ChinaPower

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Dr. Evan Medeiros join us to unpack President Putin’s visit to Beijing. They discuss what the timing reveals about China’s diplomatic strategy after the Trump–Xi meeting, and how both sides used optics to serve their own interests. The conversation explores Russia’s growing dependence on China, the limits of the partnership including the stalled Power of Siberia II pipeline, and what to watch for in China-Russia security cooperation.

Andrea Kendall-Taylor is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.

Evan Medeiros is the Penner Family Chair in Asia Studies in the School of Foreign Service and the Cling Family Distinguished Fellow in U.S.-China Studies at Georgetown University.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Ambassador Edgard Kagan joins us to unpack President Trump’s recent summit with President Xi Jinping. He discusses the contrasting U.S. and Chinese readouts, Beijing’s push for a “constructive relationship of strategic stability,” and the priorities of each side. The conversation examines China’s role in Iran, Taiwan, and what to watch as Trump and Xi prepare for additional meetings later this year. 

Ambassador Edgard Kagan is senior adviser and Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Zhang Chuchu joins us to discuss how China views the war in Iran and what the conflict means for China’s interests and strategy in the Middle East. She explains Chinese concerns about regional spillover, energy security, and the erosion of trust in international negotiations. The conversation also discusses China’s diplomatic approach and what the conflict means for U.S.–China relations and the upcoming Trump–Xi leadership meeting. 

Zhang Chuchu is an associate professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs and deputy director at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University.   

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Albert Tzeng and Dr. Dennis Weng join us to explore domestic politics in Taiwan, with a particular focus on two key developments related to the Kuomintang (KMT) party, Taiwan’s largest opposition party. We examine the April visit of KMT Chairwomen Cheng Li-wun to China to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and KMT Taichung City Mayor Lu Shiow-yen’s March trip to the United States. We discuss what these trips showcase about Taiwan’s domestic politics, dynamics within the KMT, the KMT’s current stance on Taiwan’s relations with China and the United States, and what implications these trips have ahead of the potential Trump-Xi meeting in May.

Dr. Dennis Wang is Associate Professor and Graduate Director of Political Science at Sam Houston State University. Dr. Albert Tzeng is the founder of the strategic consulting service "Discursive Workshop” and previously served as advisor to two former Chairs of the Kuomintang political party in Taiwan.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Arne Westad joins us to discuss his new book, The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict, and Warnings from History. He explains why the years leading up to World War I, rather than the Cold War, offer a striking parallel from history for today’s U.S.–China relationship and great power competition. He highlights how mistrust, multipolarity, and unclear strategic aims can fuel miscalculation. The conversation examines how flashpoints such as Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and India–China tensions could escalate under these conditions, why rapid technological change and weak crisis communication heighten risks, and the steps major powers can take to reduce these dangers.

Arne Westad is an Elihu Professor of History at Yale University. Before joining Yale, he taught at the London School of Economics, where he was School Professor of International History, and at Harvard University, where he was the S.T. Lee Professor of US-Asia Relations.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Robert Greenway joins us to discuss key findings from his new report, TIDALWAVE: Strategic Exploitation and Sustainment in a US–China Conflict. The conversation explores China’s vulnerabilities in fuel and ammunition sustainment and how instability in the Middle East could affect PLA operations. He also discusses the risks associated with the sustainment gaps facing U.S. forces and potential steps Washington and its partners could consider to strengthen their position.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Witold Rodkiewicz joins us to discuss Russian elite assessments of the China‑Russia relationship at the strategic level, how they interpret China’s growing power and the emerging U.S.–China competition, and whether U.S. policy can still influence Moscow’s strategic trajectory.
Witold Rodkiewicz is a Senior Fellow in the Russian Department at the Centre for East European Studies.

In this special episode of the China Power Podcast, listen to our recent event assessing Xi Jinping’s widespread purges of China’s military and what they reveal about China’s priorities, dynamics within the PLA, and China’s overall military readiness.

To discuss these issues, our event brought together six leading experts on China: Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens (Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin), Mr. John Culver (Nonresident Senior Fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings), Mr. Jon Czin (Michael H. Armacost Chair in Foreign Policy Studies and Fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings), Dr. Taylor Fravel (Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and Director of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Dr. Bonny Lin (Director, China Power Project and Senior Adviser at CSIS). Mr. Brian Hart (Deputy Director and Fellow of the China Power Project at CSIS).

For more on the topic, access the China Power dataset and full report here and read our compilation of expert commentaries here.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, William Hannas and Hugh Grant‑Chapman join us to discuss key findings from Bill’s new report, China’s Embodied AI: A Path to AGI, as well as the CSIS report Is China Leading the Robotics Revolution? They examine why Chinese researchers view embodied AI as a critical pathway toward advanced intelligence, how Beijing is prioritizing robotics and physical‑world AI applications, and what lessons China’s AI strategy may offer for other countries.

William Hannas is the Lead Analyst at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, or CSET. Before joining CSET, he served in the Senior Intelligence Service at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he worked as an executive expert on advanced technical programs.

Hugh Grant-Chapman is a fellow with the Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Thomas Shugart and Michael Dahm join us to discuss key findings from their new report, Flooding the Zone: The Use of Civilian Landing Craft (LCTs) in PLA Amphibious Operations. They examine how civilian landing craft could provide the PLA with over-the-shore lift several times greater than its traditional landing ships in a Taiwan scenario, bridging the gap between beach assaults and port access. The conversation explores the operational constraints and vulnerabilities of LCTs and how these developments fit into Beijing’s broader strategy and 2027 military modernization goals.

Thomas Shugart is an Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. He served more than 25 years in the U.S. Navy as a submarine warfare officer, deploying multiple times to the Indo‑Pacific.

Michael Dahm is a Senior Resident Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and a lecturer at George Washington University. He served as a U.S. Navy intelligence officer for over 25 years.