Sounds Strategic

Taiwan has been at the forefront of geopolitical concern in Asia and beyond, following Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei and the string of military exercises conducted by China in early August. Podcast guest host James Crabtree is joined by IISS experts Meia Nouwens, Franz-Stefan Gady and Henry Boyd to discuss the recent developments. 

Topics the speakers address in this episode: 

• Taiwan’s political leadership 
• People’s Liberation Army’s military exercises around Taiwan 
• Development of capability design and cognitive advantage  
• Potential lessons from Ukraine 
• Impact of disinformation and public perception 
• Emerging technological capabilities 

Guest host: James Crabtree, Executive Director, IISS–Asia | Twitter: @jamescrabtree | James Crabtree (iiss.org) 

• Meia Nouwens, IISS Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation | Twitter: @MeiaNouwens | Meia Nouwens (iiss.org)  
• Franz-Stefan Gady, Senior Fellow for Cyber Power and Future Conflict | Twitter: @HoansSolo | Franz-Stefan Gady (iiss.org)  
• Henry Boyd, Research Fellow for Defence and Military Analysis | Henry Boyd (iiss.org)  

We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on the podcast platform of your choice. 

Date of Recording: 28 September 2022 

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the world has witnessed unprecedented sanctions against Russia, and military and humanitarian support for Ukraine against a backdrop of ongoing military campaigns and loss of civilian life. In this episode of Sounds Strategic, host Meia Nouwens is joined by four IISS experts to discuss the past six months, and what’s next in terms of military operations, political strategies and economic sanctions. 

Meia Nouwens and IISS experts Dr Maria Shagina, Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, Franz-Stefan Gady and Henry Boyd discuss:   

• The state of Russian and Ukrainian armed forces 
• The impact of sanctions on the civilian and military sectors in Russia 
• Eastern Europe and the role of Turkey 
• Military aid the next six months 

Host and speakers:

• Meia Nouwens, IISS Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation | Twitter: @MeiaNouwens | Meia Nouwens (iiss.org)  
• Dr Maria Shagina, Diamond-Brown Research Fellow for Economic Sanctions, Standards and Strategy | Twitter: @maria_shagina | Maria Shagina (iiss.org) 
• Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, Editor, Strategic Survey; Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia | Twitter: @Nigelgd1 | Dr Nigel Gould-Davies (iiss.org) 
• Franz-Stefan Gady, Senior Fellow for Cyber, Space and Future Conflict | Twitter: @HoansSolo | Franz-Stefan Gady (iiss.org) 
• Henry Boyd, Research Fellow for Defence and Military Analysis | Henry Boyd (iiss.org) 

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. 

Date of recording: 23 August 2022 

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NATO held its Madrid summit on 28-30 June 2022 against the backdrop of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the signing of an accession protocol for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. Podcast host Meia Nouwens is joined by IISS experts to discuss the adoption of the new Strategic Concept, its ambitions and challenges. 

Meia Nouwens and IISS experts Dr Bastian Giegerich, William Alberque, Dr Simona Soare and Fenella McGerty discuss: 

• NATO's conventional force and tasks 
• NATO’s nuclear posture and arms control 
• NATO’s defence spending ambitions 
• NATO’s innovation efforts 

Host and speakers:

• Meia Nouwens, IISS Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation | Twitter: @MeiaNouwens | Meia Nouwens (iiss.org) 
• Dr Bastian Giegerich, Director of Defence and Military Analysis | Dr Bastian Giegerich (iiss.org) 
• William Alberque, Director of Strategy, Technology, and Arms Control | Twitter: @walberque | William Alberque (iiss.org) 
• Fenella McGerty, Senior Fellow for Defence Economics | Twitter: @FMcGerty | Fenella McGerty (iiss.org) 
• Dr Simona Soare, Research Fellow for Defence and Military Analysis | Twitter: @Simona_Soare | Simona Soare (iiss.org) 

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. 

Date of recording: 12 July 2022 

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue was back with a bang earlier this month and underlined the prime importance of in-person defence diplomacy. In the second part of our reflections, guest host James Crabtree is joined by IISS colleagues Dr Lynn Kuok, Dr Euan Graham and Aaron Connelly to discuss Asia’s premium defence summit and what stood out for them.

Topics include:  

• First plenary speech by Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, US 
• US-China relations and Taiwan 
• Australia, Pacific Islands and AUKUS 
• European contribution to the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue with France and the Netherlands 
• Southeast Asia and the armed conflict in Myanmar 

Guest host: 

•  James Crabtree | @jamescrabtree | James Crabtree (iiss.org)   

 Speakers:  

•  Dr Lynn Kuok, Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Security Editor, Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment | @LynnKuok | Lynn Kuok (iiss.org) 
• Dr Euan Graham, Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Security | @graham_euan | Dr Euan Graham (iiss.org) 
• Aaron Connelly, Senior Fellow for Southeast Asian Politics and Foreign Policy | @ConnellyAL | Aaron Connelly (iiss.org) 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue was back with a bang earlier this month and underlined the prime importance of in-person defence diplomacy. For the first time a crisis in Europe loomed large over Asia’s premier security summit, which took place in Singapore on 10-12 June 2022.  

Guest host James Crabtree is joined by IISS colleagues William Alberque, Nigel Gould-Davies, Meia Nouwens and Yuka Koshino to share their expert opinions.  

Topics include: 

• US-China relations and great-power competition 
• Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the impact on Asia 
• Keynote Address by Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and his administration’s response to the war in Ukraine 
• Arms control and non-proliferation 
• Taiwan 

Guest host: James Crabtree | @jamescrabtree | James Crabtree (iiss.org)  

Speakers:    

• William Alberque, Director of Strategy, Technology, and Arms Control | @walberque
• Nigel Gould-Davies, Editor, Strategic Survey; Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia | @Nigelgd1
• Meia Nouwens, IISS Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation | @MeiaNouwens
• Yuka Koshino, Research Fellow for Security and Technology Policy | @YukaKoshino

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. 

Date of recording: 22 June 2022 

Shangri-La Dialogue 2022 transcripts and recorded sessions are available here: IISS Shangri-La Dialogue - Asia's premier defence summit 

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s back! Asia’s premier security summit, the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, will take place in Singapore on 10–12 June 2022. In this episode, guest host James Crabtree, Executive Director IISS-Asia, is joined by IISS colleagues Meia Nouwens, IISS Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation, and Aaron Connelly, Senior Fellow for Southeast Asian Politics and Foreign Policy, to discuss themes and topics of the upcoming event.

At a time of ever-greater focus on the geopolitical and defence dynamics of the Asia-Pacific, the importance of in-person debate among the region’s key actors is greater than ever. The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue is a unique platform for such debate, enabling government ministers and senior officials, as well as business leaders and security experts, to come together to share fresh perspectives on Asia’s developing security challenges.

The focus of the episode’s discussion will include:

• US-China relations
• Southeast Asia and regional security
• The impact of the war in Ukraine
• Europe and the Indo-Pacific 

Guest host and speakers:

James Crabtree | @jamescrabtree | James Crabtree (iiss.org)

Aaron Connelly | @ConnellyAL | Aaron Connelly (iiss.org)

Meia Nouwens | @meianouwens | Meia Nouwens (iiss.org)

For more information about IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2022 please visit our website The International Institute for Strategic Studies (iiss.org)

Follow us on Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

​Date of recording: 31 May 2022

​

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and it remains an ongoing war. In this new Sounds Strategic episode, host Meia Nouwens is joined by Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, William Alberque and Franz-Stefan Gady to discuss the conflict through military, economic and political lenses.

Meia and her guests address some of the most pressing questions in the international security community, share their observations on past and future challenges, and offer their perspectives on some of the unprecedented developments.

-         Military operations and the performance of the Russian armed forces

-         Disinformation warfare

-         Russia’s failed statecraft in Europe

-         Sanctions and their intended impact

-         Multinational response to the crisis

-         NATO, EU and minilateral alliances

Speakers:

Host: Meia Nouwens, Senior Fellow for Chinese Defence Policy and Military Modernisation | Twitter: @MeiaNouwens | Latest research: Meia Nouwens (iiss.org)

Guests:

Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, Editor, Strategic Survey; Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia | Twitter: @Nigelgd1 | Latest research: Dr Nigel Gould-Davies (iiss.org)

William Alberque, Director of Strategy, Technology, and Arms Control | Twitter: @walberque | Latest research: William Alberque (iiss.org)

Franz-Stefan Gady, Research Fellow for Cyber, Space and Future Conflict | Twitter: @HoansSolo | Latest research: Franz-Stefan Gady (iiss.org)

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

​

Date of recording: 29 March 2022

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS.

For more expert analysis and commentary visit https://www.iiss.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and the European Union have published Indo-Pacific strategies, all of which foresee a greater economic, political and security relationship with the region. Military engagement of European powers in the maritime domain has received significant attention in 2021, following the deployment of the US, UK and Netherlands navies in the Carrier Strike Group 2021 voyage, the deployment of the German frigate the Bayern, and a continued French naval presence in the region.   

To discuss the realities, practicalities and prospects of European naval engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, host Meia Nouwens is joined by IISS experts Nick Childs, Euan Graham and Hugo Decis.  

Topics include: 

• Where can European navies best contribute to security in the Indo-Pacific region? 
• How can European powers coordinate their engagement better?  
• And how much has AUKUS derailed the possibility of collaboration between Europeans, the Americans and Australia in the future?   

Guest speakers:  

• Nick Childs, Senior Fellow for Naval Forces and Maritime Security 
• Dr Euan Graham, Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Security 
• Hugo Decis, Research Analyst for Defence and Military Analysis 

________________________________________________________________ 

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. 

Date of recording: 17 November 2021 

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Meia Nouwens is joined by Sir Tom Beckett, Dr. Hasan al Hasan and Camille Lons to discuss the key themes from the 17th IISS Manama Dialogue, which was held in Bahrain From the 19th to the 21st of November 2021.  

The Manama Dialogue is an annual international security and regional diplomatic summit held in Bahrain that brings together high level representation from governments and stakeholders from across the Middle East and beyond.  

This year’s event covered key regional security developments ranging from questions about the US security commitment to the region, the growing relationship between the Gulf and Asia, the cautious optimism around de-escalation efforts, the potential role of minilateral diplomacy in the region, and a renewed focus on the Red Sea as a geopolitical arena with its own unique dynamics.  

_________________________________________________________________

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on your favourite podcast platform.

Date of recording: 25 November 2021

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.

To find out more, please visit https://www.iiss.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From a cooperation deficit to the prospect of conflict over Taiwan, Strategic Survey 2021 outlines the wide array of challenges faced by the international rules-based order, and shows that great-power competition is becoming more prevalent and complex.

To mark the launch of the annual flagship publication and discuss the main themes and topics, host Meia Nouwens is joined by

• Dr Nigel Gould-Davies | Editor, Strategic Survey; Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia
• Nigel Inkster | Senior Adviser for Cyber Security and China
• Dr David Gordon | Senior Adviser for Geo-Economics and Strategy 

_________________________________________________________________

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Date of recording: 25 October 2021

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.

To find out more, please visit https://www.iiss.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.