ChinaPower

This episode examines China’s increasing engagement with countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Our guest, Dr. Jon Alterman, evaluates the main drivers of China’s growing involvement in the region, including its crude oil imports and investment in ports and infrastructure. Dr. Alterman also explains China’s non-interference policy in the region’s disputes, and why China’s relationship with MENA countries has not suffered since China’s mass detention of Uighur populations in Xinjiang. Dr. Jon Alterman is a senior vice president, holds the Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and is director of the Middle East Program at CSIS. He previously served as a member of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State and as a special assistant to the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. In addition to his policy work, he often teaches Middle Eastern studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the George Washington University.

This episode examines the behavior of China and other claimants in the South China Sea, including recent incidents between China and the Philippines and between China and Vietnam. Our guest, Mr. Greg Poling, analyzes the reactions of the Chinese, Philippines, and Vietnamese governments in light of recent conflicts. He also explains the purpose behind the presence of China’s maritime militia in the South China Sea, as well as the likelihood that a Code of Conduct will be signed between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the next few years. Mr. Greg Poling is director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and a fellow with the Southeast Asia Program at CSIS. He oversees research on US foreign policy in the Asia Pacific, with a particular focus on the maritime domain and the countries of Southeast Asia. His research interests include the South China Sea disputes, democratization in Southeast Asia, and Asian multilateralism.

This episode examines China’s role in the World Trade Organization (WTO), including the economic and political effects of membership since its accession process. Our guest, Dr. Tu Xinquan, discusses the ways in which Beijing has utilized the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and assesses how well it has complied with WTO rulings. He also explains China’s proposed WTO reforms and the overall influence of the WTO as an organization amid anti-globalization sentiments. Dr. Tu Xinquan is Executive Dean and Professor at the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, Beijing (UIBE). Dr. Tu’s research focuses on the WTO, Chinese trade policy, agreements on government procurement, and US-China trade relations.

This episode delves into China’s evolving nuclear capabilities and policies. Our guest, Dr. Hans Kristensen, breaks down Beijing’s approach to nuclear weapons and explains the drivers behind China’s nuclear doctrine. Dr. Kristensen also compares China’s nuclear inventory with other major powers like the U.S. and Russia, and China’s stance on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and its potential follow-on. Dr. Hans Kristensen is director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. He is co-author of the Nuclear Notebook column in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as well as the World Nuclear Forces overview in the SIPRI Yearbook.

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.

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.

This episode investigates the evolving political and economic circumstances surrounding Chinese telecommunications company Huawei and its attempts to integrate its technology in global markets. Our guest, Dr. James Lewis, explores the growing concerns in the US and some of its democratic allies about Huawei, as well as the decisions by countries like the UK to adopt Huawei technology. Dr. Lewis also discusses Huawei’s relationship with the Chinese government and the diplomatic fallout between Beijing and Washington over the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.   Dr. James Lewis is a senior vice president and director of the Technology Policy Program at CSIS. Before joining CSIS, he worked at the Departments of State and Commerce as a Foreign Service officer and as a member of the Senior Executive Service. His current research examines the effect of technology on warfare and how the Internet has changed politics.

This episode explores current developments in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the lead-up to the second Belt and Road Forum. Our guest, Mr. Jonathan Hillman, discusses the BRI’s current projects and financing, including recent backlash and scrutiny from partner countries. Mr. Hillman also details the approach the U.S. is taking toward the initiative in the face of recent agreements on the BRI between other democratic nations and China. Jonathan Hillman is a senior fellow with the Simon Chair in Political Economy and director of the Reconnecting Asia Project at CSIS. His research focuses on the intersection of economics and foreign policy, including trade, globalization, economic statecraft, and China’s BRI. Prior to joining CSIS, he served as a policy adviser at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

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.

This episode assesses China’s development of unmanned systems, especially its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their role in China’s military capacity and international commercial export markets. Our guest, Mr. Tate Nurkin, analyzes the impact of UAVs on new military and security practices in China. He also provides insight into how Chinese drone manufacturers such as DJI have been able to dominate the commercial UAV market. Tate Nurkin is the founder of OTH Intelligence Group LLC and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Brent Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council. Mr. Nurkin spent 12 years at Jane’s by IHS Markit and also has previously worked for Joint Management Services, the Strategic Assessment Center of SAIC, and the Modeling, Simulation, Wargaming, and Analysis team of Booz Allen Hamilton. His research and analysis focuses on China’s military modernization and technology development, US-China competition, and the global defense industry.