On March 1, in the Kunming train station, eight assailants with foot-long knives killed at least 29 people and injured 143 others. To discuss this event and its surrounding issues are Julia Famularo, Raffaello Pantucci, Alessandro Rippa, and Andrew Small.

Raffaello Pantucci is currently a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. He lived for over three years in Shanghai where he was a visiting scholar at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS). Before that he worked in London at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington. He is the author of a forthcoming history of jihadism in the UK, 'We Love Death As You Love Life:...

Andrew Small discusses the topic of his new book The China-Pakistan Axis--the often neglected relationship between Beijing and Islamabad. As someone who has traveled and done research in the region, Small is uniquely qualified to comment on this important facet of Chinese foreign policy. We also touch on the complicating roles of Afghanistan and Xinjiang.

Alessandro Rippa discusses the state of Xinjiang studies, anthropological field work, the Uighur community in Pakistan, and the challenges of conducting research in China.

Kent Calder joins me to discuss his newest book, The New Continentalism: Energy and Twenty-First-Century Eurasian Geopolitics. The heart of new continentalist logic lies in the geographic proximity between major energy consumers and major energy producers, which undergirds their symbiotic relationship in the post-Cold War era. Our conversation covers the concept of critical junctures, domestic political economies, emerging ententes, and the future of U.S. policy toward the Eurasian continent.

In this conversation about China and Russian national identities, GILBERT ROZMAN discusses the concept of national identity, its use as an analytical tool to understand foreign policy, and its application to China and Russia.

In this conversation about Sino-Iranian relations, John Garver and Zachary Keck discuss Chinese and Iranian strategic posturing, converging and diverging interests, Iran's nuclear program, and future prospects.

Alexander Cooley, Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, discusses his latest book, "Great Games, Local Rules," and the PRC President Xi Jinping's recent Central Asia tour.

For the inaugural podcast of China Pivots West, I was joined by Matt Schiavenza, Associate Editor at The Atlantic. At The Atlantic, he oversees and writes for the China Channel. Last month, he published a piece titled, "Why China Will Oppose Any Strike on Syria." We discuss China's policy on Syria, its nonintervention policy more broadly, and its performance thus far in the Middle East.

China's relationship with Central Asia and the Middle East is increasingly important in Beijing's foreign policy. Listen in on conversations with scholars, journalists, and other experts about this trending topic.