Brian Hart

Dr. Matthew Funaiole and Mr. Brian Hart dive into China's polar ambitions, highlighting its strategic interests in the Arctic and Antarctic. Funaiole discusses the implications of China's new research station in Antarctica, emphasizing its dual-use potential. Hart elaborates on the challenges China faces in forming Arctic partnerships and its cooperation with Russia. Their analysis also underscores the importance of transparency in China's polar operations and the significant implications for U.S. security interests and global governance.

Jon Czin, a foreign policy scholar with deep China policy experience; Sheena Chestnut Greitens, an expert on coercive institutions; Taylor Fravel, a security scholar on PLA operations; John Culver, a longtime analyst of the PLA; and Brian Hart, a China studies moderator. They dissect Xi’s wide military purges, the timeline and scope of removals, effects on PLA readiness and decisionmaking, promotion tradeoffs between loyalty and competence, and implications for succession and military structure.

Dr. Matthew Funaiole and Mr. Brian Hart discuss Hidden Reach's analysis of China's growing influence abroad, addressing topics such as civilian research vessels, ground stations in South America, and the role of satellite imagery in open-source intelligence. They explore China's military civil fusion strategy, its efforts to displace US influence, and upcoming research projects.