Chinapower

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Tong Zhao joins us to discuss China’s views on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the potential lessons China may learn. Dr. Zhao begins by describing the evolution of Chinese reactions to the invasion, from optimism of its impacts on China to uncertainty. He says that, in China, there is a common perception that Russia and Ukraine are comparable to China and Taiwan. Dr. Zhao then explains that the West’s comprehensive sanctions against Russia and military support for Ukraine reinforce China’s fear that the West seeks to strangle countries with different political systems. Finally, Dr. Zhao discusses how the invasion of Ukraine might change the global geopolitical landscape, and that he thinks the invasion will significantly impact China’s foreign policy going forward.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Mr. Kenneth W. Allen, Mr. Gerald C. Brown, and Mr. Thomas J. Shattuck to discuss China’s People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) flight incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). They first define the PLA’s incursions as a tactic for China to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty and explain how such actions impact China and Taiwan’s policy goals. They reveal that the PLA launches these incursions to serve as punishment and intimidation when it is dissatisfied with Taiwan’s policies or engagement with the international community. Additionally, they note that these sorties are far from replicating the amount of air power or coordination that China would need to launch an invasion of Taiwan. However, they also point out that it is likely future PLA incursions will grow in sophistication as China sees the importance of air superiority in the Ukraine conflict. Lastly, they assess that there is no evidence so far that China is taking advantage of

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Charles Edel joins us to unpack the relationship between Australia and China. Dr. Edel begins by navigating key moments of closeness and tension in the China-Australia relationship. In terms of policies towards China, he highlights the moderate approach of the Australian business community versus the more forward-leaning approach from the Australian government and the public. He notes that when faced with great economic pressure, “Australian businesses were able to diversify and find other markets quickly”. Dr. Edel also examines Australia’s participation in AUKUS and the Quad. He explains that Australia believes it needs to build up power projection capabilities, especially as China increases its presence in the Indo-Pacific. He adds that Australia’s response to Chinese coercion demonstrates to China that not all countries will fold to its pressure. Additionally, he explains that China’s closeness to Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine propels an overarching neg

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Rana Siu Inboden joins us to discuss China’s role and influence in the international human rights regime. Dr. Inboden begins by explaining how China’s views on human rights have evolved starting with Mao, through the Tiananmen Square massacre, and now under Xi Jinping. She argues that, while the West emphasizes civil and political rights, China focuses on and favors economic rights, especially the right to development. In addition, she adds that China believes human rights should be contingent based on a country’s national conditions. Dr. Inboden also describes how, in the 1990s, China joined other countries to form the Like-Minded Group, a group of authoritarian countries that believe human rights are particular to each country and has traditionally acted together to weaken the international human rights regime. Lastly, she breaks down how China has succeeded in diminishing the work of the UN Human Rights Council and suppressing its own activists from participat

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Rajeswari (Raji) Pillai Rajagopalan joins us to unpack the changing relationship between India and China. Dr. Rajagopalan begins by describing India’s view of China, emphasizing India’s continued wish for a stable and normalized relationship with China, despite conflicts that arise. She explains that China’s growing economic power and influence in India’s neighboring countries have heightened India’s insecurity and tension between the two countries. Furthermore, Dr. Rajagopalan discusses the fundamental differences in Chinese and Indian strategic objectives, specifically their goals for power dynamics in Asia. Additionally, she identifies the 2020 Galwan Valley skirmish as a turning point in the India-China relationship, arguing that China’s actions have shown that India can no longer afford to carry out ambivalence in its foreign policy. Lastly, Dr. Rajagopalan cautions India from relying too heavily on Russia for defense capabilities and urges the country to di

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Joseph Torigian joins us to discuss the historic and strategic dimensions of the China-Russia relationship. Dr. Torigian begins by describing the evolution of the China-Soviet relationship from its height as a formal alliance during the Cold War, to ideological disagreement, and then strategic competition. He explains how differences in perception led to mixed signals and Mao Zedong’s distrust of Soviet leadership and intentions. Dr. Torigian also discusses how China and Russia gradually repaired their relationship following the end of the Cold War. He argues that, through the anomalous relationship between President Xi and President Putin, both countries share a common set of perceptions and have aligned themselves strategically and flexibly. Lastly, Dr. Torigian explores how the relationship may evolve, the effects of remaining tensions, and the forces that are pushing both countries towards continued strategic alignment.    Dr. Joseph Torigian is an Assistant

In this episode of ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Economy joins us to discuss President Xi Jinping’s vision for China. Dr. Economy emphasizes the transformative aspect of Xi’s vision and his goal of not only changing the international system at the margins but also transforming China’s role on the global stage. She discusses the importance Xi places on sovereignty and power, explaining the influence this has on China’s actions in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the South China Sea. Furthermore, she argues that China’s behavior today and ambitions for the future are a direct result of Xi’s leadership. She points out that while his initiatives echo the ideas of past leaders, Xi has transformed them into policies. His willingness to embrace risk has largely allowed him to achieve his objectives, she says, but in some instances it has instead created international backlash and resistance. Lastly, Dr. Economy explores the integration of public and private sectors that needs to take place to manage competition with China

This special episode of the ChinaPower Podcast is the sixth of six featuring the audio from the China Power Project’s sixth annual conference. The third debate took place on December 17, 2021 and featured two experts debating the following proposition: “Given China’s growing power, China will have a sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific by 2027..”   China is increasingly utilizing its growing diplomatic, economic, and military power to shape developments along its periphery. Beijing has pushed in recent years to advance its economic agenda through the Belt and Road Initiative, and it has frequently sought to coerce countries through targeted economic and trade actions. China has also used its growing military power to assert its interests amid sovereignty and territorial disputes with a number of its neighbors. Yet Chinese officials have repeatedly emphasized that China is not seeking to establish a sphere of influence in the region, and instead is seeking to foster stability and economic growth in the Indo

This special episode of the ChinaPower Podcast is the fifth of six featuring the audio from the China Power Project’s sixth annual conference. This keynote took place on December 14, 2021 and featured US Senator Steve Daines’ discussion of Congress’ outlook on the challenges and opportunities posed by China’s growing power.   Senator Daines has served as a U.S. Senator for Montana since 2015. He is currently the Co-Chair of the Senate US-China Working Group, which works to strengthen U.S. dialogue with China through monthly briefings to share expertise from key business, academic, and political leaders. In addition, Senator Daines is a Commissioner on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which works to establish a framework of relations with China on a wide variety of issues such as human rights, civil society, and rule of law. He also serves on the Senate Committees on Finance, Banking Housing and Urban Affairs; Energy and Natural Resources; and Indian Affairs.   This event is made possible by th

This special episode of the ChinaPower Podcast is the fourth of six featuring the audio from the China Power Project’s sixth annual conference. The third debate took place on December 14, 2021, and featured two experts debating the following proposition: “Within the next two years, China will establish itself as the most influential external power within Afghanistan.”   Following the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, China has taken measures to support the new Taliban-controlled government, including keeping its embassy open, donating vaccines and aid, and engaging in high-level diplomatic meetings with Taliban officials. Some experts and military strategists believe these actions are signs that Beijing seeks to bring Afghanistan more deeply into its geopolitical orbit. Some envision a future in which Afghanistan stands as a major partner in China’s Belt-and-Road Initiative and the Taliban closely cooperates with Beijing on national security issues such as terrorism. However, others believe China wi

This special episode of the ChinaPower Podcast is the third of six featuring the audio from the China Power Project’s sixth annual conference. The second debate took place on December 6, 2021 and featured two experts debating the following proposition: Beijing’s crackdown on technology firms will significantly stifle Chinese technological and scientific innovation.    Over the last year, Beijing initiated a sweeping crackdown and regulatory reform campaign targeting major technology firms. The Chinese government not only intervened to stop Chinese technology companies from listing abroad, but also issued steep fines and put in place new laws and regulations aimed at controlling the flow of data. While some analysts believe these crackdowns will deter technology investors and stifle innovation in China, others forecast that the crackdown may ultimately improve the innovative capabilities of Chinese companies and outweigh any short-term drawbacks.  Mr. Matt Sheehan, a Fellow for the Asia Program at the Carnegi

This special episode of the ChinaPower Podcast is the second of six featuring the audio from the China Power Project’s sixth annual conference. This keynote took place on December 1, 2021 and featured Secretary Christine Wormuth’s discussion of the US Army’s view of the China challenge.   Secretary Wormuth was sworn into her current position in May 2021, becoming the first woman to serve as the US Army Secretary. Prior to this position, Secretary Wormuth served in numerous leadership roles at the Pentagon, including Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Force Development. She was also Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Defense at the National Security Council during the Obama administration. Outside of government, Secretary Wormuth was formerly the director of the RAND Corporation’s International Security and Defense Policy Center, as well as a Senior Fellow at CSIS.   This event was made possible by generous support of the

This special episode of the ChinaPower podcast is the first of six featuring the audio from the China Power Project’s sixth annual conference. The first debate took place on November 19, 2021 and featured two experts debating the following proposition: The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the timeline by which China will surpass the United States to become the world’s leading economic power.   The Covid-19 pandemic ended the longest recorded economic expansion in United States history. China suffered its own historic slowdown during the initial Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, but the impacts were less severe. As a result, some have argued that the pandemic has sped up the timeline by which China will overtake the United States to become the world’s preeminent economic power. Others have argued that Beijing’s handling of the pandemic’s economic fallout has failed to put China on solid economic footing in the long-term.  Dr. Yao Yang, Professor at the China Center for Economic Research and the National School of D

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, US Representative Ami Bera joins us to discuss Congress’ view of China’s growing power. Rep. Bera explains that China has been an issue of bipartisan agreement in the US House of Representatives, Senate, and the Biden administration. Specifically, he says there is bipartisan support for Taiwan, the One China Policy, and the Taiwan Relations Act, and notes that there are more varying opinions on issues such as cooperating with China on climate change. Rep. Bera also examines how Congress views Afghanistan, the South China Sea, and Taiwan, and justifies the need to increase Taiwan’s participation in the international community. He argues that the best way for the US to compete with China is to invest domestically, specifically on issues related to infrastructure and immigration. Lastly, Rep. Bera describes a potential rocky future in US-China relations and explains that healthy competition between the two nations could improve both countries.  

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Ms. Jessica Ludwig and Mr. Kevin Sheives join us to discuss China’s sharp power. Ms. Ludwig and Mr. Sheives first define sharp power and contrast it with other forms of influence, such as soft and hard power. They also explain notable differences between China’s sharp power strategy toward mature democracies and developing nations. They argue that a clear line between China’s domestic propaganda and global media projections does not exist, and that China has emerged as a trendsetter in sharp power that can take advantage of younger democracies’ inability to recognize propaganda and disinformation. Ms. Ludwig and Mr. Sheives also analyze the dynamics of China’s sharp power at work through foreign media partnerships and social media disinformation campaigns. They then contrast the sharp power strategies of authoritarian governments, such as Russia and China, explaining that China attempts to buttress its global image while Russia seeks to foment social upheaval abroad.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Joanna Lewis joins us to discuss China’s commitment to addressing climate change. Dr. Lewis provides an overview of major domestic and international policies that China has implemented to combat climate change, including its dual-carbon goals, newly launched emissions trading scheme, and commitment to end new coal-fired financing abroad. She emphasizes that China is a crucial player not just in international climate negotiations, but also in the global effort to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Dr. Lewis also assesses China’s role in the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow and discusses how China’s performance impacted international progress in combating climate change and China’s desire to be seen as a global leader on climate issues. Lastly, Dr. Lewis highlights the new joint working group between the U.S. and China as an important step in making meaningful progress on climate change during an era of strategic competition betwee

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Mr. Ryan Fedasiuk joins us to discuss the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) efforts to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Mr. Fedasiuk explains the findings of his new report, which analyzes critical AI defense industry suppliers to the PLA and the implications for China’s ability to compete with the US on AI defense technology. Mr. Fedasiuk says AI technology will be central to the PLA’s goal of becoming a “world-class” military force and for preparing the PLA for “intelligentized” warfare. In addition, Mr. Fedasiuk argues that through AI technology, the PLA has the potential to compensate for areas where it has historically been vulnerable, such as undersea warfare. He also discusses PLA’s procurement of different AI technologies, including intelligent autonomous vehicles. Lastly, he explains that only a small portion of identified AI suppliers to the PLA are subject to US export controls or sanctions regimes, and he analyzes the corresponding policy imp

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Professor William Kirby joins us to examine the changing dynamics in the US-China educational relationship. Professor Kirby explains that education has been one of the central parts of US-China relations since the 1870s and has internationalized education in the US. Professor Kirby describes the origins of China’s top universities, noting that many were created in partnership with the United States. He also argues that academic exchanges have benefitted American universities by attracting international talent. In addition, Professor Kirby says the United States needs to promote the learning of the Chinese language and study abroad in China to balance the number of Chinese students studying in America. Lastly, Professor Kirby recommends that the Biden administration should restart the Fulbright Program and re-open previously closed Chinese consulates, and highlights the importance of academic exchanges in maintaining connections with China.   Professor William Kirby i

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. David Finkelstein joins us to discuss the PLA’s new joint doctrine and how it will impact China’s military modernization. Dr. Finkelstein describes his research process behind his new report and predicts the major new components of the doctrine. He argues that the concept of an integrated joint force represents a major doctrinal development within the PLA and is a response to a paradigm shift in how warfighting is conducted in an information-centric era. In addition, Dr. Finkelstein emphasizes how the joint doctrine will enhance the PLA’s abilities to engage in all types of military operations, including high-end conventional operations. Lastly, Dr. Finkelstein analyzes the possible internal and external challenges the PLA will face when implementing the new doctrine, and how this timeline aligns with China’s military modernization goals for 2027, 2035, and 2049.   Dr. Finkelstein is a vice president of the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) and director of CNA’s Ch

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Mr. Daniel H. Rosen to examine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on China’s economic power. Mr. Rosen describes the variables that contribute to China’s economic power and recounts how China’s economy was initially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. He also discusses the primary measures the Chinese government took to rejuvenate its economy and evaluates which measures were the most significant. In addition, he evaluates the prospects of Chinese economic growth (both quarterly and yearly) and analyzes the various scenarios that may arise. Lastly, Mr. Rosen explains the potential impact of the Chinese Communist Party’s “Common Prosperity” political campaign on China’s economic growth.     Mr. Daniel H. Rosen is a founding partner of Rhodium Group and leads the firm’s work on China, India and Asia. Mr. Rosen has twenty-six years of professional experience analyzing China’s economy, commercial sector and external interactions. He is widely recognized