All Episodes
Asia Geopolitics — 273 episodes
US-ROK Alliance Management via Social Media
Transaction or Transformation? Inside the Russia-North Korea Relationship
Why Did China Test a Submarine-launched Ballistic Missile?
A Mid-Year Check on US Asia Policy
A Fragile Framework Deal for Iran, What’s Next?
Understanding Cambodia's Scam Economy, with Jacob Sims
Southeast Asia’s Mandalas of Multialignment
The Geopolitics of the Trump-Xi Meeting
Iran Crisis: Pakistan’s Prominence and India’s Strategic Silence
US Strategic Incoherence and the Iran War
Inside North Korea’s 9th Party Congress
What the US-Iran War Means for Asia
Is China Conducting Secret Nuclear Weapons Tests?
The Downfall of Zhang Youxia
Venezuela: Trump, Geopolitics, and the View from Asia
2025: A Trumpian Year of Geopolitical Shifts in Asia
Dissecting Trump’s Remarkably Odd US National Security Strategy
Don’t Call it a Deal Just Yet: South Korea to Pursue Nuclear-powered Submarines
A Busy Month for Central Asian Multilateralism
The State of US Asia Policy in the Trump Era, With Special Guest Jim Sciutto
Inside China’s Struggle for Influence in Central Asia
Under New Leadership, What’s Next for Japan?
Escalating Tensions, Fresh Clashes on the Afghanistan-Pakistan Border
Inside the Story of America’s Failure to Disarm North Korea
Strategic Alliances: The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Mutual Defense Pact
What’s Really Behind Nepal’s Gen Z Revolution?
What Actually Mattered at China’s Big Military Parade?
South Korea’s Lee Hits the Road to Japan and the United States
Geopolitical Ripple Effects: US-Russia, China-India, and More
Reviewing Thailand and Cambodia’s July 2025 Border Skirmish
A Trade ‘Deal’ and a Historic Election: What’s Next for Japan?
The Geopolitics of the Second China-Central Asia Summit
What Does South Korea’s New Progressive Administration Portend for Northeast Asia?
France as a ‘Resident Power’ in the Pacific
The India-Pakistan Clashes of 2025: Why Things Are Different (And More Dangerous) This Time
Asia’s New Nuclear Age
Tariffs, Trade Wars, and Asian Geopolitics
Trump, Tariffs, and America’s Global Messaging
Duterte in The Hague: The Philippines and the Geopolitics of International Law
Is the United States Relitigating Its Grand Strategy?
DeepSeek and the AI Competition
Trump 2.0 in America: Geopolitical Ripples Across Asia and the World
The Biden Administration’s Asia Legacy
South Korea’s Martial Law Crisis: Geopolitical Implications and Beyond
Central Asian Militaries and Asian Geopolitics
America First, Again: US-China Relations and the Second Trump Administration
America First, Again: Asian Geopolitics and the Second Trump Administration
A New China-India Border Deal?
The Geopolitical Implications of the UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands Deal
Feminism and Geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific
Geopolitics and the Murky World of Foreign Agents
Afghanistan Under the Taliban: 3 Years On
Geopolitics and Political Tumult in Bangladesh
The 2024 US Election Spins Up: Implications for Asian Geopolitics
Vietnam’s Foreign Policy After Nguyen Phu Trong
The Future of Cross-Strait Ties Under a Lai Presidency in Taiwan
A New Russia-North Korea Strategic Partnership: Geopolitical Implications for Asia
Putin Goes to Beijing: Where the Russia-China Relationship Stands in 2024
Taking Stock of Russia-Central Asia Relations in 2024
The US-Japan Alliance After the Biden-Kishida 2024 Summit
India’s 2024 General Elections and Geopolitics
What to Look For Out of the US-Japan-Philippines Summit
How the US Sees Threats in Asia in 2024
Afghanistan Under the Taliban: Recognition, Security, and Geopolitics
Reflections on a Decade in Asian Geopolitics
North Korea, Korean Unification, and the Prospects of a 2024 Crisis
The Geopolitical Implications of Taiwan’s 2024 Elections
Asian Geopolitics in 2023: A Retrospective (Part 2)
Asian Geopolitics in 2023: A Retrospective (Part 1)
Biden Meets Xi in San Francisco: Managing Competition
South China Sea Flashpoints: The Second Thomas Shoal Crisis
Central Asian States and Great Power Geopolitics
Why India’s Relations With Canada Are Strained
The Putin-Kim Summit: What’s Driving North Korea and Russia Together?
The US and Vietnam Upgrade Their Relationship: Drivers and Consequences
The Camp David US-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Meeting
What’s Driving US-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Cooperation in 2023?
Central Asia Update: US Sanctions on Kyrgyz Firms, and the Wagner Rebellion
Modi Comes to Washington: Geopolitics and the Drivers of the US-India Relationship
The Shangri-La Dialogue Hits 20 Years With US-China Tensions at the Center
Takeaways From the 2023 Hiroshima G7 Summit
A New China-Central Asia ‘Blueprint’?
The Washington Declaration and the US-South Korea Alliance
Turbulence in the Taiwan Strait: The New Normal
The AUKUS Partners Explain Their Phased Approach. What Are the Risks?
What’s Driving South Korea’s Debate on Acquiring Nuclear Weapons
The Diplomat Magazine Hits Issue 100
What the Chinese Surveillance Balloon Incident Tells Us About US-China Relations
The Drivers and Consequences of Vietnam’s January 2023 Political Shake-Up
A New Defense Era: Japan’s 2022 National Security Strategy
Asian Geopolitics in 2022: A Retrospective
China’s Late-2022 Protests: ‘Zero-Covid’ At the Breaking Point?
The G20, APEC, and ASEAN Summits: Taking Stock of November 2022 Diplomacy in Asia
What’s Driving Inter-Korean Tensions in Autumn 2022?
It’s Xi’s China: Takeaways From the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Party Congress
The Biden Administration’s National Security Strategy and Asia
The Most Important Shanghai Cooperation Summit Ever?
North Korea’s Updated Nuclear Law Points At a Dangerous Nuclear Future
Pakistan’s Flooding Underscores Climate Risks in South Asia
A Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis or an Inflection Point for the Status Quo?
No End in Sight: 18 Months of Military Rule in Myanmar
Abe Shinzo’s Enduring Legacy on Geopolitics in Asia
NATO’s Madrid Summit and the Interlinkages Between European and Asian Security
Takeaways From the 2022 Shangri-La Dialogue
What Is the Biden Administration’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework About?
The Geopolitical Consequences of China’s Solomon Islands Pact
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Lessons for Taiwan
Continuity and Change in Pakistani Politics: The End of Imran Khan and What’s Next
North Korea Returns to ICBM Testing
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Geopolitical Ripples in Asia
The Biden Administration Releases an Indo-Pacific Strategy: Reading Between the Lines
Elusive Balances: Shaping US Southeast Asia Strategy
North Korea Picks Up the Pace on Missile Tests
Causes and Consequences of Kazakhstan’s January 2022 Unrest
2021 in Asian Geopolitics: A Retrospective
Taiwan Strait Geopolitics and Violence in the Solomon Islands
Biden, Xi, and the Importance of Guardrails in the US-China Relationship
Continuity and Flux in Central Asia: Elections in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan
The Shifting Nature of India-China Relations
The Inter-Korean Missile Race Picks Up the Pace
AUKUS and the Indo-Pacific: Geopolitics, Technology, and Deterrence
The Biden Administration and US-China Relations in 2021
The Fight for Afghanistan’s Future
The Legacy of the South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Ruling, Five Years On
Southeast Asia, Geopolitics, and China’s Vaccine Diplomacy
India’s Economy After the Pandemic
India and China, One Year After the Galwan Clash
Emerging Military Technologies and a Future Taiwan Strait Conflict
Afghanistan After US Withdrawal
Understanding North Korea’s Fuel Smuggling Networks in East Asia
China’s Maritime Militia at Whitsun Reef: Trouble in the South China Sea
The ‘Quad’ Summit: Delivering Value in the Indo-Pacific
The US-ROK Alliance in 2021: Back on Track?
The Disengagement at Pangong Lake: What Happens Now Between India and China?
Myanmar After the 2021 Coup: Internal Security and Geopolitical Consequences
The Indian Army’s Pivot to the North
Elections in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: What Next?
Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Coming Biden Presidency
South Asia and the Coming Biden Presidency
Southeast Asia and the Coming Biden Presidency
China and the Coming Biden Presidency
Denuclearization, Diplomacy, and Beyond: North Korea Plans for 2021
The Pandemic and Power Shifts in Asia
Trouble in Kyrgyzstan: Assessing the October 2020 Crisis
India’s Illiberal Turn and the Indo-Pacific
Southeast Asia Caught Between the US and China
Assessing Abe Shinzo’s Geopolitical Legacy
Space Security and Geopolitical Competition in the Asia-Pacific
Stalemate in the Himalayas: India-China Relations in 2020
Patents for Power: Defense Technology and Intellectual Property Law
How Does China View the Notion of a New ‘Cold War’?
US-India Ties Amid the Eastern Ladakh Crisis and the Pandemic
Making Sense of the 2020 US South China Sea Policy Update
The Origins and Drivers of Australia’s 2020 Defense Strategic Update
Making Sense of Japan’s Decision to Scrap Aegis Ashore Missile Defense
The Origins of 2020’s Inter-Korean Tensions
Afghanistan Update: Is the February 2020 US-Taliban Deal Making Headway?
Fingers, Boots, and Lines: Understanding the 2020 India-China Border Tensions
Will China’s Upcoming National Security Law Mark the End of an Autonomous Hong Kong?
Assessing the Indian Government’s Response to COVID-19
Friends and Enemies: Making Sense of the CCP’s Overseas Political Interference
Making Sense of Vietnam’s Suspected COVID–19 Cyber Espionage on China
Nuclear Risk Reduction: Pathways in the Asia-Pacific
17+1 and Beyond: Understanding China’s Growing Footprint in Central and Eastern Europe
South China Sea: What’s Behind China-Vietnam Tensions Amid COVID–19?
North Korea’s March 2020 Return to Missile Testing: Hard Times Ahead?
Japan’s Postponement of the Olympics: What Next?
Making Sense of Malaysia’s 2020 Political Tumult
COVID-19: A Major Global Geopolitical Shock
Afghanistan After Trump’s Taliban Deal: What Next?
Did Trump’s India Visit Keep the US-India Relationship on Track?
Between Effectiveness and Control: Civil-Military Relations in India
The Philippines Moves to End US Visiting Forces Agreement: What Happens Next?
Asia Reacts to the Coronavirus Epidemic
5G and Risk Mitigation: Asia’s Huawei Conundrum
How Asians See the World in 2020: Insights From Public Opinion
South China Sea: Indonesia’s Natuna Sea Dilemma With China
How Asia Will Make Sense of Trump’s Strike on Iran’s Soleimani
Taiwan Heads to the Polls: What Are the Geopolitical Stakes?
Asia in 2020: Trends, Risks, and Geopolitics
2019 in Asian Geopolitics: A Year of Change
Kim Jong Un‘s End-of-2019 Deadline Approaches: What Lies on the Other Side?
The Return of Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksas and Geopolitics
Trump Year Three: The State of US Alliances in Asia
RCEP, CPTPP, and the Future of Trade Multilateralism in Asia
The 2019 US-ASEAN Summit: A Diplomatic Blunder?
India’s Economic Headwind Problem and Rising Nationalism
The NBA, Blizzard, and Beyond: Free Expression, Censorship, and China’s Global Reach
North Korea-US Talks: The Clock Ticks Down to New Year’s 2020
The Significance of China’s 70th Anniversary Military Parade
The Significance of the US-Singapore Basing Access Agreement’s Renewal
Taiwan Loses Another Diplomatic Ally: Onward Without the Solomon Islands?
US-North Korea Diplomacy: A Fall 2019 Return to Talks?
US Withdrawal From Afghanistan: Close to a Deal?
The Significance of South Korea’s Decision to Terminate an Intelligence-Sharing Pact With Japan
Toward a US-China ‘Steady State’: Assets, Liabilities, and Great Power Competition
How Will Hong Kong’s 2019 Pro-Democracy Protests End?
Two Rivals Clash: Understanding Kyrgyzstan’s Political Crisis
Kashmir After Article 370: Instability, Unrest, and Geopolitics
Where Is the US-North Korea Process Heading in the Final Months of 2019?
Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense, and Asia’s Changing Geopolitics
Hun Sen’s Big Bet: Making Sense of China’s Second Overseas Military Base
Danny Russel on Improving China’s Belt and Road and Japan-South Korea Tensions
Export Controls, History, and Geopolitics: Making Sense of the Japan-South Korea Crisis
ASEAN Takes a Stand on the ‘Indo-Pacific’
Why the Third Trump-Kim Summit Won’t Crack the Case on Denuclearization
When Xi Went to Pyongyang: Making Sense of Sino-North Korean Relations in 2019
Making Sense of Asia’s Balance of Power in 2019
The 2019 Shangri-La Dialogue: Reflections on Great Power Rivalry and the Indo-Pacific
Modi’s Second Term, Asian Geopolitics, and Indian Foreign Policy
Huawei, Tech Decoupling, and Great Power Competition
North Korea First Missile Test in More Than 500 Days: A Harbinger of Greater Tension?
What Does the Second Belt and Road Forum Say About the Health of China’s Initiative?
Easter Day Terror in Sri Lanka: Geopolitical Implications
Where to Next for US-North Korea Talks?
Mission Shakti and Beyond: Breaking Down India’s Anti-Satellite Test
Kazakhstan’s Transition: Nazarbayev Steps Down, But He’s Not Out
White Nationalist Terrorism in the Indo-Pacific: The Threat After Christchurch
Allied Assurances and Credibility: The United States, the Philippines, and the South China Sea
The Trump-Kim Hanoi Summit: The Origins of a ‘No Deal’ Outcome
Why the Indian Air Force Strike at Balakot in Pakistan Matters
After the Pulwama Attack: Causes, Effects, and Lessons Learned
Why Turkey Is Finally Speaking Out on the Plight of China’s Uyghurs
Two Alliances in Trouble: Managing the US-Philippine and US-South Korea Alliances in 2019
Assessing the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act
How Trump and Kim Brought the World to the Brink
Looking Back on 2018 in Asian Geopolitics
5 Asian Flashpoints to Watch in 2019
5 Asian Elections to Pay Attention to in 2019
Where Does India’s Neighborhood Policy Stand As 2018 Comes to a Close?
What the APEC 2018 Summit Reveals About China’s Regional Economic Insecurities
Reviewing the 2018 ASEAN and East Asia Summits
Sri Lanka’s Constitutional Crisis: Where It Came From and How It’ll Affect Regional Geopolitics
US INF Withdrawal, Archipelagic Defense, and Managing the China Challenge
‘Indispensable and Irreplacable’: Taiwan in an Era of US-China Competition
Are the United States and China Really Entering a ‘New Cold War’?
The 73rd General Assembly and Asia
Reviewing the Fifth Inter-Korean Summit: Denuclearization, Military CBMs, and More
Five Years Later: Reviewing China’s Belt and Road Initiative
The Linkages Between China’s Global Military Ambitions and the Belt and Road Initiative
What’s Causing the Slow Breakdown in US-North Korea Talks?
The Geopolitical Implications of Imran Khan’s Rise in Pakistan
Taking Stock of the ASEAN-China South China Sea Code of Conduct Process
Central Asia Update: Islamic State in Tajikistan and the Trial of Sayragul Sauytbay in Kazakhstan
Understanding India’s Place in Asia’s Shifting Geoeconomic Order
Democracy and Geopolitics in Southeast Asia
Assessing South Korea’s Role as an Indo-Pacific Middle Power
The Geopolitical Significance of Anti-China Protests in Vietnam
When Trump Met Kim: Assessing the First US-North Korean Summit
Reflections on the 2018 Shangri-La Dialogue: What’s the Indo-Pacific Anyway?
Trump Cancels the June 12 Summit With Kim Jong Un: What Now?
The Geopolitical Implications of Malaysia’s Election Earthquake
What Is the Nature of Power in the Asia-Pacific and Who Wields It?
Conventional Deterrence in the Asia-Pacific Region
Making Sense of the Third Inter-Korean Summit: What It Means and What Comes Next
Abe in Mar-a-Lago, Round 2: Where the US-Japan Relationship Stands
Understanding How China Chooses to Coerce and Influence US Partners and Allies
Indo-Pacific ‘Nexus’: Why Southeast Asia and ASEAN Matter to Australia
How to Make the Most of a Historic Trump-Kim Summit (If It Happens)
What China’s Elimination of Presidential Term Limits Does and Doesn’t Mean
Indian Ocean Update: The Crisis in the Maldives and India’s Play at Duqm
South China Sea Update: The Philippine-China Tick-Tock and the Royal Navy’s Interest in Freedom of Navigation
Inter-Korean Rapprochement in Early 2018: Geopolitical Implications and Alliance Dynamics
Analyzing North Korea’s 2018 Military Parade: The Missiles and the Launchers
Who’s Afraid of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific?
INS Arihant and the Agni V: A Look at Recent Developments in India’s Nuclear Forces
East China Sea Update: A Chinese Submarine Off the Senkakus and an Oil Spill
Will Trump’s Lash-Out Against Pakistan Succeed Where Other US Presidents Failed?
Asian Geopolitics in 2018: What to Worry About and What to Expect
North Korea’s Hwasong-15 and the Odds for Diplomacy in 2018
Tracking Trump’s First Trip to Asia, Part 2: China, Vietnam, APEC, Philippines, ASEAN, EAS, and the ‘Quad’
Tracking Trump’s First Trip to Asia, Part 1: Japan and South Korea
ASEAN Defense Collaboration and ASEAN’s Relations With North Korea