The Divide

On October 20, a U.S. 7th Fleet Destroyer and the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a bilateral transit through the Taiwan Strait. Just two days after this transit, China conducted live-fire drills from its territory closest to Taiwan.

In this episode, Seth Cropsey discusses the escalating military tensions in the Taiwan Strait, particularly in light of recent Chinese military exercises.

Former President Tsai Ing-wen is visiting Europe for the first time since her presidency ended in May, choosing the Czech Republic, France, and Belgium as her destinations. Why has she selected these three countries, and what impact might her visit have on Taiwan-Europe relations?

In this episode, Marcin Jerzewski, head of the Taiwan Office of the European Values Center for Security Policy, discusses the significance of Tsai Ing-wen's first international trip post-presidency and explores the shared dynamics in international posture between these nations.

Thailand is grappling with significant economic challenges, such as high household debt and a downturn in tourism resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the country's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling due to hidden debts and the impact of Chinese dumping.

This week, Shawn Crispin of Asia Times discusses the critical tasks Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra must prioritize if she aims to rejuvenate Thailand’s sluggish economy.

In 2020, Thailand was gripped by significant protests demanding monarchy reform, met with severe police crackdowns. Four years later, despite an electoral victory, the Move Forward Party was dissolved by a constitutional court order in August. Following this, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former self-exiled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, became the youngest Prime Minister in Thailand's history. These developments raise the questions: Have the pro-democracy protests been in vain? What are the primary concerns of the Thai people today?

In this episode, Shawn Crispin, the Southeast Asia editor at Asia Times, discusses the complexities of Thailand's political landscape, focusing on the recent changes in leadership, the impact of pro-democracy movements, and the historical influence of the Shinawatra family.

When diplomats at the United Nations pressed China to address allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Chinese state-run media launched a fervent counter-attack, accusing the US and EU of "politicizing and applying double standards to human rights issues."

In this episode, Mr. Orville Schell talks about China's historical relationship with nationalism, how Stanford University is finding itself in a legal battle with the Chinese Communist Party, and the possibilities of influencing China's human rights policies, as well as his latest book, "My Old Home." This novel, while a departure from his previous non-fiction works, continues to provide profound insights into China.

U.S.-China relations have cooled significantly in recent years, defying the expectations of U.S. foreign policy strategists since the 1970s, when there was a prevailing belief that engagement and trade would gradually bring the two countries closer and encourage China to become more open and less authoritarian. That didn't happen. 

In this episode, historian Orville Schell, the Arthur Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, delves into the complexities of U.S.-China relations. He discusses the historical concept of engagement and explains why decades of diplomatic efforts and trade have not transformed China into a democracy.

In February 2021, when Myanmar's military junta staged a coup, they opened fire on civilians and arrested and killed journalists who sought to inform the world about the unfolding events. Fast forward to today, the regime’s brutal treatment of its own people persists, but so does the reporting by Myanmar's media outlets. Journalists continue to operate under extremely dangerous conditions, delivering uncensored news both within and beyond the country's borders.

This week, Adam Bemma from the independent underground broadcaster Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) talks about the challenges faced by independent media organizations and the rise of citizen journalists amid escalating violence against the press.

In February 2021, Myanmar's military junta staged a coup d'état, dissolving the reformist parliament and imprisoning State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, the country has plunged into a bloody civil war and the Rohingya community's plight continues. 

In this episode, Adam Bemma, a media development consultant for the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), discusses Myanmar's complex political landscape, the history of violence against the Rohingya, and the media's role in reporting on the situation.

Although the United States and the European Union have implemented extensive sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia continues to find its ways to finance its military efforts. Why has it not depleted its funds for weapons acquisition, and who is sustaining the Russian economy?

In this episode, Dr. Benjamin L. Schmitt, an astrophysicist and energy security expert from the University of Pennsylvania, explores the difficulties of enforcing sanctions and discusses why it is important for countries to transition to renewable energy. 

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has served as a wake-up call for Europe. Countries are now recognizing the risks of depending heavily on Russia's energy exports, finding themselves constrained by Russia's dominance in their energy markets.

In this episode, Dr. Benjamin L. Schmitt from the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy discusses Europe's energy security vulnerabilities and addresses the unethical practices of many far-right politicians who prioritize their financial interests over those of Europe.