Bridging The Oceans The Royal United Services Institute

After over two years, the Bridging the Oceans podcast is coming to an end. Hosted by Veerle Nouwens, this was the first podcast dedicated specifically to the defence and security of the Indo-Pacific, exploring what the region is, where its limits lie, and the fast-evolving nature of defence and security in this dynamic part of the world.
Together with a diverse range of experts, the podcast sought to understand how these matters are seen within the region itself, and how they may impact the wider world, including the UK.
To find out more about the work of the International Security team at RUSI, and to explore the back-catalogue of Bridging the Oceans, please follow the links below.
International Security at RUSI: International Security | Royal United Services Institute (rusi.org)
Bridging the Oceans: Bridging the Oceans Podcasts | Royal United Services Institute (rusi.org)

The recent annual meetings of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the National People’s Congress (NPC) – the ‘Two Sessions’ – have already confirmed the national budget, high-level personnel appointments and noted China’s foreign and security outlook. Newly appointed Foreign Minister Qin Gang used tough language when discussing the US, while President Xi Jinping accused the West – led by the US – of seeking China’s containment. Amid growing strains in the Sino-US relationship, our host Veerle Nouwens sits down with Bonny Lin, Senior Fellow for Asian Security and Director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, to discuss the future trajectory of the bilateral relationship.

The current year is set to be a significant one for India, as it takes on both the G20 and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) presidencies – two landmark moments for the Modi government ahead of the highly anticipated general elections next year.
Host Veerle Nouwens sits down with Garima Mohan, Senior Fellow at the George Marshall Fund, to discuss just what the Indian government hopes to achieve through these two significant positions. What impact will these events have on China–India relations? How does New Delhi view the G20 and SCO when compared to other minilaterals that India is engaging in? And what will count as a success for New Delhi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party? For answers to these questions and more, tune in now!

Tough times lie ahead for Beijing, with a turbulent external environment now matched with domestic unrest.
To round out 2022, Veerle and Dr Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, UT Austin, reflect on a turbulent year for China policy. From a downward spiral in Sino-US relations and tensions over Taiwan, to the war in Ukraine and Beijing’s relationship with Moscow, this has been a tumultuous year. The search for a predictable framework to relations between China and the West provides some limited hope for 2023, but the fundamental differences between these actors remain, and another difficult year likely lies ahead.

Six months in, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol still treads a careful balance on some policy matters.
Veerle speaks with Ms Saeme Kim, Korea Foundation Visiting Fellow in RUSI’s Indo-Pacific Programme from 2021–2022. Saeme explores the policy continuities and changes in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from former President Moon Jae-in to current President Yoon Suk-yeol, outlining the country’s soon-to-be-launched Indo-Pacific Strategy and some bold new endeavours with partners like the US.
As tensions with Beijing and Pyongyang remain, greater cooperation with partners in Europe and the Indo-Pacific could come at a cost in Seoul’s own immediate regional environment. Despite this, a more outward-facing and networked South Korea with expertise in specific subregions and policy areas is likely to materialise. The UK, in particular, stands to gain from working more closely with Seoul, and Saeme offers a few ideas in this regard.

Does the recent Congress indicate triumph or challenges ahead for China?
Veerle Nouwens speaks with two guests on China’s 20th Party Congress, in which Xi Jinping attained an unprecedented third term in office and brought in a set of personnel changes in Party governance. Raffaello Pantucci, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, explores how Xi’s speech and the Party Congress’s work report indicate an emphasis on internal stability and continuity in domestic and foreign affairs, including on Taiwan. Dr Lai I-Chung, President of Taiwan’s Prospect Foundation, explores differences in language and the listing of topics in the work report as a possible indication of subtle messaging to audiences that Beijing is serious about reunification. An accelerated push for peaceful reunification is to be expected with below-the-threshold advances that circumvent official channels for communication across the strait, while Beijing will further limit Taiwan’s space on the international stage. For this, I-Chung has some ideas of how countries, including the UK, can help.