CSIS

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Channel • 52 Shows

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Government

Updated Fortnightly
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News

Updated Fortnightly
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Tech News

Updated Fortnightly
Government

Government

Updated Fortnightly
News

News

Updated Weekly
Politics

Politics

Updated Twice Monthly
Government

Government

Updated Fortnightly

4 days ago

Grand Strategy Down Under

Mike sits down with Justin Bassi, Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, to examine Australia’s latest 2026 National Defence Strategy and what it reveals about Canberra’s evolving strategic outlook. They examine how the strategy aims to address Australia’s most pressing security challenges, how it differs from previous defense planning approaches, and explore emerging opportunities and considerations ahead as Canberra seeks to implement its objectives. Mike and Justin also explore the role of Australia’s broader policy community in shaping national defence debates, and how think tanks and other expert networks influence Canberra’s choices as it navigates an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific security environment.

4 days ago

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53 min
2 days ago

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.

2 days ago

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38 min
15 May

BONUS POD: Trump and Xi Meet in China

In this bonus episode of Pekingology, host Henrietta Levin is joined by Jon Czin to discuss the May 14-15 summit between President Trump and President Xi in Beijing. Henrietta and Jon unpack the personal relationship between Trump and Xi, as well as the full range of issues on the bilateral agenda - Taiwan, technology, trade, the war in Iran, soybeans, and more. Jon previously served as Director for China at the White House National Security Council and a member of the Senior Analytic Service at the CIA. He is currently Michael H. Armacost Chair in Foreign Policy Studies and a fellow at the Brookings Institution. To learn more about U.S.-China summitry, check out these Pekingology episodes: How to Win a Summit: China’s Economic and Commercial Leverage (https://www.csis.org/podcasts/pekingology/how-win-summit-chinas-economic-and-commercial-leverage) Behind the Scenes of U.S.-China Summitry (https://www.csis.org/podcasts/pekingology/behind-scenes-us-china-summitry) Kurt Campbell on China Strategy and Diplomacy (https://www.csis.org/podcasts/pekingology/kurt-campbell-china-strategy-and-diplomacy)

15 May

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44 min
21 May

Assessing the Trump–Xi Summit: A Conversation with Edgard Kagan

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Ambassador Edgard Kagan joins us to unpack President Trump’s recent summit with President Xi Jinping. He discusses the contrasting U.S. and Chinese readouts, Beijing’s push for a “constructive relationship of strategic stability,” and the priorities of each side. The conversation examines China’s role in Iran, Taiwan, and what to watch as Trump and Xi prepare for additional meetings later this year. Ambassador Edgard Kagan is senior adviser and Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

21 May

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46 min
1 day ago

Shifting Tides in Ukraine? Lawrence Freedman on the Future of the War

Max and Maria welcome Sir Lawrence Freedman, historian, author, and Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London, to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine, how he sees the conflict evolving, and what to expect in the critical months ahead. Is Ukraine winning the drone race? by Sir Lawrence Freedman Link to Substack: Comment is Freed Thoughts? Guest 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

1 day ago

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34 min
4 days ago

How to Win a Trade War with Chad Bown and Soumaya Keynes

On this episode of the Trade Guys, Bill and Scott welcome Chad Bown (Reginald Jones Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics) and Soumaya Keynes (Economics Columnist, Financial Times) to discuss the issues raised in their new book, How to Win a Trade War.

4 days ago

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33 min
30 Apr

China and the Iran War: Beijing's Ambitions in the Middle East

In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Aaron Glasserman, an expert on China's Middle East strategy and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Contemporary China. Aaron and Henrietta unpack what China is really trying to achieve in the Middle East, how China is approaching the U.S. war against Iran, and what this all means for the upcoming summit between President Trump and President Xi.

30 Apr

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39 min
14 May

How to Win a Summit: China’s Economic and Commercial Leverage

In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Philip Luck, Director of the CSIS Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business. Phil was previously the deputy chief economist at the U.S. Department of State. Phil and Henrietta discuss the economic and commercial context for the big summit between President Trump and President Xi in Beijing, what it means to have “managed trade,” the trajectory of U.S. tariff rates and export controls, and how soybeans may shape the future of U.S.-China relations. Tune in tomorrow (May 15) for a special bonus episode unpacking the outcomes from President Trump's visit to China, featuring Jon Czin, fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Director for China at the White House National Security Council.

14 May

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44 min
8 May

China’s View of the War in Iran: A Conversation with Zhang Chuchu

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Zhang Chuchu joins us to discuss how China views the war in Iran and what the conflict means for China’s interests and strategy in the Middle East. She explains Chinese concerns about regional spillover, energy security, and the erosion of trust in international negotiations. The conversation also discusses China’s diplomatic approach and what the conflict means for U.S.–China relations and the upcoming Trump–Xi leadership meeting. Zhang Chuchu is an associate professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs and deputy director at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University.

8 May

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42 min
1 day ago

Is Something Big About to Happen with North Korea?

A flurry of diplomatic activity and a reported visit of Xi Jinping to North Korea has heightened speculation that something is afoot. Victor Cha, Tom Christensen, and Edgard Kagan join Will to discuss what these signals indicate, how relations between North Korea and China are shifting, and what a Trump-Kim meeting could achieve. Victor Cha and Andy Lim, “Can Sports Diplomacy Open a Door on the Korean Peninsula?” CSIS, May 4, 2026. Edgard Kagan, “Trump-Xi Summit in Beijing: Managing the World’s Most Important Relationship,” CSIS, May 8, 2026.

1 day ago

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35 min

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