Independent Thinking

The re-election of Donald Trump has major consequences for America’s relations with China. The panel discuss how the US-China relationship might change under the next president.

Guest host Ben Bland is joined by historian and political scientist Professor Rana Mitter, the FT’s US-China correspondent, Demetri Sevastopulo and Dr Yu Jie, a senior research fellow with our Asia-Pacific programme. 

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Trump’s ‘America First’ foreign policy will accelerate China’s push for global leadership

The Gulf will seek to manage Trump through self-reliance and pragmatism

Donald Trump’s policies risk making the US dollar a source of global instability

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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Donald Trump has decisively defeated Kamala Harris in the US presidential election. What does his return to the White House mean for America and the world?

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Edward Luce, the FT’s North America editor, Gerald Seib, the former Washington bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal and Leslie Vinjamuri, the head of our US and Americas programme.

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The election shows that Trumpism is here to stay

America chooses a new role in the world

2024 US election results: what we know and what we expect

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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North Korea is sending troops to Russia, but what is Kim Jong Un hoping to get from Vladmir Putin for military assistance against Ukraine? The panel also discuss the role military conscription plays in Israel, South Korea and Ukraine.

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Edward Howell, the Korea Foundation fellow at Chatham House, Orysia Lutsevych, the head of our Ukraine Forum and Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with our Middle East and North Africa Programme.

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As the ruling party claims victory in Georgia’s disputed election, Western condemnation is no longer enough

Watch: 2024 US election: What will America choose?

Watch: Is the world ready for the next pandemic?

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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Ahead of a crucial budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the UK’s national debt is at almost 100 per cent of GDP - and it's not alone. Many G7 economies face massive debt levels, restricting ambitions when it comes to foreign policy and global engagement. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Patrick Wintour, the Guardian’s Diplomatic Editor and Ranil Dissanayake, a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Global Development. With them are Olivia O’Sullivan and David Lubin from Chatham House.

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Trust in US democracy is at stake in this election

US election rhetoric on migration undermines Washington’s soft power in Latin America

Azerbaijan’s climate leadership challenge

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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France is facing political turmoil. The survival of Michel Barnier’s new government rests on whether he can pass a controversial budget intended to rescue the country from its huge fiscal deficit. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Sophie Pedder, the Paris Bureau Chief of The Economist, Shahin Vallée, a former advisor to Emmanuel Macron and Armida van Rij, the head of our Europe programme.

Episode includes a clip of Nancy Pelosi at Chatham House.

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Four scenarios for the end of the war in Ukraine

Moldova and Georgia face crucial elections – and diverging paths

How Beijing is closing surveillance gaps in the South China Sea

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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Sanctions regimes are intended to be preferable to military force as a tool of foreign policy, but do they work to change behaviour or end up hurting ordinary people? With Bronwen Maddox is Daniel W Drezner, Professor of International Politics at Tufts University, Allie Renison, Associate Director at SEC Newgate, and Chris Sabatini, Senior Research Fellow for Latin America with our US and Americas Programme.

 Read our latest:

How not to sanction | International Affairs journal 

Why the US–India relationship needs a healthy dose of realism

What the US election means for trade policy

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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On the first anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attacks, we discuss the possible pathways for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Daniel Levy, the president of the US/Middle East Project. With them are Sanam Vakil, director of our Middle East and North Africa programme (MENAP) and Amjad Iraqi, a MENAP associate fellow.

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Israel needs a strategy for its place in the region that is not just attacks on current threats

Israel’s wars have sustained the destructive leadership which brought it to this crisis

Palestinians must be given the space to reorganize their political agency

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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With the Israeli military launching sustained attacks across Lebanon against Hezbollah, we explore why Israel has decided to ramp up strikes on Hezbollah now, even as the war in Gaza rages on and tensions continue to rise in the West Bank. Bronwen Maddox is joined by The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, Gregg Carlstrom. With them are Lina Khatib and Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellows with our Middle East and North Africa Programme.

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Could Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah open the way to a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities?

Illicit gold is exacerbating Ethiopia’s conflicts

The three key priorities new NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte must get right

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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As Ukraine waits to hear if it can use Western missiles to strike deep into Russia, we explore the current state of the Kursk offensive and the front lines in Donbas, and ask what if any strategy might change the course of the war into 2025. Guest host James Nixey is joined by the FT’s Christopher Miller and military analyst Michael Kofman. With them is Olga Tokariuk, the OSUN academy fellow with our Ukraine Forum.

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Attacks on Hezbollah pagers will not improve Israel’s situation on its border with Lebanon

The war in Sudan is intensifying. Coordinated pressure is needed to prevent the country’s fragmentation

Austerity measures are on trial in Sri Lanka’s first election since its economic collapse

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

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Tuesday’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump brought fierce exchanges over immigration, abortion and foreign policy, and showed that America's global role matters in this election. Bronwen Maddox is joined by David Weigel from Semafor and Clare Malone from the New Yorker to discuss what we learned and what to watch in the rest of the race. With them is Heather Hurlburt, associate fellow of our US and Americas programme.

Read our latest:

The Harris–Trump debate showed US foreign policy matters in this election

The US election will take place in a polluted information space

US dollar dominance is both a cause and a consequence of US power

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

Read the latest issue of The World Today📕 

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Audio clip credit: ABC News Presidential Debate: Race for the White House