Today we’re talking about Great Power Competition, a term generally used for the United States’ current posture as it relates to China and Russia. The specter is one of three predominant players competing to protect and/or expand their respective spheres of influence over the globe. Today we launch our first podcast in a series of episodes that will introduce, define, and explore this phenomenon. We’ll talk about how it started, where it is, and where it looks like it’s headed, and we’ll talk about why it matters. We’ve assembled experts from various fields to help us understand our competitors better, to help us understand our history better, and in turn to help us understand our role that much better.

Today, a primer on China, with Lt Col Charles Gartland. Currently the Law Chair Director for Air University here at Maxwell Air Force Base, Lt Col Gartland has been studying and writing about China for several years and he agreed to bring his considerable understanding of that competitor to bear to kick off this series.