Mike is joined by Dr. John Kunkel, Senior Economics Adviser at the United States Studies Centre. Dr. Kunkel has worked as an economist, speech writer, policy analyst, and adviser to government and industry executive and previously served as Chief of Staff to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. He has a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University and is the author of "America's Trade Policy Towards Japan: Demanding Results", a study of US-Japan trade relations from Reagan to Cl...
Feb 13, 2024•38 min
Mike is joined by Dr. Joseph Chinyong Liow, the Tan Kah Kee Chair of Comparative and International Politics at Nanyang Technological University, where he is also a Research Advisor for the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. The conversation begins with a review of the state of U.S.-China strategic competition in the aftermath of APEC 2023, and underscores regional discontent with the perceived lack of commitment from the United States to economic ties and international trade in the I...
Jan 02, 2024•38 min
Mike and Jude are joined by Evan Medeiros, Penner Family Chair in Asian Studies and the Cling Family Senior Fellow in US-China Relations at Georgetown University. He is also a Senior Advisor with The Asia Group and previously served for six years on the staff of the National Security Council as Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia - and then as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia. He is editor and contributing author to the recent book Cold Rivals: The New Era of U...
Dec 19, 2023•43 min
Mike and Jude are joined by Sergey Radchenko , the Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Sergey is an accomplished author, and has written extensively on the Cold War, nuclear history, and on Russian and Chinese foreign and security policies. The conversation begins by delving into the nature of Beijing’s ties with Moscow, and how they have evolved from the Cold War. They explore points of divergence in the interests of China and...
Dec 05, 2023•46 min
Mike and Jude are joined by Huong Le Thu, Deputy Director of the Asia Program at the International Crisis Group. She is also an Adjunct Fellow with the Southeast Asia Program at CSIS and a former senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Her research on Vietnam’s defense and foreign policy, Southeast Asia’s security, ASEAN regionalism, and China-Southeast Asia relations has featured in a wide range of publications. The conversation begins with an overview of Vietnam’s geostrate...
Oct 31, 2023•42 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Mr. Tatsuya Terazawa, Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan. Previously he served as the Senior Advisor of the Cabinet Office of Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. Earlier he served at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan where he held leading positions including the Vice-Minister for International Affairs. He is also the Senior Specially Appointed Professor at the Tokyo University of Science, where he teaches intern...
Oct 03, 2023•41 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Erin Murphy, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow for the Economics Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she is currently transitioning to the Asia Program. Erin's career has so far spanned public and private sector roles, including as an analyst on Asian political and foreign policy issues at the Central Intelligence Agency, director for the Indo-Pacific at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and foun...
Sep 19, 2023•45 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by C. Raja Mohan, Senior Fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute in Delhi and Visiting Research Professor and former Director of the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) at the National University of Singapore. Mohan was the founding director of Carnegie India in Delhi – the sixth international center of Carnegie Endowment for Peace, and has previously served on India’s National Security Advisory Board. They begin by examining India’s strategic outloo...
Sep 05, 2023•46 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Thomas Parks, Country Representative for Thailand with The Asia Foundation and author of the recently published book Southeast Asia’s Multipolar Future: Averting a New Cold War. They begin with an overview of Southeast Asia’s experience during and following the Cold War and discuss the region’s desire to avoid a re-division into blocs. They explore how regional states are seeking to preserve strategic ambiguity in their international relations and diversify...
Aug 01, 2023•42 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Mr. Choi Shing Kwok, Director & Chief Executive Officer of the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, and head of the ASEAN Studies Centre and Singapore APEC Study Centre, to discuss ASEAN perspectives on issues in the Indo-Pacific. The conversation first examines ASEAN’s current structure, organizational challenges, and the diversity of its individual members. They then discuss ASEAN’s relationships and interaction with other regional players, including Japan ...
Jul 11, 2023•42 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Professor Peter Dean, Director of Foreign Policy and Defense at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, and the principal drafter of the Australian government’s recent Defence Strategic Review, to discuss developments in Australia’s defense planning. The conversation begins with a discussion of the Defence Strategic Review and the significant shift in Australia's strategic outlook that it represents. Next, Mike, Jude and Peter discuss ...
Jun 13, 2023•53 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Dr. Susan Shirk, Founding Chair of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California, San Diego and the author of Overreach: How China Derailed its Peaceful Rise (Oxford University Press, 2022) , which examines the evolution of China’s domestic and foreign policy over the last 15 years. The conversation begins by examining steps taken toward political decentralization and economic liberalization under Hu Jintao—and the reversal of these trends u...
Jun 02, 2023•51 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Scott Morrison, former Australian Prime Minister and leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party from 2018-2022. The conversation begins by assessing developments in China-Australia relations during Morrison’s time in office, delving into the various equities at play and domestic debates that unfolded as the government reevaluated the links between economics and national security and moved to a tougher approach on China. They then discuss Australia’s ...
May 09, 2023•45 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Paul Haenle, Maurice R. Greenberg Director’s Chair of Carnegie China and former China director for the National Security Council staffs of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and Faryar Shirzad, who served in the Bush administration with Paul as deputy national security advisor for International Economic affairs and is now Chief Policy Office at Coinbase. They begin by recapping economic and security ties between the United States and China at the o...
Apr 19, 2023•50 min
On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Sue Mi Terry with violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment alleges activities that took place, in part, during a period in which Ms. Terry was employed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. CSIS is not a party to this litigation and takes the allegations seriously. CSIS maintains strict policies to ensure full compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act and the intel...
Mar 22, 2023•32 sec
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Kurt M. Campbell, Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs in the National Security Council, and Mira Rapp-Hooper, Senior Adviser on China at the U.S. Department of State's Policy Planning Staff. They begin by discussing educational and professional experiences that build the groundwork for successful careers in international relations. They then discuss the recent one-year anniversary of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, noting that the approach reflects the rec...
Mar 07, 2023•35 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Emily Kilcrease , director of the Energy, Economics, and Security program at CNAS, who formerly served as deputy assistant U.S. trade representative and National Security Council director for international trade, investment, and development. They begin by examining the limits of U.S. leverage over semiconductor supply chains and how existing advantages are maintained by the continual innovation and investment of U.S. industry. They then discuss the U.S. gov...
Feb 21, 2023•33 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Christopher B. Johnstone , former National Security Council director for Asia under President Biden and director for Japan and Oceanian affairs under President Obama who now serves as senior adviser and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). They begin with a look at what Japan’s new national security strategy means for its role in the region and the U.S.-Japan alliance. Next, they turn to China-Japan relations, examining ...
Jan 17, 2023•35 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Bilahari Kausikan , Chairman of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore, and former Ambassador-at-Large and former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. They start off the discussion with a look into Singapore’s history and how it has shaped its foreign policy outlook. Next, they discuss the effectiveness of ASEAN in maintaining balance of power in Southeast Asia. They then discuss China’s foreign pol...
Jan 03, 2023•38 min
This week, Mike and Jude sit down with Pete Connolly , a retired officer in the Australian Defence Force and Adjunct Fellow with the Asia Program at CSIS, to discuss Chinese statecraft in the Pacific Islands. They start by unpacking China’s strategic interests in Melanesia and the Pacific Islands more broadly, and what its involvement in the region means for the U.S., Australia, and other allies and partners. Next, they dive into the military implications of increasing Chinese activity in the re...
Dec 12, 2022•42 min
In this episode of the Asia Chessboard, Mike and Jude are joined by Dr. Gorana Grgic , a jointly appointed Senior Lecturer at the Department of Government and International Relations and the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, to discuss the recently released U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defense Strategy (NDS). They start off the discussion by highlighting the key takeaways, and what was missing, from the National Security Strategy. They then discuss h...
Nov 07, 2022•41 min
This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Manjari Chatterjee Miller, senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), to take a deep look into India’s evolving partnerships and its position in the global system. They start by discussing India’s role in the Quad and how it has shifted in recent years. They then unpack India’s broader cooperative efforts within the Indo-Pacific. Finally, they assess the impact of the war in Ukraine on the India-Russia relat...
Oct 17, 2022•43 min
This week, Mike and Jude sit down with Bates Gill , Head of the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, to discuss his recent book, Daring to Struggle: China's Global Ambitions Under Xi Jinping . They begin by discussing Gill’s career trajectory and key themes that emerge from the book. They then dive deeper into China’s trajectory under Xi Jinping’s leadership, focusing on Xi’s risk tolerance and China’s near-term ambitions. Finally, they outline near-term action...
Sep 06, 2022•29 min
This week, Mike welcomes new co-host, Jude Blanchette, Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS, to interview Mike on the strategic and political legacy of Shinzo Abe, following the assassination of the former Japanese Prime Minister on July 8. The two start by discussing how Abe’s personal background and the geopolitical climate in Japan impacted Abe’s political career, his influence on Japan’s foreign policy by the end of his term in 2020, and the evolution of domestic and international percepti...
Aug 01, 2022•40 min
This week, Mike is joined by Wendy Cutler, Vice President at the Asia Society Policy Institute, to unpack President Biden’s economic strategy towards the Indo-Pacific and his May 2022 trip to Asia. The two discuss the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and regional reactions to its various pillars and incentives, prospects for a digital trade agreement, and China’s bid to join CPTPP. How can the United States engage with allies and partners in the region to promote fair trade, supply chain resilien...
Jun 06, 2022•38 min
This week, Mike sits down with Major General Arnold L. Punaro (USMC ret.), Chief Executive Officer of the Punaro Group, to discuss his new book, The Ever-Shrinking Fighting Force , which covers the history of U.S. defense spending and why the number of warfighters is declining despite budget increases. Mike and Maj. Gen. Punaro start off by analyzing the defense budget process and lay out three reasons why the U.S. military is not getting “enough bang for its buck,” to include the acquisition pr...
May 23, 2022•40 min
This week, Mike is joined by General Charles Flynn, Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific, to discuss the role of the Army in the Indo-Pacific. They touch on the history of the Army’s engagement in the region, the foundational capabilities of U.S. Army Pacific, and threats to the regional security environment. General Flynn details his efforts to coordinate and build trust between the U.S. Army and allies and partners in the region, including Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines....
May 02, 2022•36 min
This week, CSIS Korea Chair Victor Cha returns as a guest on the Asia Chessboard to analyze the most recent South Korean presidential election and how it has impacted the geopolitics of the Korean peninsula. Mike and Victor discuss president-elect Yoon’s foreign and domestic policy agenda, political mandate, and views on various bilateral relationships including with the United States, China, and Japan. How will Yoon’s “security first” position dictate his foreign policy, especially concerning C...
Apr 18, 2022•36 min
This week, Andrew Schwartz guest hosts the Asia Chessboard to discuss Michael Green’s new book, “ Line of Advantage: Japan’s Grand Strategy in the Era of Shinzo Abe .” Andrew asks Mike about the origins of the book and how former Prime Minister Abe changed Japan’s strategic trajectory during his tenure. The two also discuss the U.S.-Japan alliance, President Biden’s approach to Japan, and current events in the region concerning Ukraine, Taiwan, and South Korea. Note: this conversation was record...
Mar 28, 2022•33 min
This week, Mike discusses the dynamic geopolitics of the Pacific Islands with Georgetown University Professor Patricia O’Brien. Mike and Patty explore the post-World War II history of this complex region, analyze recent political trends in key countries such as Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and explain how the Pacific Islands fit in with overall U.S. strategy in Asia. The two also touch on how U.S.-China competition impacts the region and the Biden Administration’s efforts to renegotiate...
Mar 14, 2022•38 min
