Hosted by Colm Quinn, The CSIS Podcast dissects the big (and soon-to-be big) stories of the week in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs.

The Readout

The Trade Guys

In the space of just a few years, the public discourse on trade has undergone a significant shift. Where trade was once commonly agreed upon as a net benefit to the U.S. economy and the global good, it is now used as a scapegoat across the political spectrum for systemic issues. As we approach the 75th anniversary of the Bretton Woods Conference, deep questions are emerging about the post-War economy it reconstructed, the multilateral system it created, and the liberal values it codified. The international trading system and its norms have unleashed an unprecedented wave of globalization but how the world understands free and open trade and its value is undergoing a generational shift. Join the Scholl Chair in International Business and CSIS to launch a major initiative to investigate and reshape the conversation on trade for the 21st century.

A Positive Trade Agenda

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Understanding China’s Intelligence Services

In this episode, we welcome award-winning journalist and author of Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China, Leta Hong Fincher, as we discuss the challenges facing women today in China. In a society with a near universal expectation of marriage and where the under-twenty population has over 30 million more men than women, women in China face tremendous pressure to marry. Despite the major contributions made by women to China’s development, women are often excluded from property ownership, subject to restrictions on their reproductive rights, and are actively discouraged from raising legal complaints when they are victims of domestic violence.

Gender Inequality in China: A Conversation with Leta Hong Fincher

Nancy Youssef, a Muslim overheard at the Pentagon

Violent Extremism in the Sahel

Global Security Forum 2016: Russia Today and Tomorrow

Dr. Erin Simpson discusses the perennial challenges of command and civilian control, her experiences in Afghanistan, and how much the armed forces should reflect society.

Principals, Agents, and Civil-Military Relations

Vladimir Putin is trying to make Russia great again.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Kremlin believes that the United States and its allies have been holding Russia back since the end of the Cold War.&nbsp; This is just one reason why Russia disrupted the 2016 U.S. election.&nbsp; This episode details why Russia did it.
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/kremlin-playbook/why-did-russia-do-it)

Why Did Russia Do It?

Russia’s interference in our election didn’t happen in a vacuum.  The Russians have been waging influence campaigns across Europe for decades.  

That’s why Heather Conley of CSIS studied Russia’s operations in Central and Eastern Europe.  Her findings are contained in a report that has become a must read in Washington—it’s called The Kremlin Playbook.  And you can read it by visiting www.csis.org. The Playbook examines Russia’s efforts to gain economic and political influence in Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Serbia and Slovakia.  Its findings show a broad pattern of Russian behavior that can help us understand Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election.  This episode, part 2 in our mini-series, discussed how Russia influences elections.

How Russia Does It

This episode discusses Chinese conventional arms exports and their use as a strategy to promote larger Chinese national security objectives. It traces the history and recent developments in Chinese weapons exports. It also examines competition between China and other countries in the arms export sector.

Michael Raska is an Assistant Professor in the Military Transformations Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, where his research focuses on East Asian security and defense. He is the author of Military Innovation and Small States: Creating Reverse Asymmetry(Routledge,2015) and co-editor of Security, Strategy, and Military Change in the 21st Century: Cross-regional Perspectives (Routledge, 2015).

Chinese Influence through Arms Exports: A Conversation with Michael Raska

On the second show this week, we talk about what’s behind Catalonia’s independence drive, how the EU-UK Brexit negotiations are stalling, and a now-familiar story: the rise of the far-right in Europe, this time in Austria. With CSIS Europe Program Director Heather Conley. Hosted by Colm Quinn.
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/csis-podcast/catalonias-independence-push-brexit-update-and-austrias-elections-0)

Cataloniaâs Independence Push, Brexit Update, and Austriaâs Elections

After Chinese President Xi Jinping’s elevation to Mao-like status at the Chinese Communist Party National Congress this week, we look at what his rise means for China and the rest of the world. We’re joined by CSIS’s Freeman Chair in China Studies Chris Johnson. Hosted by Colm Quinn.
Chris’s analysis from October 18: “Xi Jinping Opens 19th Party Congress Proclaiming a New Era—His”
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/csis-podcast/what-xi-jinpings-ascent-means)

What Xi Jinpingâs Ascent Means

Following the deaths of four U.S. servicemen last month in a militant ambush, the question of America’s involvement in that country and wider region have been hotly debated. This week we hear from Africa Program Director Jennifer Cooke on why the U.S. is there to begin with, the danger of over-militarizing the region, and what an African-led solution would look like. Hosted by Colm Quinn.
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/csis-podcast/why-us-forces-are-niger)

Why U.S. forces are in Niger

After the mass-arrests of dozens of royal family members in Saudi Arabia on corruption charges, we look at how Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's latest move will affect the kingdom and the wider region. With Middle East Program Director Jon Alterman. Hosted by Colm Quinn.
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/csis-podcast/royal-mess-whats-happening-saudi-arabia)

A Royal Mess: What's Happening in Saudi Arabia

As conditions in Yemen continue to deteroriate from a disastrous civil war, we get an update on the facts on the ground from the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick. Hosted by Colm Quinn.

Yemen's Human Catastrophe

This episode focuses on China’s political influence activities beyond its borders, as it seeks to shape both public opinion and domestic policy of countries around the world. Our guest, Anne-Marie Brady, discusses her new report from the Woodrow Wilson Center, titled “Magic weapons: China’s Political influence activities under Xi Jinping,” and how China has sought to influence both New Zealand’s domestic politics and its public perception of China. Professor Brady explores the history of the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Department, and the various methods it uses to influence policy in various countries. She also discusses how politicians should strive to guard against this type of meddling in the internal politics of their countries.

Dr. Anne-Marie Brady is a professor at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and a global fellow with the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States’ Polar Initiative at the Wilson Center. Dr. Brady is the Executive Editor of The Polar Journal. Her research focuses on Chinese domestic and foreign politics as well as polar politics.

China’s Political Influence Activities: A Conversation with Anne-Marie Brady

There’s a frenzy in Washington surrounding the 2016 election and Russia’s interference in it.  Plenty of the buzz is partisan in its tenor, and there is plenty of it to go around on both sides of the aisle.  This episode of The Kremlin Playbook rises above partisan politics and focuses on what options the US has to counter  Russia’s interference in our election.

Countering Russian Interference

In this episode, Dr. Erica Downs and Dr. Jeffrey Becker join us to discuss the recent opening of a Chinese military facility in Djibouti, China’s first overseas naval base. Our conversation examines China’s strategic objectives in establishing the base and the missions that it will serve. The conversation then looks more broadly at what this base means for Chinese military strategy, how the base could strengthen China’s economic outreach, and what China’s expanded naval presence means for the United States.

Dr. Erica Downs and Dr. Jeffrey Becker are senior analysts at the Center for Naval Analyses’ China Studies Division. Dr. Downs and Becker are the authors of a report titled “China’s Military Support Facility in Djibouti: The Economic and Security Dimensions of China’s First Overseas Base” (2017).

China’s First Overseas Military Base: A Conversation with Erica Downs and Jeffrey Becker

This episode dissects current dynamics between the US and China, addressing the reasons for increased friction and competition in the bilateral relationship. Our guest, Professor Da Wei, joins us to discuss how both countries view the relationship today and how these perspectives have changed as the US-China power gap has narrowed. He also analyzes the nuances in terminology used to describe China and its relationship with the US, and forecasts the likely future direction of US-China relations.

Dr. Da Wei is Assistant President as well as a professor at the University of International Relations in Beijing. He also serves as the director of the University’s Center for International Strategy and Security Studies. Previously, Da Wei was director of the Institute of American Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR). His research fields include US-China relations, American and Chinese foreign policy, and security policies.

Growing Friction in US-China Relations: A Conversation with Da Wei

This week, Heather Conley (Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; Director, Europe Program) joins Jane Nakano and Edward Chow (Energy &amp; National Security Program) to discuss the growing economic, strategic, and energy importance of the Arctic.  With increased access to Arctic resources comes increased interest from states like Russia and new players like China. (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/energy-360°/arctic-energy-geopolitics)

The Arctic: Energy & Geopolitics

In this episode of The Trade Guys, Scott Miller and Bill Reinsch recap the fallout from the Trump administration’s move to impose tariffs on the EU and Canada. The Trade Guys also look ahead to the G7 Summit, and the bad blood brewing between the U.S. and some of its key allies on trade. The Trade Guys also chat about President Trump’s pursuit of an aggressive trade agenda and the politics of it all. Recorded in front of a live audience of Tulane University Students participating in the center’s journalism practicum. Hosted by H. (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/trade-guys/4-bad-moon-rising-over-g7)

#4: Bad Moon Rising Over G7

The CSIS Trade Guys, Bill Reinsch and Scott Miller, take on the Trump administration’s announcement that it will impose tariffs on $50 billion of goods from China, raising the potential for a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies. Plus, the Trade Guys weigh in on the continuing G7 fallout and what it means for the United States. Hosted by H. Andrew Schwartz and produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/trade-guys/i-smell-trade-war)

I Smell a Trade War

The tit-for-tat tariff offensive continues as Canada slaps retaliatory tariffs on Heintz ketchup, and tariffs on steel and aluminum wreak havoc on all kinds of American products—from cars to beer. In this episode of The Trade Guys, Scott Miller and Bill Reinsch put President Trump’s notion that trade wars are “good, and easy to win” to the test. The Trade Guys also examine whether or not the administration’s trade war is at odds with its domestic economic policies. Hosted by H. Andrew Schwartz and produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/trade-guys/trade-war-hitting-fever-pitch)

Trade War Hitting A Fever Pitch

In this episode, Trade Guys Bill Reinsch and Scott Miller discuss Harley Davidson’s decision to outsource some of their production and why it has upset the President. Plus, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin doesn’t give credence to the news about President Trump considering leaving the WTO (World Trade Organization), but it has made a lot of buzz and has the Trade Guys thinking. Hosted by H. Andrew Schwartz and produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/trade-guys/goodbye-harley-davidson-and-wto)

Goodbye to Harley Davidson and the WTO?

This episode explores China’s intensified activities and interests in the South China Sea in recent years. Our guest, Bill Hayton, unpacks the history of the various parties’ sovereignty claims, and discusses how China’s actions in the South China Sea have led to greater regional tensions and increased international criticism, including from the United States. He explains China’s militarization and coercive tactics in the South China Sea, assesses the legitimacy of China’s claims, and discusses the current as well as future role of China in the region.

Bill Hayton is an associate fellow with the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House, and has written extensively on Southeast Asian issues and the South China Sea. He has also has worked for BBC News for 20 years and is currently a reporter and producer with BBC World News TV in London.

China’s South China Sea Strategy: A Conversation with Bill Hayton

In this episode, the Trade Guys discuss the mayhem right before the United States pulls the trigger on imposing tariffs on China. The tariffs are set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. in Washington on Friday, and the administration is slated to slap tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods. The administration says they want to level the playing field, but is this good for American workers and companies? Hosted by H. Andrew Schwartz and produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/trade-guys/counting-down-tariff-time)

Counting Down to Tariff Time

When it comes to U.S. foreign policy, the focus - for good reason - tends to fall on the White House. But the U.S. House and Senate are not toothless when it comes to foreign affairs, and often see the world in a different way than the president. A new CSIS study seeks to define how members of Congress in both parties view the U.S. role in the world, and comes up with a new lens with which to define members. We hear from the report's leaders Kathleen Hicks, Louis Lauter, and Colin McElhinny on what this means for U.S. leadership ahead of a contentious election season. (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/readout/how-congress-can-make-its-mark-us-foreign-policy)

How Congress Can Make Its Mark on U.S. Foreign Policy

In this episode of Take as Directed, we are joined by Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Since assuming his position as CDC Director in March of this year, Dr. Redfield has led the effort to enhance the CDC’s role in the continuing polio endgame.  In part one of our two-part conversation, he discusses the complexities of the polio endgame, and shares what he believes to be the CDC’s most significant contributions to this global effort. 
 
Hosted by J. Stephen Morrison

In Conversation with Dr. Robert Redfield: Part I – CDC’s Commitment to the Polio Endgame

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.

The PLA Navy’s Growing Prowess: A Conversation with Andrew Erickson

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has had unprecedented success helping low income countries purchase and deliver vaccines. This has helped to increase immunization coverage for many underserved populations. But as global immunization rates have stalled over the last few years, the public/private partnership is looking for new approaches to ensure that vaccines are available to all the world’s children. In this episode of Take as Directed, CSIS senior fellow Nellie Bristol sits down with Adrien de Chaisemartin, Director of Strategy, Funding & Performance at Gavi, to discuss Gavi’s continuing work to improve partner engagement, build management capacity, and bolster immunization systems.

Amplifying the Power of Gavi

A Positive Trade Agenda Part 5 - Afternoon Discussion

A Positive Trade Agenda Part 4 - Meeting The China Challenge

A Positive Trade Agenda Part 3 - Out With The Old, In With The New

A Positive Trade Agenda Part 2 - Envisioning A World Of Three Zeroes

A Positive Trade Agenda Part 1 - Opening Keynote With Hank Paulson

The anti-vaccination movement has recently come into the spotlight after the resurgence of measles, a vaccine-preventable respiratory illness, has emerged across the United States in the past year. In this episode of Take as Directed, Steve Morrison speaks with Lena Sun, award-winning national health reporter for The Washington Post to discuss how the anti-vaxxer movement has evolved into what it is today—a small but vocal, social media-savvy, activist group of Americans. Over the course of her career, Lena has written widely on a number of issues related to public health and infectious disease, and her most recent work is on the topic of the anti-vaxxer movement in the U.S., its implications on public health, and state and federal responses to the anti-vaxxer movement.

The Anti-Vaxxer Movement and its Implications on Public Health

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 Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

China’s Push to Reform Global Governance: A Conversation with Melanie Hart

“The Kremlin Playbook 2” report demonstrates that some countries facilitate or enable the type of Russian malign economic influence that was uncovered in the first Kremlin Playbook report. On this episode, Heather A. Conley (CSIS), Donatienne Ruy (CSIS), and Martin Vladimirov (Center for the Study of Democracy) take listeners behind the scene and discuss the creation of The Kremlin Playbook series. They present key takeaways and biggest surprises, the requirements of such a study, and the way forward for this research.

Special Episode:The Making of “The Kremlin Playbook 2”

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.

Carbon, Climate, and China: A Conversation with Barbara Finamore

This episode discusses China’s role and actions as a United Nations Security Council permanent member. Our guest, Dr. Courtney Fung, analyzes China’s “status dilemma” and the evolution of its behavior in the UN since being admitted in 1971. She also explains the motivations behind China’s leading role in UN Peacekeeping Operations, as well as how its position in the UN could factor in to China’s push for global governance reform.
 
Dr. Courtney Fung is Assistant Professor of International Relations in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong. Her forthcoming book, China and Intervention at the UN Security Council: Reconciling Status, explains the effects of status on China's varied response to intervention and foreign-imposed regime change at the United Nations.

China’s Evolving Role in the United Nations: A Conversation with Courtney Fung

A panel discussion of benefits and challenges in using international institutions as a tool of statecraft. The conversation features Dr. Esther Brimmer, Heather Conley, Naima Green, Dr. Kristina Spohr, and Dr. Mischa Thompson and was held at the Future Strategy Forum in April 2019.

The Importance of International Institutions

This episode explores the factors that led to China’s dominance in rare earth production. Our guest, Dr. Julie Klinger, analyzes past incidents and WTO decisions that have sustained supply chains of rare earth production in China, and their impact on global production and China’s relations with other countries. Dr. Klinger also describes China’s investments into the development of technologies to mitigate the environmental burden. She further evaluates China’s own interests in diversifying the global supply chain of rare earths, and the potential for increased international cooperation on using rare earth resources more efficiently.
 
Dr. Julie Klinger is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, as well as Associate Director of BU’s Global Development Policy Center’s Land Use and Livelihoods Initiative. Dr. Klinger’s research focuses on the dynamics of global resource frontiers, with a particular focus on social and environmental sustainability.

China and the Global Rare Earth Trade: A Conversation with Julie Klinger

Mike is joined by Dr. Kath Hicks, Henry Kissinger Chair, Senior Vice President, and Director of the International Security Program at CSIS, for a discussion of how "gray zone" tactics factor into grand strategy in Asia. In unpacking the effect of gray zone tactics on strategy, Mike and Kath define the parameters of gray zone tactics and the domains in which they are most effective. With these assumptions in mind, what will the knock-on effects of gray zone tactics be on theories of coercion, victory, and defense planning in Asia? What parts of the U.S. (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/asia-chessboard/gray-zone-black-and-white-board-discussion-kath-hicks)

The Gray Zone on a Black-and-White Board: A Discussion with Kath Hicks

This episode explores China’s efforts to integrate its military and civilian sectors to support its military development and broader national security agenda. Our guest, Mr. Greg Levesque, discusses how Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) fits into China’s grand strategy and evaluates how effectively it has implemented the program to date. Mr. Levesque also weighs the risks and rewards of MCF in Beijing’s strategic calculus, and offers a path for how the US and its allies can respond to the growing nexus between military and civil development in China.
 
Greg Levesque is co-founder and CEO of Strider, a technology company enabling organizations to combat intellectual property theft and supply chain vulnerabilities outside of the cyber domain. Greg has advised and supported Fortune 500 companies as well as US and European government agencies on matters of economic statecraft, particularly around China.

Xi Jinping's Military-Civil Fusion Project: A Conversation with Greg Levesque

CSIS Events

Online Event: Humanitarian Operations During Covid-19: A Conversation with Peter Maurer of the ICRC

This episode unpacks China’s push to develop a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Our guest, Dr. Kevin Desouza, explains Beijing's motives and compares China’s plans for creating its own national digital currency with those of other countries that have undertaken similar initiatives. Dr. Desouza explores how a national digital currency can be used to bolster China’s finance and technology sectors, as well as its economy as a whole. He also offers his views on what China’s timeline might be for rolling out its own CBDC, particularly in light of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr. Kevin Desouza is a professor of Business, Technology and Strategy in the School of Management at the Queensland University of Technology Business School. Dr. Desouza is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Governance Studies Program at the Brookings Institution, and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the China Institute for Urban Governance at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He has held tenured faculty appointments at the University of Washington, Virginia Tech, and Arizona State University.

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