Asia Matters Podcast

Asia Matters Podcast episodes:

• 06.05.2024

  Why China Is Winning the EV Race

  The extraordinary rise of China’s electric vehicle market is one of the most remarkable business stories of our times. In just over a decade, the country has come to account for over half of global EV sales, and is now...

  
• 03.29.2024

  North Korea’s Historic War Strategy Shift, Explained

  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has appeared in a slew of new propaganda videos, promoting technological advances in the regime’s nuclear program and issuing warnings to South Korea and its allies. For the first time since the Korean War...

  
• 03.14.2024

  Trailer: Asia Matters Podcast

  Asia is the most exciting and consequential region in the world today. Its countries - all with diverse political systems and complex, fascinating histories - are home to 4.3 billion people, who together generate about two thirds of global growth.But...

  
• 03.05.2024

  The Political Thought of Xi Jinping

  It's a big week for Chinese politics as its annual political conclave gets under way in Beijing. Amid the pomp and heightened security, the Two Sessions is an important preview of the government's plans and policies for the year ahead....

  
• 02.18.2024

  Brussels Indo-Pacific Dialogue: On Economic Security, Future of Alliances and More

  Diplomats, policy-makers and experts gathered at the Brussels Indo-Pacific Dialogue, hosted by our partners at the Center for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy.Participants shared their insights on the key issues that make this moment arguably the most consequential since World War...

  
• 02.05.2024

  What’s Next for Taiwan After the Election?

  In January the world's eyes were on Taiwan as the self-ruled island held elections. Now the dust has settled, what is the significance of the results, both for Taiwan itself and for the wider international community? The Democratic Progressive Party...

  
• 01.10.2024

  The U.S.-Korea-Japan Partnership: What Happens Now?

  Following a historic meeting between the leaders of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea at Camp David in August, the three countries have been strengthening military and intelligence cooperation. What does it mean for the balance of...

  
• 12.22.2023

  Can Myanmar's Rebels Topple the Military Junta?

  A coalition of rebel armed groups known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance has been taking over towns and claiming control of more than 200 military outposts in northern Myanmar, in a push to overthrow a military regime that appears to...

  
• 11.12.2023

  Huawei: The Chinese Company That's Challenging the U.S.

  Smartphone and telecom-equipment maker Huawei is one of China's most successful and controversial companies. Despite efforts from the U.S. and other countries to restrict its access to cutting edge semiconductor technology, Huawei recently launched a new phone - the...

  
• 09.21.2023

  China: Economic Partner or Rival?

  Western governments, led by the U.S., have been taking a harder line on trade with China. At stake is global economic leadership, particularly in vital technologies from semiconductors to Artificial Intelligence to electric vehicles, as well as cooperation on climate...

  
• 09.01.2023

  Spies, Satellites and Data: How China Is Expanding Surveillance Overseas

  A spy balloon and China’s presence in Cuba have put the spotlight on Beijing’s surveillance network around the globe this year, further fueling tensions with the U.S. But what do we know about China’s international intelligence operations? What are Beijing’s...

  
• 08.09.2023

  Cambodia elections: New boss, same as the old boss?

  Cambodia’s longtime leader Hun Sen emerged as the winner once again in the country’s recent general election, with his ruling Cambodian People’s Party winning 120 of the 125 seats in the country’s national assembly. But if the election result was...

  
• 07.28.2023

  Cybersecurity: How Can Countries and Companies Fight the Hackers?

  Cyberattacks are estimated to have caused trillions of dollars of damage to the world’s economy in recent years, and are now seen as a major national security threat by governments around the world. Some governments and private companies are looking...

  
• 06.19.2023

  How Thailand’s Surprise Election Result Sparked a Delicate Transition

  The triumph of the Move Forward party in Thailand’s election has highlighted young voters’ desire for change and reform. But with the party’s popular leader, Pita Limjaroenrat scrambling to form a government and facing political roadblocks, questions are mounting over...

  
• 06.08.2023

  How South East Asia is Dealing with US-China Rivalry

  There’s been plenty of coverage of the growing tensions between the U.S. and China, particularly when it comes to the Indo Pacific. In this episode we are going to consider how other countries are responding to that friction, and in...

  
• 05.05.2023

  Hallyu! How Korea's Cultural Wave Is Seen at Home and Abroad

  From K-pop superhits to Netflix shows and Oscar-winning films, South Korea has established itself as a global cultural powerhouse. “Squid Game,” “The Glory,” “Parasite” and BTS are only some of the names that make K-culture a multibillion dollar industry, with...

  
• 04.21.2023

  How Corruption Scandals Are Shaking Vietnamese Politics

  Arrests, sackings and resignations of top politicians amid a series of corruption scandals have dominated Vietnam’s news headlines in recent months. In this episode of Asia Matters hosted by Bill Hayton, political analyst Nguyen Phuong Linh and researcher Nguyen Khac...

  
• 03.20.2023

  China's Soft Power Campaign To Influence Asia and the World

  This episode Andrew is joined by Josh Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for South East Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. Josh's new book, entitled "Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China's Uneven Campaign To Influence Asia and the World", takes a...

  
• 12.16.2022

  CSDS-Asia Matters at the Brussels Indo-Pacific Forum

  This episode was recorded at the first ever Indo-Pacific Forum at the Brussels School of Governance, hosted by our partners, the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy. The forum was an opportunity for experts and policymakers from across both Europe...

  
• 11.02.2022

  How to Deal with Xi Jinping's China

  All eyes have been on China recently as the 20th Communist Party Congress drew to a close, and Xi Jinping was confirmed as leader for a historic third term. Joining us this episode to discuss the outcome of the congress...

  
• 09.28.2022

  ‘From Shrimp to Whale’: A History of Modern Korea

  South Korea has undoubtedly become a major player both in regional and — increasingly — global geopolitics. A remarkable period of economic growth in recent decades has led it to become the world’s tenth largest economy, home to global corporate...

  
• 07.19.2022

  The Legacy of Shinzo Abe

  The assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on 8th July shocked the world, with tributes pouring in from all over the globe. Abe, Japan’s longest serving prime minister until he stepped down in 2020, was arguably one of...

  
• 07.12.2022

  An overlooked actor? Japan's role in South East Asia

  This episode focuses on Japan’s role in Asia, and in particular its somewhat overlooked relations with South East Asia.While there is plenty of coverage of China’s increasing economic and diplomatic clout in the region, Japan — still, of course, the...

  
• 07.04.2022

  The uneasy alliance between North Korea and China

  With tensions around North Korea starting to make headlines again, in this episode we look at relations between Pyongyang and its closest ally, China. The North Korean army has already carried out more missile tests this year than ever before,...

  
• 05.22.2022

  The Philippines: A Family Business

  At the end of June, the Philippines will formally inaugurate a new leadership – but it will feature two very familiar names. There will be a second ‘President Ferdinand Marcos’; and another Duterte – Sara, daughter of the current president...

  
• 04.04.2022

  Asia’s Response to the War in Ukraine

  This episode examines the responses of three of Asia’s most prominent nations to Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Japan, India, and Korea.The war has not only brought dreadful suffering to the Ukrainian people, as well as heavy losses for the Russian...

  
• 03.15.2022

  Close and nasty: South Korea's divisive election

  South Korea’s closest presidential election since it became a democracy in 1987 has led to victory for the conservative Yoon Seok-yeol, who will now take office for a five-year term in May. His win comes at a time of difficulty,...

  
• 03.04.2022

  Women's Lives In Modern China

  On the eve of International Women's Day, we're bringing you a special podcast in collaboration with King's College London's Lau China Institute, looking at the lives of women in China today. In this episode we look at the challenges facing...

  
• 02.25.2022

  ASEAN and the European Union - Kindred Spirits or Worlds Apart?

  Welcome to the inaugural episode of CSDS-Asia Matters, in which we continue our mission to bring together policy experts and academics to dissect the factors shaping today’s Asia. It's a huge pleasure for us to be formally linked with the...

  
• 02.05.2022

  China's Politics and Economy as the Winter Olympics Open

  The eyes of the world are on China as Beijing hosts the Winter Olympics. A successful Games will be used by leader Xi Jinping to bolster his image and status at home and abroad; a status that was given a...

  
• 12.15.2021

  Is there a Transatlantic Approach to China and the Indo-Pacific?

  We’re heading to familiar territory again on this week's podcast - the Indo-Pacific. Increasingly, the area is becoming the centre of the geopolitical conversation being had all around the world. China's showcasing of its increasing might there is a...

  
• 11.27.2021

  Good COP? China, Asia and Climate Change

  This week we take stock of COP26, the latest major international meeting on climate change which just wrapped up in Glasgow - billed beforehand as the "last best hope for the world to get its act together". Asia, of course,...

  
• 11.12.2021

  China Tackles Its Tech Titans

  This week we look at China's tech industry - few sectors have been more dynamic or grown as fast in recent years, with the likes of e-commerce giant Alibaba and video games maker Tencent rising to become among the world’s...

  
• 10.13.2021

  Delta Damage: Asia's Continuing Covid Struggle

  For those hoping the coronavirus pandemic was under control in Asia, the summer has been a nasty shock. A resurgence of Covid-19 across Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and elsewhere, mainly associated with the spread of the Delta variant, has put...

  
• 10.07.2021

  South Korea: The Tech Powerhouse on the Cyber Frontline

  In any list of influential tech powers in the world, South Korea would undoubtedly be near the top. In this episode we delve into how the country achieved this status, transforming the nature of its economy and producing global...

  
• 08.08.2021

  North Korea: The View from the South

  We turn again to the Korean peninsula in this week's episode, in another collaboration with CSDS. We often talk about North Korea's future in terms of how the issue plays out amid the region's broad geopolitical rivalries, and between the...

  
• 07.19.2021

  Myanmar Six Months On: A Failed State?

  The most shocking political development in Asia so far this year is arguably the seizure of power by the military in Myanmar, and the arrest of the country’s former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The military’s crackdown on...

  
• 07.12.2021

  The Olympics in Asia: Gold, Glory and Geopolitics

  Against all odds, and after much compromise, the Tokyo Olympic Games are set to go ahead this summer. With no foreign fans and most spectators banned, it's certainly not the event Japan would have wanted. In this...

  
• 06.27.2021

  How the EU Fits into Asia’s Security Puzzle

  This week we turn our attention to the Indo-Pacific - the new geopolitical groupings emerging there, from multilateral trade deals to nascent security arrangements - and how Europe fits in to the picture. The most well-known of these...

  
• 06.08.2021

  Does China See Itself as a Great Power?

  In July the Chinese Communist Party turns 100. From humble beginnings in a small building in Shanghai's French Concession, the party would go on to seize power, retaining it into the present day, and fundamentally alter the course of China's...

  
• 06.01.2021

  North Korea: Is Full Denuclearisation Still a Viable Goal?

  For this episode we're taking a look at one of the world’s most intractable geopolitical issues - North Korea - as the second of our collaborations with the Centre for Security, Strategy and Diplomacy at the Brussels School of Governance....

  
• 05.28.2021

  Japan and South Korea: Navigating an Era of Competition

  This week we set our sights on Japan and South Korea, East Asia's most prominent middle powers. With the United States and China showing no sign of backing away from confrontation, we look at what it means for two...

  
• 05.12.2021

  Biden Post-100 Days: The View from Asia

  US President Joe Biden has steamed past his first 100 days in office, typically a stage where we can look back and take stock of where a new administration is headed. For those of us outside America there’s a particular...

  
• 05.03.2021

  Dealing with Disinformation: A Global Challenge

  This week Asia Matters joins forces with the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy at the Brussels School of Governance, home to a rich expertise on Asia and working to enhance understanding of Europe's security challenges in the region. Our...

  
• 04.23.2021

  ASEAN and Myanmar: How to Handle the Coup Next Door

  ASEAN leaders will meet in Jakarta on April 24 to discuss the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, which has shown no sign of abating since a military coup deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the beginning of February.Hundreds of...

  
• 03.28.2021

  How China Is Changing - And Being Changed by - the UN

  China’s growing economic clout has seen its influence rise accordingly in major international institutions — and none more so than in the United Nations. For several years now, China has spoken of the UN as the most authoritative multilateral body...

  
• 03.16.2021

  China Faces Up To Its Biggest Challenges

  China’s rulers have been setting out their goals for the country at their big annual political meetings in Beijing. This year’s event held special significance, with policy makers revealing their latest five-year plan for China’s economy, as well as their...

  
• 03.01.2021

  Islands Apart: Pacific Nations In The Covid Era

  In this episode we turn to a part of the world we haven’t discussed before — the Pacific Islands. Stretching over a vast area covering some 15% of the earth’s surface, the region is home to diverse countries and cultures,...

  
• 02.19.2021

  What to Expect from Vietnam’s New Leaders

  After a year-long battle behind closed doors, Vietnam has a new political leadership. At its Congress, which finished on February 1st, the Communist Party selected a new Politburo to run the country for the next five years. In this...

  
• 02.07.2021

  Myanmar's Military Are Back: First Impressions of the Coup

  "Our country was a bird that was just learning to fly. Now the army broke our wings," said one activist. "What was granted by the generals is now being taken back," declared another.It’s been a dramatic few days in Southeast...