Hosted by Bonnie S. Glaser, the ChinaPower Podcast dissects critical issues underpinning China’s emergence as a global power.

China Power

2019

CHINA DIGEST 18/03

Ties between the US and Chinese militaries are deepening at the same time that strategic competition between them is increasing, especially in the Asia-Pacific. The US is hoping that efforts such as the establishment of the Strategic Security Dialogue in 2012 and the inclusion of China in Rim of the Pacific naval exercises will help avoid miscalculation that could escalate to a political or even military crisis. In this episode, we welcome Phillip C. Saunders as we discuss both the progress that’s been made and the persistent challenges in US-China military relations.

US-China Military Ties: A Conversation with Phillip C. Saunders

China’s Energy Security: A Conversation with Zha Daojiong

Space is a tool of national power, and China’s space programs, like those of the United States and other countries, have both political and strategic objectives. One focus of China’s space program is on human spaceflight, and Chinese leaders are aiming to achieve a lunar landing in the 2030’s. China is utilizing space for communications, science, and military purposes. China’s space program is a source of pride for the Chinese people and a component of Chinese soft power. In this episode, we welcome Joan Johnson-Freese as we discuss China’s ongoing efforts and objectives of its space program.

China’s Race to Space: A Conversation with Joan Johnson-Freese

China’s new Overseas Non-Governmental Organization Law took effect on January 1st and is aimed primarily at reducing the influence of foreign actors on domestic affairs. Beijing now requires foreign organizations to register with the Ministry of Public Security and have an official Chinese sponsor or host organization. These measures have prompted international concern that Beijing will use its new regulations to constrain or even expel organizations advocating for human rights, women’s issues, public health and environmental protection. In this episode, we welcome Dr. Sophie Richardson as we discuss the implications of the law for China’s development as a modern society and a country that aims to play a bigger role in global governance.

China’s New Foreign NGO Law: A Conversation with Sophie Richardson

Russia and China, despite a contentious history, have been increasing strategic cooperation in ways that affect U.S. interests. In a special crossover episode between the ChinaPower podcast and Russian Roulette, we sit down with Olga Oliker and Jeff Mankoff of the Russia Program at CSIS. In this episode, we discuss Beijing’s view of its place in the world and how Moscow fits into this vision, Moscow’s priorities in its relations with China and Asia more broadly, and how this all impacts Russia’s and China’s respective relationships with the United States.

Russia, China, and the Global Order: A Conversation with Olga Oliker and Jeff Mankoff

How are thermal cameras used in the drone industry? For that question, we turn to Randall Warnas of FLIR Systems. Flir designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes thermal imaging technologies that protect and save lives, promote efficiency and innovate consumer-facing technologies. At Flir, Randall runs the company’s sUAS global business, and has a singularly unique perspective of the drone industry. From pioneering drone retail in 2014, he went on to develop the initial stages and foundation of DJI’s Enterprise business. Now working for FLIR, he has engaged with tens of thousands of end-users in both the consumer and commercial space. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Randall introduces us to Flir Systems, their thermal drone technology and discusses some of use cases for thermal imaging.

Thermal Imaging and Beyond: Randall Warnas, Flir Systems

This week's episode: Gov. Gavin Newsom takes office and immediately offers major policy proposals on healthcare and education. We discuss those efforts plus the spirit the Newsom family brings to the capital city. And a moment in podcast history: a farewell to Melanie. With John Myers and Melanie Mason of the Los Angeles Times.

January 7: California's 40th Governor

Recent challenges in the U.S.-China economic relationship have been well-documented in the United States and debated from every point of view. But how is the trade war viewed by the U.S. business community in China? As an American working in Beijing, Ben Harburg, managing partner of MSA Capital, gives his interpretation of the short- and long-term effects of this tension in the relationship.  

Ben Harburg is a Managing Partner of MSA Capital, a venture capital firm which has invested $1b over the last 4 years into Chinese technology companies. In 2018, the firm had one of the most successful years of any VC fund globally, with four IPOs and one major sale. MSA’s most recent venture fund already boasts 10 companies individually valued at over $1b. 

Prior to MSA, he worked for The Boston Consulting Group and founded several companies. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Freie University Berlin and Neubauer Scholar at Tufts University, where he also sits on the Board of Advisors of the School of Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Carnegie Endowment’s Tsinghua Center.

Ben Harburg: A View of the U.S.-China Trade War from Beijing

This episode explores China’s new-energy vehicle (NEV) market and draws from the November 2018 CSIS report entitled China’s Risky Drive into New-Energy Vehicles. We are joined by the author of the report, Dr. Scott Kennedy, who examines the strategic and economic motivations behind Beijing’s prioritization of NEVs. Dr. Kennedy discusses the positive results of China becoming the world’s largest NEV market, as well as issues the industry faces in China, such as overcapacity, environmental ramifications, and the challenges posed by international competitors. He also offers his assessment of how the industry will evolve and China’s role moving forward.

Dr. Scott Kennedy is senior adviser of the Freeman Chair in China Studies and director of Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at CSIS. Prior to joining CSIS, he was a professor at Indiana University (IU) for over 14 years. His work focuses on China’s economic policy and its global economic relations, including industrial policy, technology innovation, and US-China commercial relations.

China’s Emerging New-Energy Vehicle Industry: A Conversation with Scott Kennedy

CSIS