Chinapower

This episode evaluates China’s progress in the global endeavor to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions and investing in green technology. Our guest, Ms. Barbara Finamore, explains Beijing’s current climate change policies and their role in China’s national priorities like the Belt and Road Initiative. She also looks ahead to how China might continue advancing clean energy at home while playing a growing role in international climate change initiatives. Ms. Barbara Finamore is Senior Strategic Director for Asia and the founder of the China program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, focusing on climate, clean energy, and urban solutions in China. Ms. Finamore also served as president and chair of the Professional Association for China's Environment (PACE) and is the co-founder and president of the China-U.S. Energy Innovation Alliance.  

This episode investigates the evolving political and economic circumstances surrounding Chinese telecommunications company Huawei and its attempts to integrate its technology in global markets. Our guest, Dr. James Lewis, explores the growing concerns in the US and some of its democratic allies about Huawei, as well as the decisions by countries like the UK to adopt Huawei technology. Dr. Lewis also discusses Huawei’s relationship with the Chinese government and the diplomatic fallout between Beijing and Washington over the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.   Dr. James Lewis is a senior vice president and director of the Technology Policy Program at CSIS. Before joining CSIS, he worked at the Departments of State and Commerce as a Foreign Service officer and as a member of the Senior Executive Service. His current research examines the effect of technology on warfare and how the Internet has changed politics.  

This episode explores current developments in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the lead-up to the second Belt and Road Forum. Our guest, Mr. Jonathan Hillman, discusses the BRI’s current projects and financing, including recent backlash and scrutiny from partner countries. Mr. Hillman also details the approach the U.S. is taking toward the initiative in the face of recent agreements on the BRI between other democratic nations and China. Jonathan Hillman is a senior fellow with the Simon Chair in Political Economy and director of the Reconnecting Asia Project at CSIS. His research focuses on the intersection of economics and foreign policy, including trade, globalization, economic statecraft, and China’s BRI. Prior to joining CSIS, he served as a policy adviser at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.  

This episode explores China’s ambitions to reform and influence global governance, and the resulting effects on the international system. Our guest, Dr. Melanie Hart, discusses the main takeaways from her February 2019 co-authored report titled Mapping China’s Global Governance Ambitions. She analyzes China’s intentions behind its challenges to the liberal international order, and the role that democracies can play in preserving the democratic principles that currently shape global governance. Dr. Melanie Hart is a senior fellow and director of China Policy at the Center for American Progress. Her research focuses on U.S. foreign policy toward China, particularly around issues of energy, climate change, and cross-border investment. Dr. Hart currently serves on the board of the American Mandarin Society, as well as a charter member of the East Coast Advancement Committee of the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego and a member of the National Committe

This episode assesses China’s development of unmanned systems, especially its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their role in China’s military capacity and international commercial export markets. Our guest, Mr. Tate Nurkin, analyzes the impact of UAVs on new military and security practices in China. He also provides insight into how Chinese drone manufacturers such as DJI have been able to dominate the commercial UAV market. Tate Nurkin is the founder of OTH Intelligence Group LLC and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Brent Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council. Mr. Nurkin spent 12 years at Jane’s by IHS Markit and also has previously worked for Joint Management Services, the Strategic Assessment Center of SAIC, and the Modeling, Simulation, Wargaming, and Analysis team of Booz Allen Hamilton. His research and analysis focuses on China’s military modernization and technology development, US-China competition, and the global defense industry.  

This episode explores China’s new-energy vehicle (NEV) market and draws from the November 2018 CSIS report entitled China’s Risky Drive into New-Energy Vehicles. We are joined by the author of the report, Dr. Scott Kennedy, who examines the strategic and economic motivations behind Beijing’s prioritization of NEVs. Dr. Kennedy discusses the positive results of China becoming the world’s largest NEV market, as well as issues the industry faces in China, such as overcapacity, environmental ramifications, and the challenges posed by international competitors. He also offers his assessment of how the industry will evolve and China’s role moving forward. Dr. Scott Kennedy is a senior adviser of the Freeman Chair in China Studies and director of Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at CSIS. Prior to joining CSIS, he was a professor at Indiana University (IU) for over 14 years. His work focuses on China’s economic policy and its global economic relations, including industrial policy, technology innovati

This episode examines recent developments in Sino-Russian relations and the effects on the United States. Our guest, Mr. Alexander Gabuev, explains the impetus behind the growing geostrategic and military collaborations between China and Russia. He discusses how mutual economic interests and close relations between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have strengthened and diversified the partnership between the two countries. Mr. Gabuev also evaluates critical areas of political and economic friction in the relationship, including the protection of technology and intellectual property, management of influence in Central Asia, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.   Mr. Alexander Gabuev is a senior fellow and the chair of the Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. He is a Munich Young Leader of the Munich International Security Conference as well as a member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy (Russia). His research is focused on Russia’s policy toward East and Southeast Asia, pol

This episode explores the relationship between China and the current postwar international order, drawing from the RAND Corporation’s May 2018 report titled China and the International Order. Our guest and the report’s co-author, Mr. Timothy Heath, analyzes China’s perceived challenges to the current order, including the development of multilateral institutions like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as policies like the Belt and Road Initiative. He also details policy recommendations for US strategy toward China and how China’s approach to the international order may evolve in the future. Mr. Timothy Heath is a senior international defense research analyst at the RAND Corporation in Washington DC. Prior to joining RAND, he served as the senior analyst for the USPACOM China Strategic Focus Group for five years. He has extensive experience analyzing China's national strategy, politics, ideology, and military, as well as Asian regional security developments.

This episode examines recent developments in Southeast Asian attitudes toward competing great powers in the region, especially China and the US, and what it might mean for the future of ASEAN’s ties with these actors. Our guest, Dr. Tang Siew Mun, explains the factors behind the results of his organization’s recent survey titled “State of Southeast Asia: 2019.” He discusses the respondents’ views on the reemergence of Chinese influence in the region, potential roles for powers such as Japan and the EU, and uncertainty about US commitment to and staying power in the region. Dr. Tang also explores the role of projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative, and how perspectives toward the regional players may change moving forward. Dr. Tang Siew Mun is the Head of the ASEAN Studies Centre and a Senior Fellow at the Regional Strategic and Political Studies program at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. He was previously Director for Foreign Policy and Security Studies at the Institute of Strategic and In

This episode explores the major defeat of the ruling DPP in Taiwan’s recent nine-in-one local elections and what these results mean for the future of cross-Strait relations. Our guest, Dr. Shelley Rigger, explains the current economic and political climate in Taiwan and provides insights into the economic drivers that helped KMT candidates win 15 of Taiwan’s 22 mayoral and county magistrate seats. She also examines Beijing’s response to the election results and how it may use the DPP’s loss to its advantage. Dr. Shelley Rigger is the Brown Professor of East Asian Politics in the Department of Political Science at Davidson College. She was previously a visiting associate professor at Fudan University in Shanghai as well as a visiting research scholar at National Chengchi University in Taipei. Dr. Rigger has written extensively on Taiwan and cross-Strait relations.

This episode explores the significant increase in friction between the United States and China since the Trump administration came to power in 2017, and analyzes the implications for both countries and the rest of the world. Our guest, Dr. Wu Xinbo, examines the issues in the bilateral relationship where both sides do not see eye to eye, such as trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the international order. He also offers his views on the essence of US-China competition and the future trajectory of bilateral ties.   Dr. Wu Xinbo is Professor and Dean at the Institute of International Studies, and Director at the Center for American Studies, at Fudan University. He teaches and researches China’s foreign and security policy, Sino-US relations, and US Asia-Pacific policy. Dr. Wu is on the editorial board of The Washington Quarterly and European Journal of International Security, and on the International Advisory Board of International Affairs.

This episode explores the rapid modernization of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and its growing naval capacity. Our guest, Dr. Andrew Erickson, explains the motivations behind this effort as well as the most recent capabilities of the PLAN’s expanding naval fleet. He also discusses the synergies between commercial and military shipbuilding in China and revisits the current state of China’s aircraft carrier program, which he discussed with ChinaPower several years ago. Dr. Andrew Erickson is a Professor of Strategy in the U.S. Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute. He is the author of a study published in 2017 titled Chinese Naval Shipbuilding: An Ambitious and Uncertain Course. Since 2008, Dr. Erickson has been an Associate in Research at Harvard University’s John King Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. He is also a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  

This episode explores the current state of cross-Strait relations between Taiwan and mainland China, as well as the Trump administration’s approach to this complex relationship. Our guest, Dr. Richard Bush, explains how and why the relationship has deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, as well as how her approach to relations with Beijing differs from that of former President Ma Ying-jeou. Dr. Bush also examines the unique role that the US plays in the present-day relationship, in light of its ongoing trade war with Beijing yet lack of official diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Dr. Richard Bush is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and holds The Michael H. Armacost Chair and Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies in the Center for East Asia Policy Studies (CEAP). He also holds a joint appointment as a senior fellow in the Brookings John L. Thornton China Center. Dr. Bush is the author of a number of books and articles on China’s relations with its neighbors, partic

This episode explores China’s approach to the Central and Eastern Europe region through its 16+1 mechanism, which brings together eleven EU member states, five Balkan countries, and China. Our guest, Justyna Szczudlik, explains China’s political and economic goals in the region and describes the major outcomes of the recent 16+1 Summit in Bulgaria. She also examines the appeal of the Belt and Road Initiative to different European countries and analyzes the potential effects of China’s “one size fits all” approach to the various 16+1 participants.   Justyna Szczudlik is Head of the Asia-Pacific Programme and a China analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Warsaw, MA in Chinese Studies from the University of Warsaw, and MA in Political Science from the University of Wroclaw. Dr. Szczudlik’s research focuses on China’s foreign policy, especially China-Central and Eastern Europe relations including China-Poland relations.

This episode explores the latest developments in China’s relationship with India, especially how the relationship has evolved since the Doklam border standoff in 2017. Our guest, Dr. Jagannath Panda, explains the lessons each side learned from the Doklam incident and evaluates Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s China policy. He also analyzes how India has attempted to avoid conflict with China, even as contentious issues persist such as border disputes, the Dalai Lama, and China’s expanding presence in the Indian Ocean.   Dr. Jagannath Panda is a Research Fellow and Coordinator of the East Asia Centre at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, India. He has written extensively on East and South Asia as well as India-China relations. Dr. Panda has held fellowships at the Ministry of Unification (Republic of Korea), the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the Shanghai Institute of International Studies.

This episode explores the evolving relationship between China and Africa, especially the 53 African states that participate in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Our guest, Professor Chris Alden, joins us to discuss the outcomes of the most recent FOCAC Summit, as well as China’s role as an infrastructure financier on the continent. He also examines the growing importance of security issues in Sino-African relations and envisions how the China-Africa relationship may develop in the future. Professor Chris Alden is a Professor in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and is a Senior Research Fellow with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). He has written numerous books and articles in internationally recognized journals, and most recently co-edited China and Africa – Building Peace and Security Cooperation on the Continent. Prof. Alden has held fellowships at institutions including Cambridge University, the Institute of Social Scie

This episode explores the relationship between China and the European Union’s 28 member states, as well as the impact of the US on China-EU ties. Our guest, Ms. Theresa Fallon, analyzes China’s increased interest in the region amid tension with the US and assesses the efficacy of initiatives such as the 16+1 Summit and Belt and Road Initiative in strengthening China-EU ties. She also predicts where the relationship is headed and how the US should view a closer China-EU relationship.   Ms. Theresa Fallon is the founder and director of the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies (CREAS) in Brussels. She is concurrently a member of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and a Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Ms. Fallon’s current research is focused on EU-Asia relations, Sino-Russian relations, maritime security, global governance, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. She has testified numerous times to the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and Su

This episode explores China’s standing in BRICS, a group of five countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) with fast-developing economies and growing regional influence. Our guest, Duncan Innes-Ker, explains the major outcomes of the 10 BRICS summit, describes the group’s increasing economic engagement with Africa, and analyzes China’s position as the largest economy in BRICS. He also considers how the BRICS countries may develop over time, both individually and as a group.   Duncan Innes-Ker heads a team of analysts covering Asia in The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Country Analysis division in Hong Kong. He has helped produce customized research and analysis on many topics, and has shared his perspectives on Asia with senior corporate executives, academics, and diplomatic officials. Duncan is also a frequent commentator for news services such as the BBC, CNN, and CNBC.

This episode explores the ins and outs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) nearly two decades after its founding, as well as China’s evolving role within the organization. Our guest, Dr. Alexander Cooley, uncovers the current challenges and opportunities for the organization as the SCO’s membership and China’s foreign policy aspirations expand. Dr. Cooley analyzes potential future areas of contention and cooperation between China and other SCO member states. Dr. Alexander Cooley is Director of the Harriman Institute at Columbia University and a professor of political science at Barnard College. He has written extensively on Eurasian and Central Asian politics, including opinion pieces for The New York Times and Foreign Affairs. Additionally, Dr. Cooley serves on multiple international advisory boards and policy committees.

This episode explores the latest public diplomacy efforts that Beijing has carried out in the East Asia and Pacific region to boost favorable views toward China. Through the lens of AidData’s ground-breaking report, Ties That Bind: Quantifying China’s public diplomacy and its “good neighbor” effect, our guest Samantha Custer analyzes the methods, objectives, and successes of China’s regional public diplomacy and political influence activities. Custer also delves into the implications of China’s state-sponsored strategies for the greater region and the field of public diplomacy.   Samantha Custer is the Director of Policy Analysis at AidData, a research lab at the College of William and Mary that produced the Ties That Bind report, in partnership with the CSIS China Power Project and Asia Society Policy Institute. She previously co-authored World Bank papers on open data and citizen feedback with the Open Development Technology Alliance and assisted former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright teach a forei