The Asia Chessboard

Эпизоды

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  How Prepared is the United States for War in the Indo-Pacific? 21.07.2026 43мин

  In this episode, Mike sits down with Bryan Clark, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute, about whether the United States is prepared for a major conflict in the Indo-Pacific. They examine how recent technological developments in drones, autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and precision strike capabilities are transforming the battlefield; the role of defence industrial capacity and contested logistics in sustaining military operations; and unpack the lessons from recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East for deterring and, if necessary, fighting a future war in Asia.
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  The New Great Game in the Pacific Islands 30.06.2026 46мин

  In this episode, Mike is joined by Ambassador Laura Stone, who most recently served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands and previously held senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of State, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for China and Mongolia. They discuss the role that the Marshall Islands and the broader Pacific Islands play in U.S. engagement with the Indo-Pacific, how they factor into U.S.–China strategic competition, and how the United States can work more effectively with its allies and partners to strengthen its approach to the region.
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  The Power Politics behind Xi’s Grand Strategy 18.06.2026 43мин

  This week, Mike hosts Professor Minxin Pei, the Tom and Margot Pritzker ‘72 Professor of Government and George R. Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College, and author of the recent book The Broken China Dream: How Reform Revived Totalitarianism. They discuss how China's political developments since the 1970s, culminating in the rise of Xi Jinping, has shaped U.S.–China relations and strategic competition in Asia.
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  Grand Strategy Down Under 26.05.2026 53мин

  Mike sits down with Justin Bassi, Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, to examine Australia’s latest 2026 National Defence Strategy and what it reveals about Canberra’s evolving strategic outlook. They examine how the strategy aims to address Australia’s most pressing security challenges, how it differs from previous defense planning approaches, and explore emerging opportunities and considerations ahead as Canberra seeks to implement its objectives. Mike and Justin also explore the role of Australia’s broader policy community in shaping national defence debates, and how think tanks and other expert networks influence Canberra’s choices as it navigates an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific security environment.
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  A New Security Consensus in South Korea? 12.05.2026 46мин

  Mike joins Dr. Choi Kang, President of the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies, to break down the latest results from the Institute’s annual public opinion poll and what they reveal about how South Koreans view today’s most pressing security challenges. Why is Japan’s Prime Minister the most popular global leader among South Koreans? What’s driving record-high support for the U.S.–ROK alliance? And why is backing for an indigenous nuclear deterrent simultaneously rising to unprecedented levels? Mike and Dr. Choi unpack the data and what it means for South Korea’s strategic direction on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.
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  How Does Southeast Asia View U.S.–China Competition? 01.05.2026 39мин

  In this episode, Mike is joined by Joanne Lin Weiling, Senior Fellow and Coordinator at the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute and Visiting Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for International Studies. They unpack the results of ISEAS’ latest State of Southeast Asia Survey to examine how Southeast Asians across the region perceive intensifying U.S.-China strategic competition, the drivers behind these perceptions, and how Southeast Asian states are responding to a more contested strategic landscape.
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  The Iran War and Strategic Competition in Asia 07.04.2026 43мин

  In this episode, Mike sits down with Evan Medeiros, the Penner Family Chair in Asia Studies at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and Cling Family Distinguished Fellow in U.S.–China Studies. They examine Beijing’s response to the war in Iran, trace the evolution of the China–Iran relationship, and assess the conflict’s long-term strategic implications for Asia and U.S.–China competition.
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  Holding the Line: Denial Defense Along the First Island Chain 18.03.2026 44мин

  Mike joins Toshi Yoshihara, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington, D.C., to explore the significance of the First Island Chain in U.S. strategic thinking on Asia. They trace its historical role in achieving a favourable regional balance of power, unpack its enduring relevance under the Trump administration, and assess how China is contesting its limits, before turning to what the United States and its maritime Indo-Pacific allies must do to reinforce credible deterrence across an increasingly contested region.
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  Crucial Partners: the Volatile and Indispensable U.S.-India Linkage 24.02.2026 53мин

  Mike joins Tanvi Madan, senior fellow with the Center for Asia Policy Studies in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. They discuss developments in the U.S.-India relationship, the U.S.-India security alignment and other areas of cooperation, the new bilateral trade deal, interpersonal dynamics between U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and what we can expect for the bilateral relationship looking forward.
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  Taiwan’s Strategic Clarity Amid Global Upheaval 10.02.2026 42мин

  Mike joins I-Chung Lai, President of The Prospect Foundation. Prior to current role, he held several prominent positions within Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party, serving as Executive Director of the DPP Mission to the United States and as the Director General of the Department of International Affairs. They discuss the PLA’s increasing operational abilities and Taiwan’s potential response to counter a blockade, how Taipei is interpreting the evolution of Chinese foreign policy towards Taiwan and the purge of Chinese general Zhang Youxia, Taipei’s assessment of U.S. foreign policy and posture in the Indo-Pacific, and much more.
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  Washington’s New China Tech Strategy 20.01.2026 37мин

  Mike joins Emily Kilcrease, senior fellow and director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, to unpack how U.S. national security strategy is shaping technology competition with China. They explore why Washington has rolled back certain tariffs and technology export restrictions, how allies and partners are responding to shifting U.S. trade policies, and whether the United States is still on track to win the U.S.-China tech race.
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  Ely Ratner - Does Asia Need a Collective Defense Pact? 06.01.2026 43мин

  Mike joins Ely Ratner, Principal at The Marathon Initiative and Senior Adviser at Clarion Strategies. Previously he was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs during the Biden administration, and before that he was Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). They discuss the strategic competition with China, the difficulties and opportunities around the China challenge, what the most significant things the U.S. did relating to allies and partners during the Biden Administration, and the case for a Pacific defense pact.
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  The Necessary Deepening of Japan’s Alliances 16.12.2025 45мин

  In this episode, Mike speaks with Christopher Johnstone, Partner and Chair of the Defense & National Security Practice at The Asia Group. Previously, he served as Senior Advisor and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and before that as National Security Council Director for Asia under President Biden and Director for Japan and Oceanian Affairs under President Obama. They discuss the arc of U.S.–Japan relations, the recent summit between U.S. President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi, Japan’s rapidly evolving defense policies, and much more.
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  The IP4 Partners: Where NATO Meets the Indo-Pacific 02.12.2025 50мин

  In this episode, Mike speaks with three leading experts on international security: Elizabeth Saunders, Director of the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and Professor of Political Science at Columbia University; Luis Simón, Director of the Research Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy and Research Professor in International Security at the Brussels School of Governance; and Chung Min Lee, Senior Fellow in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Together, they discuss the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) NATO partner nations—Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand—and examine where the IP4 and the broader Euro-Atlantic–Indo-Pacific security relationship are heading in light of shifting U.S. policy priorities.
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  Trade Policy and U.S. Geopolitical Strategy 21.10.2025 38мин

  Mike speaks with Barbara Weisel, nonresident scholar in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She built a career serving in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for 23 years, departing as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia in October 2017. They discuss U.S. trade policy past and present, the mechanics of trade negotiations, how trade agreements impact national security and geopolitical strategy, how allies and partners should approach economic relations with the United States in the coming years, and more.
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  Amb. Nicholas Burns – Allies, Partners, and the U.S.-China Relationship 07.10.2025 40мин

  Mike speaks with Nicholas Burns, Managing Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Burns previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 2021-2025. They discuss where we are in U.S.-China relations, how the relationship has become much more complicated in recent years, how the U.S. is working with allies and partners in the region, their vital role in supporting U.S. strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, and much more.
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  Kurt Campbell: Reflections on Indo-Pacific Strategy 23.09.2025 37мин

  This week Mike speaks with Kurt Campbell, former Deputy Secretary of State and President Biden’s “Asia Czar.” He is currently Chairman of The Asia Group and Distinguished Fellow in Diplomacy with the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. They discuss the U.S. strategic approach to the Indo-Pacific, the buildup of international security architecture, working in the Biden administration, and the role of technology in geopolitical competition. 
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  Singapore’s Strategy for a New Indo-Pacific 05.08.2025 45мин

  This week Mike speaks with Ja Ian Chong, Associate Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore. They discuss the lessons and parallels of WWI and WWII for the contemporary Indo-Pacific, the potential for an outbreak of crisis and conflict in the region, the need for Singapore to review its geopolitical strategy, and much more.  
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  Why Aid Matters to Asia Strategy 22.07.2025 35мин

  This week Mike speaks with Michael Schiffer, former Assistant Administrator of the USAID Bureau for Asia from 2022 to 2025. Prior to that he was Senior Advisor and Counselor to the U.S. Senate Committee of Foreign Relations. They discuss foreign aid and its role in supporting U.S. interests abroad.  
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  An Indispensable Partner: U.S.-India Relations in the Indo-Pacific 18.06.2025 39мин

  This week Mike speaks with Richard Rossow, an esteemed expert who has focused on U.S.-India Relations for over 25 years. He is currently Senior Adviser and Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They discuss the activities of the Quad, U.S.-India relations, how India could grow its trade partnership with the United States, and more.