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Updated Fortnightly
Government

Government

Updated Fortnightly
News

News

Updated Monthly
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Tech News

Updated Fortnightly

9 July

Avoiding War in the South China Sea

Ten years after an international tribunal found the vast majority of China’s claims in the South China Sea to be unlawful, the risk of conflict in this vital global throughway remains stubbornly high. This week on Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Greg Poling, Director and Senior Fellow of the CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and Southeast Asia Program, for a wide-ranging discussion on China’s strategy, successes, and failures in the South China Sea. They examine the evolving nature of China’s maritime claims, why Beijing cares so much about small rocks in the middle of the ocean, and why the South China Sea has become a major flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. To learn more about the South China Sea, you can read Greg’s book On Dangerous Ground: America’s Century in the South China Sea. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/on-dangerous-ground-9780197633984
25 June

China Was Ready for the Age of Anarchy

As a global power, China faces a growing tension between its ambitions to reshape the international order and its disinterest in bearing the costs of upholding that new system. In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Sam Chetwin George, Senior Fellow at the Asia Society’s Center on U.S.–China Relations and Research Fellow at China Heritage, to explore Beijing’s evolving perspectives on the post-World War II order and what comes next. They discuss China’s vision for global governance, the ideological foundations of its international strategy, how its domestic economic challenges may shape its international priorities, and how it approaches the conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, and Myanmar. To learn more about Sam’s perspectives on Chinese foreign policy, you can read his new Foreign Affairs article, China Was Ready for the Age of Anarchy: Why Turbulence Will Make Beijing More Assertive. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/china-was-ready-age-anarchy
6 days ago

Ukraine' Dynamic Defense Sector: Combat Hubs, Air Defense, and Non-Stop Innovation

Investigative journalist Tim Mak, who has been stationed in Ukraine since 2022, joins Max and Maria for a discussion about life in Kyiv, the processes and challenges driving innovation in Ukraine’s dynamic civilian defense combat hubs, and the impact of AI and information integration on the battlefield. Mentioned: The Counteroffensive by Tim Mak, Substack The Arsenal, Tim Mak Build Back Ukraine, Tim Mak Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org. If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile
30 June

The New Great Game in the Pacific Islands

In this episode, Mike is joined by Ambassador Laura Stone, who most recently served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands and previously held senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of State, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for China and Mongolia. They discuss the role that the Marshall Islands and the broader Pacific Islands play in U.S. engagement with the Indo-Pacific, how they factor into U.S.–China strategic competition, and how the United States can work more effectively with its allies and partners to strengthen its approach to the region.
2 July

China’s Role in Southeast Asia’s Scam Centers: A Conversation with Courtney Weatherb

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Courtney Weatherby joins us to discuss the growing crisis of scam centers in Southeast Asia. She explains how these operations function, the role of Chinese criminal networks, and their impact on the United States. The conversation explores the rise of AI-enabled scams, recent enforcement actions in Cambodia, China's selective crackdowns on scam networks, and opportunities for greater international cooperation to combat transnational cybercrime. Courtney Weatherby is Deputy Director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia program.
2 days ago

Section 301 Tariffs and Digital Services Taxes in Europe

Bill and Scott unpack the latest developments around the Trump administration's Section 301 tariffs and take a look at the state of digital services taxes in Europe following President Trump's recent threat to impose 100% tariffs on countries that move forward with those taxes.
11 June

Inside the China-Russia Partnership

China and Russia have transformed a historically fraught relationship into one of the most consequential strategic partnerships in the world. This week on Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Alexander Gabuev, a leading expert on China-Russia ties and director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. They examine how Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have deepened their bilateral and personal ties, what China gains from supporting Russia's war in Ukraine, and where the limits of their “no-limits” partnership may lie. The conversation explores energy, sanctions, leverage, people-to-people ties, and the role of the Xi-Putin relationship in shaping the future of international order.
7 July

USMCA Review Deadline with CSIS's Diego Marroquín Bitar

Bill and Scott welcome Diego Marroquín Bitar, fellow with the CSIS Americas Program, following the July 1, 2026, USMCA review deadline to discuss the U.S. decision not to renew and the future of the USMCA.
28 May

Can China Control North Korea?

In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Adam Farrar, who previously served as Special Advisor to the Vice President for the Indo-Pacific, Space, and Intelligence as well as Director for the Korean Peninsula and Mongolia at the White House National Security Council. Adam is currently a Senior Geoeconomics Analyst at Bloomberg and Non-Resident Senior Associate with the CSIS Korea Chair. As Xi Jinping prepares for a rare trip to Pyongyang, Henrietta and Adam unpack China’s complex relationship with North Korea. They discuss what the Trump-Xi summit revealed about Beijing’s position on denuclearization, how much leverage China actually has over Pyongyang, and why Kim Jong Un keeps creating problems for Xi. The conversation also explores how Beijing balances its desire for stability on the Korean Peninsula with Moscow's growing influence there, and what all of this means for U.S. strategy in Asia.
26 June

How Drone Innovation Reshapes the Battlefield in Ukraine with Kate Bondar

Max and Maria sit down with Kate Bondar, Senior Fellow at CSIS’s Wadhwani AI Center and expert on autonomous warfare, to discuss the role of drones in combat in Ukraine, including Russia’s innovation tactics and takeaways from the recent increase in strikes on Moscow and Kyiv. Mentioned: How Russia Is Building a Sovereign Drone Ecosystem for AI-Driven Autonomy | CSIS report by Kate Bondar Defining Autonomy: Why Software, Not Drones, Will Decide the Next War | CSIS report by Kate Bondar and Matt Mande Russia Is Building Tomorrow’s War Machine | Kate Bondar in The New York Times Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org. If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile

CSIS podcasts feature experts & scholars on a range of critical issues surrounding geopolitics, national security, defense, & international affairs topics.