Is the U.S. signaling a more limited security role in the Indo-Pacific? Host and TAG Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper sits down with Chris Johnstone, TAG Partner and Co-Chair of Defense & National Security Practice, to discuss an Indo-Pacific region at a strategic turning point. Following Chris’s recent travel through Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore, they break down what the Shangri-La Dialogue revealed about U.S. credibility, allied uncertainty, and the future of deterrence in Asia. They explore Taiwan’s deepening anxiety over arms sales, Japan’s emergence as a more proactive security actor, and how countries across the region are building more diversified, resilient defense relationship in response to a shifting geopolitical environment. 

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.

As the Shangri-La Dialogue begins, one question hangs over the region: can the United States still reassure its allies and partners in Asia? Host and TAG Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper sits down with Senior Advisor Kelly Magsamen to break down the signals that will matter most at the summit. They cover the implications of Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, questions over Taiwan arms sales, and how the ongoing Iran conflict is reshaping the strategic environment across the Indo-Pacific. They also examine what allies want to hear from Washington, how China may seek to position itself as the steadier power, and why side meetings may matter as much as the speeches for policymakers and businesses. 

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.

Host and TAG Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper brings together two conversations to break down the strategic meaning of the Trump-Xi summit. Mira’s conversation with TAG China Managing Director Han Lin unpacks how Beijing framed the meeting around “constructive strategic stability,” why optics may have mattered more than deliverables, and how China is signaling to multinational firms that it remains open for business. Mira and TAG Managing Principal Brett Fetterly examine what this framework could mean in practice, especially for Taiwan, semiconductors, tariffs, critical minerals, and congressional reaction in Washington. Together, the conversations explore why a summit with modest visible outcomes may still mark a significant shift in U.S.-China relations. 

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.

As President Trump and President Xi prepare for a closely watched Beijing summit, TAG Chairman and Co-Founder Kurt Campbell joins Host and Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper to break down why "modest" deliverables can still carry historic consequences. They discuss the likely outcomes — trade, Boeing purchases, and fentanyl precursors — alongside the real strategic risks: Taiwan signaling, semiconductor and AI policy shifts, and the possibility of rhetoric that will spook allies by implying a "G-2" arrangement. Campbell also unpacks why he thinks of the summit as "single combat" and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the choreography, preparation, and optics that can shape perceptions and outcomes.

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.

As President Trump heads to Beijing for a long-anticipated summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Host and TAG Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper is joined by The Wall Street Journal’s Chief China Correspondent Lingling Wei to break down the mechanics behind the summit as well as the stakes and the signals that matter most. They discuss why this may be the highest stakes U.S.-China meeting in a decade; Xi’s “don’t blink, build leverage” strategy; and how protocol and optics play a big role in the summit. Wei argues this summit will set the tone of U.S.-China relations in the next few years. Will we see a managed competition, a new cold war, or a transactional détente?

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.

As attention turns to Trump–Xi summit in mid-May, Host and TAG Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper speaks with Managing Partner Ambassador Kurt Tong about what’s really at stake for Taiwan. Tong argues that Beijing’s approach is often less dramatic and more durable than portrayed: China seeks steady forward progress toward reunification while reacting sharply to perceived “backward progress.” They discuss how Ukraine and the Iran war shape perceptions of risk, how U.S. distraction could influence Beijing’s calculus, and why Taiwan’s domestic politics may look polarized even as public preference tilts toward the status quo.

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.

The world is watching the war in Iran — and so is Beijing. In this episode of What Comes Next?, Host and TAG Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper speaks with Michael Singh, managing director and Steven D. Levy senior fellow at The Washington Institute, about how China views the conflict through three lenses: core interests (especially energy and trade), connectivity ambitions, and strategic competition with the United States. They examine the limits of China-Iran alignment, what Iran may be seeking from China, and how sanctions and U.S.-China dynamics constrain Beijing’s choices ahead of the Trump-Xi summit. They also explore China’s expanding economic ties with Gulf states, questions about China’s credibility as a mediator in the U.S.-Iran war, and what the conflict means for global business risk — from chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz to defense and energy diversification. 

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.

Since February 28th, Gulf states have faced an unprecedented test: blocked shipping lanes, reduced energy production, and a geopolitical risk premium that has shaken investor confidence. How are they holding up and what do they want from a lasting deal? On this episode, Host and TAG Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper speaks with Ahmed Helal, TAG managing director for the GCC, about how countries like Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have leaned on aviation networks, cross-border integration, and sovereign wealth funds to weather the storm. They explore what a "good deal" looks like from a GCC perspective, how Gulf nations are accelerating their energy transition, and how deepening ties with China are reshaping the region's strategic calculus — even as the U.S. security umbrella remains irreplaceable. 

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.

TAG Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper hosts TAG Managing Principal Jennifer Schuch-Page to explain why Southeast Asia’s energy security has been among the hardest hit by the war in Iran and the resulting Strait of Hormuz closure. With high dependence on imports and limited reserves, countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam face acute constraints, not just price spikes. Jenny and Mira discuss the emergency steps underway including rationing, demand management, curtailed flights. They also discuss why flows may take months to normalize even if a ceasefire holds, and what resilience will require: bigger stockpiles, diversified suppliers, faster renewables and electrification, and renewed momentum for nuclear.

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.

With the Iran conflict threatening Japan's energy supply, Host and TAG Senior Advisor Mira Rapp-Hooper is joined by TAG Principal David Boling and Vice President Yuka Hayashi to explore how Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is navigating the current moment. They review Takaichi's recent summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in the backdrop of his demands that Tokyo assist with the opening of Strait of Hormuz, and how Japan's leadership addressed the issue of overseas deployments. The conversation turns to China's coercive actions vis a vis Japan, bilateral tensions, and Japan's effort to stay firm without escalating. This edition of the podcast also examines the U.S.-Japan trade dynamic, with a focus on tariffs, Section 301 investigation, and the $550 billion investment agreement — as well as Japan's domestic political risk of inflation, a weaker yen, and fiscal policy. 

What Comes Next with Mira Rapp-Hooper is produced by Rivan Dwiastono, executive produced by Lauren Dueck, with editorial input from Prashant Jha. It contains music by Cody Martin via Soundstripe. 

What Comes Next is a production of The Asia Group, and is powered by TAG AI, TAG's geopolitical decision engine for businesses.