The Asia Chessboard

This week, Mike discusses the dynamic geopolitics of the Pacific Islands with Georgetown University Professor Patricia O’Brien. Mike and Patty explore the post-World War II history of this complex region, analyze recent political trends in key countries such as Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, and explain how the Pacific Islands fit in with overall U.S. strategy in Asia. The two also touch on how U.S.-China competition impacts the region and the Biden Administration’s efforts to renegotiate the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) between the United States, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the Federated States of Micronesia (Micronesia), and the Republic of Palau (Palau). 

This week, Mike is joined by the inaugural Australia Chair at CSIS, Dr. Charles Edel. The two start with an important discussion on the intersection of history and strategy, the strategic mind of John Quincy Adams, and the need for an Australia Chair in Washington as Australian influence on U.S. decisionmaking becomes more significant. Mike and Charles also assess the Biden administration’s new Indo-Pacific strategy, Australia’s role in increasing multilateral cooperation in the region, including within AUKUS and the Quad, and Australia’s deepening relationship with Japan.

This week, Mike is joined by Carolyn Bartholomew and Robin Cleveland, Chair and Vice Chair of the 2021 Annual Report Cycle for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Mike, Carolyn, and Robin discuss the history and mandate of the commission, the process behind drafting the 2021 report, and topline findings and recommendations. Topics include concerns about Chinese nuclear capabilities, investment risks, funding for INDOPACOM, U.S. presence in the region, and Chinese influence in Latin America.  

This week, Mike is joined by Hal Brands, the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), to discuss his new book, The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches Us about Great-Power Rivalry Today. Mike and Hal analyze the merits of applied history and how the Cold War is an appropriate lens through which to gain insights about current U.S.-China long-term competition. How can lessons from the Cold War inform current U.S. strategy? Is the United State prepared for long-term competition? What is the U.S. theory of victory?

This week, Dr. Green is joined by Dr. Yoichi Funabashi, chairman of the Tokyo-based think tank Asia Pacific Initiative, to discuss geopolitical and economic trends in the Indo-Pacific and Japanese grand strategy. Dr. Funabashi talks about the evolution of Japan’s foreign policy strategy, from the Abe administration to the new Kishida administration, as well as the role of the U.S.-Japan alliance in Japan’s strategic thinking. The two also touch on Japan’s relationship with South Korea, economic security, and Japan’s prospects for acquiring strike capabilities.  

This week, Mike unpacks recent developments in the U.S.-Australia alliance, including the AUKUS agreement, with Rory Medcalf, professor and head of the National Security College at Australia National University. The two discuss the second edition to Rory’s book, Indo-Pacific Empire: China, America and the contest for the world's pivotal region, and how regional dynamics and geopolitics have changed over the past two years. What were the conditions that lead to the AUKUS agreement, and what is its strategic significance in the context of U.S.-China competition? What are the major “hotspots” in the Indo-Pacific that the United States and Australia should be concerned about?

For the 50th episode of the Asia Chessboard, Mike is joined by David Berteau, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Material Readiness, to discuss the intersection of strategy and logistics in the Indo-Pacific. How do we get U.S. forces into the region, and once they are there, how do we sustain them? How should the U.S. incorporate allies and partners into logistics planning? How do logistics impact U.S. extended deterrence? These questions of how to implement U.S. Asia strategy are important to consider given the current security environment and China challenge. 

Ahead of the 50th episode of the Asia Chessboard, we thought we would take a look back at some of our favorite conversations with key players from the past two and a half years. The first conversation is with Ambassador Richard Armitage, in which he and Mike grade the U.S., Japanese, and Chinese grand strategies in Asia. The second conversation features a discussion with Ambassador Kurt Tong on how the United States can rebuild its trade strategy in Asia. The last conversation is from our episode with Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed on the bipartisan nature of U.S. Asia strategy and the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. 

This week, Mike discusses the nuclear pieces on the Asia Chessboard with Caitlin Talmadge, professor at Georgetown University, as they explore the multipolar nuclear deterrence environment in the Indo-Pacific region. Mike and Caitlin analyze U.S. and Chinese nuclear capabilities, including China’s recent military build-up, the potential for nuclear arms races in the region, and the relationship between nuclear and conventional forces. They also touch on the debate surrounding a “no first use” nuclear policy and the upcoming U.S. nuclear posture review.

This week, Mike is celebrating 70 years of U.S.-Australia relations with Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The two discuss the history and evolution of the ANZUS treaty and how alliance dynamics play out in both Washington and Canberra. They also contemplate the future of the alliance, including deepened U.S.-Australia security cooperation, the role of New Zealand in the alliance, Australian military capabilities, and trilateral cooperation with Japan.