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Updated 09/09/2024

4 DAYS AGO

Maduro is Gone. Now What in Venezuela?

Host Seth Jones speaks with Dr. Ryan Berg, Director of the Americas Program and Head of the Future of Venezuela Initiative at CSIS, about Venezuela’s political landscape in the post-Maduro era, examining U.S. policy goals, shifting power structures, and what’s at stake for the country’s new president, Delcy Rodríguez.

4 days ago

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32 min
18/01/2024

Xi’s New Growth Synthesis

In this episode of Pekingology, Freeman Chair in China Studies Jude Blanchette is joined by Andrew Batson, China Research Director at Gavekal Dragonomics to discuss his recent blog post entitled “Xi’s New Growth Synthesis.” He also publishes The Tangled Woof blog, and wrote the enlightening post “Some Cadres Cannot Keep Up.”

18/01/2024

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44 min
10/07/2025

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.

10/07/2025

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45 min
30/06/2025

Did U.S Strikes Prevent an Iranian Bomb—or Provoke One?

“The word ‘obliteration’ is being used a lot…I think there’s a little more nuance to it.” Intelligence assessments from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran, and the United States have provided competing accounts of the functionality of Fordow, Iran’s critical uranium refinement site, and the Iranian nuclear program as a whole. The intelligence community still has a lot of blanks to fill in, including the extent of the damage to various Iranian nuclear sites, the state of Iran’s missile arsenal, and how much of a setback this represents for Iran’s nuclear program. CSIS’s Heather Williams, director of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues, joins the podcast to discuss the uncertain status of Iran’s nuclear program following Operation Midnight Hammer and what we should be watching for next.

30/06/2025

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22 min
26/07/2024

Inside the State Department’s Cyber Strategy

In this episode, hosts James Lewis and Chris Painter speak to guest Adam Segal, Senior Advisor for International Cyber and Digital Strategy Policy in The State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. They discuss the global reactions to the International Cyberspace and Digital Policy Strategy, (even China’s and Russia’s) and what ‘digital solidarity’ really means.

26/07/2024

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39 min
23/07/2024

Hasan Alhasan: The Strategies of Gulf States

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Hasan Alhasan, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) based in Manama, Bahrain. Prior to joining IISS, he served for five years on the staff of the Crown Prince of Bahrain as a senior analyst on foreign policy and national security. Together, they compare Gulf states’ foreign policies and their underlying strategies. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Leah Hickert to discuss how Gulf states handle shifts in U.S. strategies and what the Gulf expects from its Great Power partners. Transcript, "Hasan Alhasan: The Strategies of Gulf States," CSIS, July 23, 2024.

23/07/2024

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43 min
03/09/2024

Isabelle Werenfels: North Africa's Relationship with Europe

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Isabelle Werenfels, a senior fellow in the Middle East and Africa Division of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. Together, they discuss how North African states are asserting their newly found leverage over European states, and how European states are changing the ways they approach North Africa. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Leah Hickert to discuss how strategic competition is evolving in North Africa and what it means for Western interests in the region. Transcript, "Isabelle Werenfels: North Africa's Relationship with Europe," CSIS, September 3, 2024.

03/09/2024

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38 min
02/04/2024

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein: Human Rights in a Messy World

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former Jordanian diplomat, and the current president and CEO of the International Peace Institute. They discuss the pursuit of human rights in a multipolar world and the role that the United Nations can play in Gaza. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Leah Hickert to explore the importance of codifying human rights into international law and the challenges of sustaining international attention on human rights crises. Transcript, "Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein: Human Rights in a Messy World," CSIS, April 2, 2024.

02/04/2024

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36 min
19/08/2024

Recent Developments in North Korea

In this episode, Dr. Cha and Mr. Bruce Klingner discuss recent developments regarding North Korea's missile deployment, successor plan, garbage-filled balloons, and more.

19/08/2024

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49 min
13/11/2025

China's Africa Strategy

In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Cobus van Staden, Managing Editor of the China Global South Project, host of the China in Africa podcast, and a leading scholar of China–Africa relations. Ahead of the Johannesburg G20 Summit, they unpack China’s Africa strategy as well as China's bilateral ties with South Africa. Henrietta and Cobus discuss Beijing's diplomatic ground game, key trends in Chinese investment and BRI projects in Africa, how China's slowing economy is shaping its engagement, and what China is ultimately seeking to achieve on the continent.

13/11/2025

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36 min

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