The Pacific Century

Author Evan Thomas joins Misha to talk about his new book Road to Surrender and the atomic bombing of Japan.

US-China Commission Chair Carolyn Bartholomew and Vice-Chair Alex Wong discuss the annual US-China Commission report to Congress and its recommendations.

WSJ chief China correspondent Lingling Wei joins Misha to discuss what the stakes were of the Biden-Xi summit at APEC, what it achieved, and what to look for next in US-China relations.

Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord, talks about his life on the sea, the Royal Navy around the globe, and its growing role in the Indo-Pacific.

Larry Summers discusses why America is committed to economic interdependence with China and how to protect US interests going forward.

Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant of the US Coast Guard talks about what Coasties do in the Asia-Pacific and around the world, their new cutters, and about leading the service.

Misha is joined by his Hoover colleague, historian Frank Dikotter, to talk about Frank's new book, China After Mao, how the West misunderstands the Party's nature, and why the idea of a liberalizing China has always been a chimera. 

Misha is joined by Alex Joske, author of Spies and Lies, to talk about China's covert foreign interference and influence campaigns, run by the Ministry of State Security.

Misha is joined by occasional co-host Cindy Yu and veteran Sinologists Rana Mitter and Jude Blanchette, to take apart the 20th Party Congress, Xi’s “running the table,” the Hu Jintao shocker, and the Party’s new era. 

Hoover Institution fellow Michael Auslin is joined by eminent strategist Sir Lawrence Freedman to talk about whether Putin will use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, how China is expanding its nuclear arsenal, the relationship between political and military leadership, and Freedman’s favorite nuclear-themed movie.

Misha is joined by former Anna Puglisi, former National Counterintelligence Officer for China, and Matt Brazil, author of Chinese Communist Espionage, to discuss just how widely and successfully Chinese spies have penetrated American business, government, and academia.

Misha is joined by Cindy Yu, of the Spectator, to talk with James Crabtree of IISS on how Southeast Asia is the cockpit of geopolitical competition among China, the US, and India

Misha talks with Habi Zhang, of Purdue University, about her contention that Chinese want security, not freedom.  Habi talks about how Confucianism shaped Chinese views of politics.  They also discuss CCP theorist Wang Huning and how the West misunderstood China.

A special mid-summer Pacific Century as Misha talks to the Financial Times’ Kathrin Hille about the Taiwan crisis, the “new normal” in cross-Strait tension, how China is trying to pressure Taiwan, and if Nancy Pelosi just made war more likely.

Misha talks to the Wilson Center’s Shihoko Goto and the Stimson Center’s Yuki Tatsumi about Japan’s ambitious new foreign policy, the legacy of the Abe era, current Prime Minister Kishida’s agenda, and relations with Biden, Korea’s new president, and China, among other topics.

Misha talks to AEI senior fellow and WSJ columnist Sadanand Dhume about Indian foreign policy, New Delhi’s support for Russia, what India gets out of the Quad, tensions with China, and ties with America and Japan.

Misha talks to Joel Kotkin, uber-geographer, about the coming neo-feudalism and “zaibatsuization” of America’s economy, how Chinese and American economic models are converging, and how to preserve liberty in an age of oligarchic tech dominance

Misha talks to Amb. Dan Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State, about new leaders in the Philippines, South Korea, and Australia; as well as about Taiwan and the upcoming Quad meeting.  Finally, they talk about Vietnam and Amb. Kritenbrink’s famous Tet rap.

Misha talks to Bridge Colby, former deputy assistant secretary of defense, about how to prevent China from taking over Taiwan, whether the Biden Administration is maintaining the Trump defense strategy, and why Taiwan is vital to US interests”

Misha talks to The Economist’s Tokyo bureau chief, Noah Sneider, about the Japanese successes we miss, why Japan is a ‘harbinger state’ on economic, demographics, security, and how it is a frontline state against China.

Misha talks to Kathleen Stevens, former US ambassador to South Korea, and Stanford’s Gi-Wook Shin, about South Korea’s presidential election and Seoul’s future relations with Washington, Tokyo, and Beijing, as well as with North Korea

Misha is joined by his colleague, Jackie Schneider, to talk with General John Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, about the threats to US space assets from China, how the US operates in space, and how space and cyber are connected.

Misha talks with General Richard Clarke, Commander of US Special Operations Command, about the history of special operations, SOCOM today, and its role in the Indo-Pacific.

Misha talks with Peter Van Praagh, president of the Halifax International Security Forum, who was trapped in Kiev when Russia invaded. Peter talks about what he saw, his escape, how the Ukrainians are fighting back, and what the war means for democracy in Europe and Asia.

Misha is joined by The Spectator's Cindy Yu as co-host this week, and they talk with Holly Snape of the University of Glasgow.  Holly describes how Xi Jinping's CCP has reasserted control over the Chinese government, and how that influences civil society. She also talks about her time working in the Party's translation department (spoiler: it wasn't a party).

Misha talks with Hoover Institution fellow Amy Zegart about her new book on the history of US intelligence, Spies, Lies, and Algorithms. They discuss the challenge of defending against China's pervasive spying, US counter-intelligence failures against China, and how open source intelligence is changing espionage.

Misha talks with John Pomfret, author of The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom, about living with China since 1980, how Americans misunderstood Beijing's worldview, and where US-China relations go from here.

Misha is joined by Amb. Derek Mitchell, of the National Democratic Institute, and Dr. Dan Twining, of the International Republican Institute, to talk about democracy in Asia, the China challenge, and predictions for 2022.

Misha talks with David Ownby and Matt Johnson, of "Reading the China Dream" on the Chinese Republic of Letters, modern Chinese thinkers, and the influence of Wang Huning, lead ideologist and intellectual of the CCP.

Misha talks with Professor John Mearsheimer about the inevitable clash between America and China, and why engagement with China was the biggest strategic blunder in recent history.

Misha talks with General David Berger, Commandant of the US Marines Corps on how the Marines are preparing to face China, working with allies, and what the Corps will look like in the future to maintain its edge in the Pacific.

Misha and John talk with Columbia professor Andrew Nathan on the domestic drivers of China’s foreign policy, Xi Jinping’s leadership, Taiwan, human rights, and CCP politics.

Misha talks with Bonnie Glaser, head of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund about how Beijing uses its foreign and security policy to displace the US, weaken Taiwan, and undermine global institutions.

Misha and John are joined by Alexander Downer, Australia’s longest serving foreign minister and former high commissioner to Great Britain, to discuss Beijing’s economic war against Australia, the new AUKUS agreement, how AUKUS differs from the Quad, why Australia has some of the world’s most stringent COVID policies, and more.

Misha and John talk with George Washington University's David Shambaugh, about his new book From Mao to Now, a history of each of China's leaders. He ranks them in terms of effectiveness, and also ranks the US presidents who dealt with them.  In between, he talks about the role of the Chinese Communist Party and the Leninist party-state.

Misha talks with Adrian Wooldridge, political editor of The Economist, about his new book, The Aristocracy of Talent.  They discuss the history of meritocracy in China, and look at how meritocracy works and doesn’t work today, in China, Singapore, Japan, and the West. Plus, he names his favorite “meritocracy movie”!

Misha talks with Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), former US Ambassador to Japan, about Japan’s new leader, the US-Japan alliance, China, Taiwan, whether the US should rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and what the Biden Administrations needs to do to keep peace in the Pacific.  And, he reveals his favorite Japanese restaurant!

Misha and John are joined by Kenneth Juster, US ambassador to India from 2017-2021. Juster explains how Scottie Pippen refused to play him in horse after he showed off his basketball skills on the grounds of the US Embassy in New Delhi.  Ken then discusses the effect of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan on India and the region, the foundations for a stronger US-India relationship, and meeting with India's leaders and people.

Misha and John are joined by Vinnie Aggarwal, professor of political science and senior faculty fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. Vinnie shares his expertise on the US-China rivalry, and the prospects in the Indo-Pacific region in the areas of international trade, finance, and industrial policy.

Misha and John are joined by essayist and blogger Tanner Greer of the Scholar’s Stage to discuss whether Taiwan can actually defend itself and what Americans get wrong about China.

Is Kim Jong-un dying?  Why has he allowed the naming of a deputy?  Will the Biden administration ignore the Korean peninsula?  What role is Xi Jinping playing?  Misha and John are joined by eminent North Korea expert Andrei Lankov, of Seoul’s Kookmin University.

Long-time China investor Dan Rosen joins John and Misha to talk about the prospects for the Chinese economy, the prospects for economic reform, the real threat to China’s economic future, and the question of whether the West was right to invest politically and economically in China. 

Critics of the US say that Washington is forcing a new Cold War with the PRC.  But liberal nations around the world are pushing back on Beijing’s aggressive actions, separately from the US.  From the UK to Japan, Australia, and India, democratic states are deciding that the PRC threatens their interests.  John and Misha talk about what it’s not about (Washington, London, or Tokyo), but about Beijing.

Misha and John are joined by Eunice Yoon, the Beijing bureau chief for CNBC.  They discuss China’s view of Biden and the US, whether the Chinese economy is as strong as touted, Xi Jinping, Belt and Road, and the AI race.  Eunice also talks about how she wound up in Beijing, whether she’s surveilled by the police, and why she’s such a fan of cars.

Misha and John are joined by Admiral Phil Davidson, Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, for his last public interview before retiring from the Navy.  Adm. Davidson discusses what it’s like to run the world’s largest military command, the weapons systems he’d like to have, China’s growing challenge, the threat of Chinese and North Korean nuclear weapons, and working with allies.

Misha and John are joined by Robin Harding, Tokyo bureau chief for the Financial Times. They discuss the summit between President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Suga, their plans to deepen the US-Japan alliance, the threat from China, cooperation on 5G, and the future of Japanese politics.

Misha and John are joined by special co-host Mike Gallagher to talk with their new Hoover colleague, Matt Pottinger, former Deputy National Security Advisor.  Matt discusses Chinese pressure on western businesses, the role of Congress in dealing with Chinese investment policies, how to think about the military competition, and how he got involved in Chinese studies.

Misha is joined by Tom Tugendhat MP, Oxford’s Rana Mitter, and Cindy Yu, of The Spectator, to talk about the UK’s new Integrated Review and its focus on China and the Indo-Pacific.  They discuss London’s focus on expanding Britain’s presence in Asia, how London will deal with China, the role of US-UK cooperation in Asia under the Biden Administration, and how Britain will work with Asian partners like Australia, Japan, and India. 

John and Misha are joined by Eric Schmidt, former Chairman and CEO of Google/Alphabet and chairman of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Eric discusses the ways in which the US can win the tech competition with China, why AI is the crucial technology of the future, the proper role of government policy, the divide between Washington and Silicon Valley, where the US fell short in 5G, building talent at home, and how to work with techno-democracies.

John and Misha are joined by Tom Tugendhat MP, from London, for a discussion with Michele Flournoy, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy in the Obama Administration, on the China challenge, whether the US is maintaining its edge in the Pacific, the role of allies, the impact of new technologies, and the threat of war.