CSIS

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Channel • 52 Shows

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Government

Twice monthly
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News

Updated weekly
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Politics

Updated weekly
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Tech News

Updated fortnightly
News

News

Updated fortnightly
News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated fortnightly
Government

Government

Updated fortnightly

2 days ago

Where Crises Converge: Russia's Role in the Middle East

Max Bergmann is joined by Hanna Notte and Natasha Hall to map the escalation risks, assess Russia's shifting military and diplomatic footprint in Syria under the new government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, and parse what a surprise CIA visit to Moscow reveals about where this global realignment is heading. Along the way, they examine Ukrainian strikes on Iranian vessels, allegations that Moscow is feeding Tehran intelligence on U.S. positions, and what a deepening Russia-Iran economic partnership means for the wider region. Guests: Hanna Notte | director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; senior associate (non-resident), Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program, CSIS Natasha Hall | senior advocate for the Middle East, Refugees International; Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Program, Chatham House; senior associate (non-resident), Middle East Program, CSIS Mentioned: Resilience Through Linkage: Russia, Iran, and Aspirations for North–South Trade – CSIS Report by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, and Nicholas Fenton We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West – Book by Hanna Notte 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
3 Sept

Kurt Campbell on China Strategy and Diplomacy

In this episode of Pekingology, Henrietta Levin, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies, is joined by Kurt Campbell, former Deputy Secretary of State and President Biden’s “Asia Czar.” He is currently Chairman of The Asia Group and Distinguished Fellow in Diplomacy with the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Henrietta and Kurt discuss how Beijing views American power, the development of U.S. strategy towards China, U.S.-China diplomacy and the characters that sat on the Chinese side of the table, and more. To learn more about Kurt Campbell’s perspectives on China, you can read his April 2025 Foreign Affairs article, co-authored with Rush Doshi, ⁠Underestimating China: Why America Needs a New Strategy of Allied Scale to Offset Beijing’s Enduring Advantages⁠, and his 2016 book, ⁠The Pivot: The Future of American Statecraft in Asia⁠.
3 days ago

China’s View of the Upcoming Trump-Xi Summit: A Conversation with Da Wei

In this episode, Dr. Da Wei joins the ChinaPower Podcast to preview this month's Trump-Xi summit in Washington, D.C., and to discuss China's expectations for the meeting. He examines how Beijing views the current trajectory of U.S.-China relations, why he believes the relationship may be entering a more stable phase, and how economic and technology competition, Taiwan, and the war in Iran could shape the leaders' discussions. Da Wei is Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy and Professor in the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua University in China.
3 days ago

Nigeria 2027: Can Nigerians Trust the 2027 Election?

As Nigeria prepares for its 2027 elections, the country faces a critical test. Trust in electoral institutions is weakening, young voters are increasingly disillusioned, and demands for accountability are growing louder. These challenges extend beyond Nigeria, as countries across Africa grapple with questions of democratic credibility, governance, and public trust amid declining funding for democracy and governance programs. Despite these challenges, citizens and civil society across the continent continue to push for more accountable and responsive governance. On this episode of Into Africa, Oge Onubogu is joined by Samson Itodo, Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, to discuss Nigeria’s electoral landscape and the governance deficit at the heart of many of its challenges. Can Nigerians trust the 2027 elections, and what will it take to rebuild public confidence in the institutions that underpin democratic governance?
4 days ago

The Beef Imports, G20 Finance Meetings, and U.S.-Canada Trade Tensions

Bill and Scott unpack President Trump's efforts to bring down beef prices by increasing imports and what that means for American ranchers, discuss key takeaways from this week's G20 finance meetings, and check back in on U.S.-Canada trade talks and Canada's retaliatory tariffs.
1 day ago

25 Years After 9/11: Is America Prepared for the Next Crisis?

Host Dr. Seth Jones sits down with Dr. Dan Byman, director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at CSIS and professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Drawing on his experience in the U.S. intelligence community, the 9/11 Commission, and the Joint 9/11 Inquiry Staff of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, Dr. Byman offers his reflections on the attacks, the United States' response in Afghanistan and the global war on terror, evolving threats to the homeland today, and the lessons that Americans should draw to improve national resilience and prepare for future crises.
20 Aug

China’s Struggle for Influence in Central Asia

Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, and key Central Asian states, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) marks its 25th anniversary this year. With Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to attend the SCO Leaders' Summit in Kyrgyzstan later this month, the organization has become an increasingly important platform for advancing Beijing's vision of a multipolar international order as China's economic, political, and security influence across Central Asia continues to grow. In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Bradley Jardine, co-author of the new book, Backlash: China’s Struggle for Influence in Central Asia. Henrietta and Bradley unpack China's goals for the upcoming SCO summit, as well as China's long history in Central Asia. They discuss Beijing's use of Silk Road narratives to frame its contemporary engagement with Central Asia, Chinese leaders' top priorities in the region - from border security, to energy resilience, to construction of an increasingly Sinocentric regional architecture - how Central Asian governments quietly manage tensions over repression in Xinjiang, and whether the "debt diplomacy" narrative holds up. They also explore the collision of Chinese and Russian interests in Central Asia, and how the SCO became a leading component of the new international order China is working to build.
6 Aug

Inside China's Dual Economy

China is generating groundbreaking advances in electric vehicles, battery technology, applied artificial intelligence, and industrial robotics. Yet Chinese households are facing stagnant wages, consumption is weak, and public confidence in the economy appears to be declining. In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Alicia García-Herrero, a leading expert on Chinese economics, to unpack China's "dual economy." They discuss why President Xi has prioritized global technological leadership over economic opportunity at home, why many of China's most successful companies struggle to turn a profit, and whether rapid AI adoption will boost growth or imperil social stability. To learn more, read Alicia García-Herrero's recent article in China Leadership Monitor, "China's Dual Economy: When Strategic Ambition Hollows Out the Foundation."
4 days ago

Decoding State-Level Regulation with Jason Elliott

This week, Aalok is joined by Jason Elliott, the former Deputy Chief of Staff to California Governor Gavin Newsom, for a conversation about regulating AI at the state level. Guests: Jason Elliott, President, Versus Solutions Timestamps: Jason's bio (0:16) Legislating at the state vs. federal level (2:21) Revisiting SB-1047 (5:58) SB-53 (13:43) States as "laboratories of democracy" (19:57) Influence of SB-53 on subsequent state bills (24:14) Federal preemption debate (27:59) Updating existing regulations (40:37) Additional Reading: CA Senate Bill No. 1047: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1047 CA Senate Bill No. 53: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB53 "The California Report on Frontier AI Policy" by the Joint California Policy Working Group on AI Frontier Models: https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/June-17-2025-–-The-California-Report-on-Frontier-AI-Policy.pdf "Toward a Federal Framework: Lessons from State and International Frontier AI Regulation" by Laura Caroli and Aalok Mehta: https://www.csis.org/analysis/toward-federal-framework-lessons-state-and-international-frontier-ai-regulation CA Senate Bill No. 813: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB813 "Independent Oversight Marketplace for AI" by Fathom: https://ivo.fathom.or
4 Sept

Are Soldiers Obsolete? How Autonomy Will Define the Coming Conflict with China

Host Seth Jones sits down with Frank Kendall, former Secretary of the U.S. Air Force and former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, to discuss his new book, Lethal Autonomy: The Future of Warfare Whether We Like It or Not. They explore China’s military modernization and the challenge it poses to U.S. and allied forces in the Asia-Pacific, along with lessons from past military-technology “offsets.” Kendall examines how autonomous systems will reshape the way the United States designs, equips, and employs its forces, discusses the future of land and surface warfare, and explains the imperative for technological innovation to strengthen deterrence and help prevent great-power conflict.

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