China in the World is back with a special series of five episodes focusing on Southeast Asian perspectives on China. In the first episode, Ian Chong, a nonresident scholar at Carnegie China, discusses the South China Sea with Charmaine Willoughby, also a nonresident scholar at Carnegie China who focuses on alliances, maritime security, and security cooperation; and Chanintira "Neen" na Thalang, an associate professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University in Bangkok,...

In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Dr. Ian Chong, non-resident scholar at Carnegie China and Associate Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore. The two experts discuss President Biden and Xi's upcoming meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco. The two also discuss the current state of U.S.-China relations and how the two powers are viewed from Southeast Asia as well as Dr. Chong's recent...

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the China in the World podcast, Carnegie China is launching a series of lookback episodes, using audio clips from previous interviews to put current international issues in context. For the fifth and final episode in this series, the podcast looks back on 10 years of US-China trade relations. US-China trade ties have undergone significant changes since the launch of the China in the World podcast. In March 2012, the United States, the EU, and Japan...

In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Dr. Huong Le Thu, non-resident fellow with the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The two discuss Dr. Le Thu’s recent Foreign Affairs article on Vietnam’s “multialignment” strategy, the recent announcement of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, China-Vietnam relations, the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, and how Southeast Asia is responding...

Amid renewed tensions in the South China Sea, Paul Haenle speaks with Dr. Isaac Kardon, Senior Fellow in the Carnegie Endowment’s Asia Program, about his new book, China’s Law of the Sea: The New Rules of Maritime Order. The two discuss Kardon’s book, China’s approach to international maritime law, the China-Philippines maritime standoff, and more. Isaac Kardon is a Senior Fellow in the Carnegie Endowment’s Asia Program. Isaac was formerly assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College,...

In June, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his first visit to China since the Biden administration entered office, and in July, Treasury Secretary Yellen and Climate Envoy John Kerry travelled to China to engage in discussions with Chinese officials. As the United States and China begin to restart high-level dialogues, there continue to be many unaddressed issues in the relationship, from trade to technology. Will the two sides be able to reopen military dialogues? Can they...

For the 200th episode of the China in the World podcast, Carnegie China looks back on interviews conducted over the last 10 years, highlighting discussions with scholars and experts from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Over the last 10 years, Paul Haenle has hosted dozens of conversations, conducted both online and at Carnegie's office in Beijing, with Carnegie scholars from across Carnegie’s six global centers, covering topics ranging from the U.S.-China relations and...

After more than one year of conflict, the Russia-Ukraine War continues to drag on. Last week, China’s envoy, Li Hui, traveled throughout European capitals to discuss the potential for a “political settlement” of the Ukraine crisis. Meanwhile, Kiev has launched a counteroffensive in five areas along the front in Donetsk. In the background, China-Russia diplomatic, economic, and military relations remain robust. How is the Ukraine war impacting China-Russia relations? Are there limits to the...

Although traditionally focused on economic engagement in the Middle East, in recent months China has indicated a greater willingness to engage in regional conflict mediation. The Saudi-Iran normalization agreement, brokered in Beijing, speaks to China’s growing involvement in regional political and security issues. Chinese officials have also expressed interest in de-escalating the Israel-Palestine crisis and renewing the Iran nuclear deal. Meanwhile, the United States appears to be shifting...

In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with William C. Kirby, T.M. Chang Professor of China Studies and Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration at Harvard University. The discussion highlights Dr. Kirby’s new book, Empires of Ideas: Creating the Modern University from Germany to America to China (Harvard University Press: 2022). Kirby’s book chronicles two revolutions in higher education over the last two centuries–the birth of the research...

U.S.-China relations and East Asian affairs have evolved significantly over the last two decades. Nonetheless, many of the same questions continue to challenge policymakers in Washington. How should the United States grapple with a rising China? How should it engage militarily and economically in Asia? How does China factor into the United States’ Asia policy? In a new book, Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama, National Security Council experts from the Bush...

As the war in Ukraine drags on, China-EU relations face mounting uncertainties. Beijing has attempted to tread a fine line between maintaining its strategic partnership with Russia, while mitigating downward pressure on relations with the European Union. China’s 12-point position paper is the latest sign of Beijing’s attempt to portray itself as a neutral party to the conflict in Ukraine. On the other hand, China’s failure to use its influence on Russia to respect the UN Charter has cast...

On this joint episode of the China in the World podcast and the Asia Chessboard, Jude Blanchette interviews Paul Haenle and two of his former White House National Security Council (NSC) colleagues, Michael Green and Faryar Shirzad, about U.S. policy toward China during the George W. Bush administration. The three experts begin by recapping economic and security ties between the United States and China at the outset of the Bush administration in 2001, discussing the administration’s China...

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the China in the World podcast, Carnegie China is launching a series of lookback episodes, using clips from previous interviews to put current international issues in context. For the third episode in this series, the podcast looks back on 10 years of dealing with the North Korea challenge. Developments on the Korean Peninsula have undergone major changes since the launch of the China in the World podcast. In 2011, Kim Jong-un succeeded his father, Kim...

The ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute recently released its State of Southeast Asia 2023 Survey, which gauges the views and perceptions of Southeast Asians on geopolitical developments affecting the region over the preceding year. The 2023 survey reveals that Southeast Asia’s top preoccupations include recessionary pressures, potential military tensions, and a ‘slow and ineffective’ ASEAN. China continues to be regarded as the most influential economic and political power...

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the China in the World podcast, Carnegie China is launching a series of lookback episodes, using clips from previous interviews to put current international issues in context. For the second episode in this series, the podcast looks back on ten years of China-Russia relations, one year into the war in Ukraine. China-Russia relations have evolved significantly since the launch of the China in the World podcast. In 2014, Russia announced its annexation of...

On this joint episode of the China in the World podcast and the U.S.-China Nexus podcast, Eleanor Albert interviews Paul Haenle and two of his former National Security Council (NSC) colleagues, Dennis Wilder and Faryar Shirzad, about U.S. policy toward China during the George W. Bush administration. The three experts assess president Bush’s approach to China and the strategic perspective that guided U.S. engagement with Beijing as well as its hedging strategy against the prospect of a more...

Nearly twelve months ago, Russia launched a large-scale land invasion into Ukraine, upending the post-Cold War landscape in Europe. While the United States and NATO quickly coalesced around the defense of Ukraine, many countries in Asia and the developing world have carefully balanced their relations between Russia, Ukraine, and the West. China, for its part, has straddled several competing objectives–calling for an end to hostilities in Ukraine, yet maintaining a close strategic partnership...

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the China in the World podcast, Carnegie China is launching a series of lookback episodes, using clips from previous interviews to put current international issues in context. For the first episode in this series, the podcast looks back on ten years of U.S.-China diplomacy following the postponement of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned visit to China in early 2023. The China in the World podcast has spanned three U.S. administrations and...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently visited Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting resulted in 14 bilateral cooperation agreements, including over $20 billion in new investment pledges, as well as commitments to manage maritime differences in the South China Sea. In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby, Associate Professor in the Department of International Studies of De La Salle...

Despite some progress on the border dispute, China and India remain at odds. Beijing’s assertiveness in the Himalayas has pushed New Delhi closer toward the United States and Europe, and there are few signs that the two Asian powers can mend their strained relationship. Though New Delhi’s ties with Washington are warming, the latter has been frustrated by the former’s refusal to join Western sanctions on Russia. And while India has further embraced the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and...

Following the 20th Party Congress, China’s paramount leader Xi Jinping engaged in a flurry of high-level diplomatic meetings with heads of state from dozens of countries in East and Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Hoang Thi Ha, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, about Xi’s recent diplomacy, China-ASEAN relations, U.S.-China competition in Southeast Asia, and environmental issues in the...

Amid the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration has maintained focus on China and enjoyed robust bipartisan support for pursuing a tough approach to Beijing. Recent U.S. export controls on semiconductors and related chip manufacturing equipment have raised the stakes of U.S.-China competition, and many in China now feel as though the United States is seeking to slow China's rise. Beijing, for its part, is not backing down from U.S. pressure. Unprecedented military drills around Taiwan after...

In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Evan Laksmana about U.S.-China dynamics in Southeast Asia and Southeast Asian views of U.S. foreign policy in the region. Haenle and Laksmana touch on the role of ASEAN, the Quad, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework as well as China and the United States’ competing visions of regional order.