Asia Insight

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR’s senior director for public affairs Dan Aum discusses the new volume in the Strategic Asia series, Strategic Asia 2020: U.S.-China Competition for Global Influence, with editors Ashley J. Tellis and Michael Wills.

In this episode of NBR's Asia Insight, NBR and the Daniel Morgan Graduate School host a discussion accompanying the release of NBR's special report, Securing the Belt and Road Initiative: China's Evolving Military Engagement along the Silk Roads. NBR's Alison Szalwinski moderates this discussion with Mathieu Duchatel, Kristen Gunness, and Nadege Rolland. 

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight podcast series, Richard J. Ellings and Aaron L. Friedberg assess the state of the U.S.-China strategic rivalry and underscore the need for the United States to develop a more effective approach to China and the Indo-Pacific region. The discussion, moderated by Laura Junor, took place at the Asia Policy Assembly on June 18.

Richard J. Ellings is Co-founder, President Emeritus, and Counselor at NBR.

Aaron L. Friedberg is Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University and Co-director of the Woodrow Wilson School’s Center for International Security Studies. He is also a Counselor at NBR.

Laura Junor is the Director of Research and Strategic Support at the National Defense University, Institute for National Strategic Studies.

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight podcast series, Kazutoshi Aikawa and James F. Moriarty discuss the unique relationship between Taiwan and the U.S., assess what makes alliances work best, and analyze the current U.S.-Japan alliance. The discussion, moderated by Roy Kamphausen, took place at the Asia Policy Assembly on June 19.

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight podcast series, Thomas X. Hammes, Claire Reade, and Michael Beckley analyze globalization trends, U.S.-China trade and investment, and the effects of economic stagnation on Chinese security policy. The discussion, moderated by Amy Celico, took place at the Asia Policy Assembly on June 19.

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight podcast series, Daniel Twining, Carolyn Bartholomew, and Tariq Karim examine the recent Hong Kong protests, discuss democratic trends in Asia, and analyze tensions between democratic and authoritarian forces in the region. The discussion, moderated by Michael Wills, took place at the Asia Policy Assembly on June 19.

Phillip C. Saunders and Thomas G. Mahnken examine the global ambitions of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the strategic calculation behind PLA's disruptive activities in the region in the latest episode of NBR's Asia Insight podcast series. The discussion, moderated by Abraham M. Denmark, took place at the Asia Policy Assembly on June 19.

Dan Aum, director of NBR’s Washington, D.C., Office, interviews NBR Senior Fellow Nadège Rolland and Brookings-Yale Postdoctoral Fellow in Foreign Policy Rush Doshi on the recent Belt and Road Forum. Topics discussed include takeaways from the forum, the strategic implications of BRI, forecasting China’s moves, and more.

Bios:

Rush Doshi is the Brookings-Yale Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Brookings Institution and Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center.

His research has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, the Washington Post, and the Washington Quarterly, among other publications. Dr. Doshi received his PhD from Harvard University, where he wrote his dissertation on Chinese grand strategy, and his BA from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School with a minor in East Asian Studies. He is proficient in Mandarin and Hindi.

Nadège Rolland is Senior Fellow for Political and Security Affairs at NBR.

Prior to joining NBR, Ms. Rolland was an analyst and senior adviser on Asian and Chinese strategic issues to the French Ministry of Defense (1994–2014) and a research analyst for the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) (2007–8).

She is the author of the book China’s Eurasian Century? Political and Strategic Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative (2017). Her articles have appeared in various publications, including the Washington Quarterly, Foreign Policy, the Diplomat, the Asan Open Forum, the Lowy Institute Interpreter, and Strategic Asia, and her comments have been published by the Wall Street Journal, Libération, Les Echos, the Indian National Interest, Radio Free Asia, and BBC World Service.

Ms. Rolland is a graduate of the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (MSc Chinese Language and Contemporary Chinese Studies, 1994) and RSIS (MSc Strategic Studies, 2007).

Timestamp:

Q1 [1:56] What major changes took place between the first BRI Forum in 2017 and the recent forum in April 2019?

Q2 [3:28] What were Xi’s key objectives for the 2019 forum?

Q3 [4:49] Were the message and tone different this time around?

Q4 [7:03] What are your key takeaways from the 2019 forum?

Q5 [10:58] The challenges associated with being a recipient country of BRI projects are well known. Yet countries continue to sign up for BRI projects. Why?

Q6 [13:48] Are BRI projects meeting universal standards of quality? Why?

Q7 [18:58] How is China expanding its people, assets, and values abroad?

Q8 [21:57] How is China using financial tools to support BRI, and what are the broader strategic ambitions at play?

Q9 [24:33] How is China seeking to reshape the international financial architecture?

Q10 [28:12] What triggered China’s desire to create a new set of international messaging and financing systems?

Q11 [30:08] We’ve seen several phases of BRI. What phase are we in now? What will happen next?

Q12 [34:27] As China increases its emphasis on soft power, should we expect a de-emphasis in the more tactile areas like infrastructure?

Q13 [35:19] What are the vulnerabilities facing BRI?

Q14 [40:20] Is China applying its soft power approach to the United States?

Q15 [41:56] How should the United States respond to China on any of the key fronts we’ve discussed?

Q16 [45:45] Is there anything about BRI that is obvious to you that other people still don’t appreciate?

Q17 [48:53] What grade would you give Xi on the recalibration of BRI?

About Asia Insight

The NBR podcast series Asia Insight features interviews with top Asia experts about key issues affecting the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on implications for U.S. policy and businesses. Subscribe to Asia Insight on Apple Podcasts and let us know what you think of the podcast on Twitter.

Media Contact: Dan Aum, [email protected] or (202) 347-9767.

Asia Insight theme music is by Laura Schwartz of Bellwether Bayou.

This podcast was co-edited by Dan Lee and Matt Ropeik at NBR.

In this episode, we interview the co-editors of NBR's Strategic Asia series. This year's volume explores China's strategic ambitions and its implications for the Indo-Pacific. 

In this informative and wide-ranging discussion, Dr. Ashley J. Tellis, Alison Szalwinski, and Michael Wills discuss how China seeks to reshape the international system to serve its strategic aims and present policy options for the United States and its partners to address the challenges posed by a rising China.

Please join us for future discussions and let us know what you think of the podcast on Twitter (@NBRNews) or via email at [email protected]

We were excited to host NBR’s president Richard J. Ellings this week to discuss some of the upcoming challenges and opportunities the United States faces in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition to his role at NBR, he is an Affiliate Professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington.

In this wide-ranging discussion, Dr. Ellings forecasts some of the critical issues U.S. policymakers and businesses will likely have to manage in the Indo-Pacific: China’s Belt and Road Initiative, growing China-Russia cooperation, and the trigger points in the South China Sea. He also provides a number of recommendations to policymakers, including a replacement for the TPP, engagement through regional alliances and institutions, and what he considers the best option for dealing with North Korea.

Please join us for future discussions and let us know what you think of the podcast on Twitter (@NBRNews) or via email at [email protected]