning the Drivers of China’s Nuclear Force Development: Models, Indicators, and Data. They lay out the six models developed in the report and explain which models are the most compelling for explaining China’s behavior. Dr. Logan dives into the expansion in size, structure, and capabilities of China’s nuclear stockpile in the last 10 years but highlights the fact that there has been no official announcement on China’s reasoning for this build-up. In the context of this expansion, Dr. Saunders points out that China is showing signs that its nuclear strategy could be shifting, and he notes that the prospects of strategic arms control have become more complicated. Dr. David Logan is an Assistant Professor of Security Studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He previously taught in the National Security Affairs Department at the Naval War College and conducted research for the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defense University, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the Office of Net Assessment. His research focuses on nuclear weapons, arms control, deterrence, and the U.S.-China security relationship. Dr. Phil Saunders is Director of the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the National Defense University. He previously worked at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, where he served as Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program and taught courses on Chinese politics, Chinese foreign policy, and East Asian security. He has conducted research and consulted on East Asian security issues, as well as Asia policy issues.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Eric Huang and Fei-fan Lin. Representing the Kuomintang (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) respectively, they share their views on the upcoming 2024 Taiwan presidential election and Vice President Lai’s recent U.S. transit. They shed insight on the political agendas of the two parties and speak to approaches the candidates may take on cross-Strait relations. Both guests highlight the basis for a dialogue with China that each candidate proposes and provide the audience with pointers of what to pay attention to as the elections approach.  Eric Huang is currently a Mason Fellow at Harvard University, where he is pursing a masters in Public Administration. Previously, he served as the Spokesperson for the KMT and then as Deputy Director of the International Affairs Department. He was appointed as the KMT Deputy Representative in the United States and was an adjunct lecturer at Taiwan’s Tamkang University. Eric received his master’s degree in International Political Economy at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and was a visiting fellow at CSIS earlier this year. Fei-fan Lin is a board member of the New Frontier Foundation, the official think tank of the DPP in Taiwan. He was a student activist who led the Sunflower Movement in 2014 and joined the DPP as the party’s Deputy Secretary-General in 2019. He received his master’s degree in Political Science from National Taiwan University and was also a visiting fellow at CSIS earlier this year.
In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown to discuss China’s role in the fentanyl epidemic. Dr. Felbab-Brown explains that the fentanyl crisis is not just confined to the U.S. but has spread throughout North America as well as the rest of the globe. She unpacks the Chinese government’s approach to this issue and the conflicts it faces with trafficking networks. Moving forward, Dr. Felbab-Brown underscores the opportunity for the United States to engage with other countries to tackle this problem collaboratively.  Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She is the director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and acted as a senior advisor to the congressionally-mandated Afghanistan Peace Process Study Group. Dr. Felbab-Brown is an expert on international and internal conflicts and nontraditional security threats, including insurgency, organized crime, urban violence, and illicit economies.
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Comments (3)

Dirk Wijns

For a non-native English listener, it is practically impossible to listen to the interviewee in this episode at normal speed.

Jul 29th
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Listener

try ontyline loopnkkkoookkiulJim mine or is orounoinkrhounoinklunullghlylnmjunj pluiljiijhi ikfine c cooling l uh johns popolo poop pplpp

May 24th
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Mark Powelson

Fantastic summary of the issues. Concise, understandable. No jargon. Thank you!!

Jun 28th
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