In this episode of Tea Leaves , Rexon and Mira sit down with Kelly Magsamen, former Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and newly appointed Senior Advisor at The Asia Group, to introduce the Indo-Pacific Defense Incubator (IPDI). Drawing on her decades of experience in the Pentagon, NSC, and State Department, Kelly unpacks the evolving landscape of defense innovation, industrial cooperation, and allied technology partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. The three discuss how the U.S. an...
May 14, 2025•33 min
In this episode of Tea Leaves , TAG Chairman Dr. Kurt Campbell joins the show to discuss his recent Foreign Affairs article, “ Underestimating China, ” and outlines why the United States must shift its strategic approach to remain competitive. In his conversation with Rexon Ryu, Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper, and Tiffany Ma, Dr. Campbell discusses his argument that unless the United States moves toward “capacity-centric statecraft” and allied scale, the U.S. risks falling behind China in key domains rela...
Apr 30, 2025•42 min
In this episode of Tea Leaves , Rexon Ryu and Tiffany Ma are joined by Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper, head of The Asia Group’s Geopolitics Practice, and Dr. Evan Medeiros to assess where things stand nearly two weeks after April 2’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement. They unpack the escalation from sector-specific tariffs to looming reciprocal measures and examine the U.S.-China trade standoff. Dr. Medeiros leads a discussion on why this round of the trade war marks a more entrenched phase of an econo...
Apr 16, 2025•39 min
In this episode of the Tea Leaves Podcast, Rexon Ryu and Tiffany Ma are joined by Ambassador Kurt Tong to explore the Indo-Pacific's response to the re-election of Donald Trump. Ambassador Tong provides valuable insights into how regional leaders and businesses are bracing for potential shifts in U.S. foreign policy. Tune in for a deep dive into the evolving dynamics shaping Asia's future in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.
Nov 22, 2024•21 min
In this episode of Tea Leaves, TAG President Rexon Ryu and Dr. Evan Medeiros explore the expanding scope of US-China and EU-China competition in the spheres of security, economics, technology, and governance. They discuss recent bilateral meetings, emerging tariff policies, China's military assistance to Russia, and the importance of dialogue to prevent miscalculation. Tune in for expert insights on navigating two of the most consequential bilateral relationships today.
Jun 04, 2024•28 min
Sharon Burke is the Founder and President of Ecospherics, an environmental research and advisory firm based in Washington, D.C. She most recently served as the lead on climate change, energy, and environment for the Biden-Harris Transition Team. She previously served as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy at the Department of Defense (DoD), where she oversaw the energy security of U.S. military operations. Before her time at DoD, she worked as a Senior Fellow and Vice...
Jan 22, 2024•35 min
Jennifer Welch is the Chief Geoeconomics Analyst at Bloomberg. She most recently served as Director for China and Taiwan on the U.S. National Security Council and as Special Advisor for Asia and the Pacific in the offices of Vice President Kamala Harris and former Vice President Mike Pence. Previously, she was Fulbright fellow in Xi'an, China, where she worked with local scholars and nutritionists to design a health education program. She holds a bachelor's degree in international relations and ...
Dec 14, 2023•33 min
Debbie Yong is a Senior Strategist focusing on the Asia-Pacific region at WGSN, a consumer-trend forecasting company. She previously worked as the Editorial Director of the Michelin Guide in Asia and the Middle East, a China media analyst for BBC Monitoring, and a reporter for the Straits Times and the Business Times in Singapore. In 2019, Netflix featured her as a Singaporean food expert on “Street Food: Asia. She holds a dual master’s degree in global media and communications from the London S...
Nov 14, 2023•32 min
The Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO is Partner and Chair of The Asia Group's Australia Practice. He most recently served as Australia's Ambassador to the United States, where he was closely involved in negotiations related to AUKUS, the Quad, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Amb. Sinodinos previously served as Australia’s Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and as Senator for New South Wales in the Australian Parliament from 2011 to 2019. He also served as Cabinet Secretary and Assist...
Oct 30, 2023•31 min
Phil Davidson is a retired four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy who last served as the 25th Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). He served in the Navy for almost 40 years until his retirement in 2021. Before becoming the Commander of INDOPACOM, he was the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command/Naval Forces U.S. Northern Command. He previously served as commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet, and the commander of the Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, while simultaneously serv...
Oct 13, 2023•36 min
Mitsuru Claire Chino is the Managing Executive Officer of ITOCHU Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. She was previously president and CEO of ITOCHU International, the company’s New York-based North America-focused subsidiary. In 2013, she became the first female executive officer of any major trading company in Japan. Before joining ITOCHU, she practiced as a lawyer at an international law firm in the United States and in Hong Kong at Graham & James. Asia Legal ...
Sep 21, 2023•33 min
Anand Shah is a Partner at The Asia Group, which he joined in 2022 as part of the firm’s acquisition of Dhamiri, a venture that he founded to help corporations align their core businesses with public good in critical international markets. He previously led the development of strategic initiatives as Senior Vice President of Indian ride-hailing giant Ola and has also worked at the Albright Stonebridge Group, BMW AG, and Audi AG. He spent 15 years living in India, where he founded Sarvajal, a tec...
Sep 14, 2023•23 min
Chatpong "Chat" Chuenrudeemol is the Principal and Founder of CHAT Architects, a Bangkok-based research and design practice, as well as CHAT Lab, a think tank that aims to discover new Thai vernacular typologies. In 2020, Chat received the Silpathorn award from Thailand’s Ministry of Culture – the country’s most prestigious award for contemporary artists. His architectural works have won Architectural Review ’s AR House Awards, the Architecture Masterprize in 2021, and a Building of the Year Awa...
Aug 22, 2023•34 min
Kathy Matsui is a General Partner of MPower Partners, Japan’s first ESG-focused global venture capital fund. She is also an external board director at Fast Retailing, at adjunct professor at Kyoto University Graduate School of Management, and an advisory board member at the University of Tokyo. She was previously vice chair and chief Japan strategist at Goldman Sachs. She is the author of How to Nurture Female Employees , published in Japanese in 2020. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe c...
Jul 31, 2023•39 min
Anand Shah is a Partner at The Asia Group, which he joined in 2022 as part of the firm’s acquisition of Dhamiri, a venture that he founded to help corporations align their core businesses with public good in critical international markets. He previously led the development of strategic initiatives as Senior Vice President of Indian ride-hailing giant Ola. He has also worked at the Albright Stonebridge Group, BMW AG, and Audi AG. He spent 15 years living in India, where he founded Sarvajal, a tec...
Jul 10, 2023•42 min
Chris Johnstone is a senior advisor at The Asia Group and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining CSIS, he served in government for 25 years in a variety of senior positions with a focus on U.S. policy toward Japan and the Indo-Pacific region. He served twice on the National Security Council, as director for East Asia under President Joe Biden and director for Japan and Oceanian affairs under President Barack Obama. In the Office of the Secretar...
Jun 12, 2023•32 min
The Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO is Partner and Chair of The Asia Group's Australia Practice. He most recently served as Australian Ambassador to the United States, where he was closely involved in Australia’s negotiations related to AUKUS, the Quad, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Ambassador Sinodinos previously worked as Australia’s Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and was a Senator for New South Wales in the Australian Parliament from 2011 to 2019. He also served as Cabinet ...
May 18, 2023•39 min
Valerie Rozman recently joined The Asia Group as Director of Research and Analytics and as a Principal, co-leading the Southeast Asia practice. She served in the U.S. government for nearly two decades, primarily in the intelligence community. She was inducted into the CIA’s Senior Analytic Service and served in a number of senior Asia-focused positions, including as Deputy National Intelligence Manager at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and Deputy National Intelligence...
May 12, 2023•25 min
Wendy Cutler is Vice President at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and the managing director of the Washington, D.C. office. She joined ASPI after nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where she served as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative. During her USTR career, she worked on a range of bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations and initiatives, including the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Pa...
Apr 25, 2023•30 min
Charles Dunst is the deputy director of research and analytics at The Asia Group and an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A former foreign correspondent, he has reported from countries including Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Israel and the Palestinian territories, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Romania, and Hungary. He has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The Telegraph, among other publications. His first book, Defeating th...
Mar 27, 2023•22 min
Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction, and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese have won the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association and first prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, The Mountains Sing, is an international bestseller and won the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. She regularly writes for Vi...
Mar 01, 2023•26 min
On this episode of the Tea Leaves Podcast, Dr. Evan S. Medeiros provided his unique insight into the state of U.S.-China relations following the Chinese surveillance balloon incident, why the incident matters, and the outlook for re-engagement. Dr. Medeiros and Rexon also explored how China’s domestic economic imperatives are shaping its foreign policy, expectations for the upcoming Two Sessions parliamentary meetings, how Washington can use its diplomatic and economic leverage over Beijing, and...
Feb 21, 2023•21 min
Ashok Malik is a Partner at The Asia Group and Chair of its New Delhi-based subsidiary in India where he leads the firm’s in-market business strategy and services. Prior to joining the firm, Ashok served for three years (2019-22) as Policy Advisor/Additional Secretary in India’s Ministry of External Affairs. In that capacity, he worked closely with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and others in the senior leadership of the Ministry to help shape and explain India’s foreign policy in a...
Nov 10, 2022•40 min
Admiral Philip S. Davidson served as the 25th Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command from 2018 to 2021. Before leading USINDOPACOM, Admiral Davidson held U.S. Navy leadership roles in North America, Europe, and Africa, and served ashore in multiple policy, strategy, and operations roles; these included service as senior military advisor to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP) at the State Department, deputy director for Strategy and Policy in the Joint Staff, and as...
Jun 07, 2022•24 min
Hon. Kevin Rudd served as Australia’s 26th Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010 and again in 2013, and as its Foreign Minister from 2010 to 2012. Today, Kevin is global President and CEO of the Asia Society in New York, and President of the Asia Society Policy Institute. On this episode we discussed Kevin's new book, The Avoidable War: The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict Between the U.S. and Xi Jinping’s China, which is available now everywhere books are sold. Kevin and Rexon explore the risk of ...
May 24, 2022•30 min
Dr. Amy Searight is a leading U.S. expert on Southeast Asia and U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific region. Dr. Searight served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia from 2014 to 2016, before which she served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, USAID, and on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff. Today, Amy is a senior associate for Asia at CSIS. On this episode, Amy offered a preview of the historic U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit, which U.S. President Joe Bi...
May 10, 2022•33 min
In part two of our conversation with Ashley J. Tellis, we discussed opportunities for the United States and India to expand their relationship through greater cooperation on trade, technology, and security. We also discussed India's views on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the outlook for a visit to India by U.S. President Joe Biden, Pakistan's changing role in Indian security considerations, and more.Ashley holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and is a senior fellow at the Carnegie E...
Apr 26, 2022•23 min
Ashley J. Tellis holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Previously, he served on the National Security Council (NSC) as special assistant to President George W. Bush and senior director for strategic planning and Southwest Asia. On the NSC he was a top negotiator of the pivotal 2005 U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement – a landmark agreement that helped transform the U.S.-India relationship. In part one of our conversati...
Apr 20, 2022•21 min
On this episode, Ambassador Joseph Yun joined us for a deep dive on South Korean President-Elect Yoon Suk-yeol's victory and how the Yoon administration will shape Seoul's foreign policy. We discussed South Korea's relations with the United States, North Korea, and Japan, as well as potential cooperation with the Quad and policy surrounding the Russia-Ukraine War.Ambassador Yun has more than 33 years of diplomatic service, including as U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy from Octo...
Mar 23, 2022•33 min
On this episode of The Tea Leaves Podcast, we sat down with Ambassador Ted Osius, the President and CEO of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council and former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam (2014-2017). Ted highlighted his experience promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership as the top U.S. diplomat in Hanoi, and discussed the evolution of economic and political relations between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). We also discussed U.S. ambitions to forge a new economic p...
Mar 04, 2022•34 min
