Ryan Hass joined me in the Virtual Studio to examine closely the US-China relationship and the rising tensions between the two. The podcast interview was a perfect opportunity to examine with Ryan early Biden foreign policy from a former US foreign policy official. Ryan brings real knowledge of the current players in the Administration and insights from his focus on China and Taiwan. Ryan Hass is a senior fellow and the Michael H. Armacost Chair in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings, where he holds a joint appointment to the John L. Thornton China Center and the Center for East Asia Policy Studies. He is also the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies. Ryan is also a non-resident affiliated fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School. From 2013 to 2017, Hass served as the director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia at the National Security Council (NSC) staff. In that role he advised President Obama and senior White House officials on all aspects of U.S. policy toward China, Taiwan, and Mongolia, Join me and Ryan Hass in the Virtual Studio to examine all things US-China.

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Shaking the Global Order, Series 2, Ep. 6: Ryan Hass on US-China Rivalry & the Emerging Global Order

I was pleased to invite Jonathan Luckhurst into the virtual studio to examine the progress toward the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rome that occurs and the end of October. Jonathan has long been a student of the Informals including work on the G7 and the BRICS as well as the G20. He has worked with many in the G7 and G20 Research Groups at the University of Toronto. I wanted to get Jonathan into the Studio with several months to spare to examine the progress of the Italian. Presidency in the drive toward the G20 Leaders’ Summit. Jonathan Luckhurst is a Professor of International Relations at the Graduate School of International Peace Studies, at Soka University in Tokyo Japan. He has written extensively on the Informals - the informal international institutions, such as the G7, the BRICS and of course the G20.

Summit Dialogue: Ep. 24: Jonathan Luckhurst on the Informals and the upcoming Italian G20 Summit

It was great pleasure to bring Michael Beckley into the Virtual Studio to discuss US-China tensions and rivalry and the consequences of these tensions for the evolving global order. Michael has written a dynamic series of articles in Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy concerned with the US, China, and US-China relations. Michael has examined the threat, or not, of Xi Jinping’s China as well assessing what a more aggressive China means for the United States, especially its military posture and strategy in the key strategic flashpoints from the Taiwan Straits, the South China Sea and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific. Some come join us in the Virtual Studio. Michael Beckley is the Jeane Kirkpatrick Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where his research focuses on US-China competition, long-term trends in the US-China power balance, US alliances and grand strategy, and US economic and defense policy in East Asia. Concurrently, he is an Associate Professor at Tufts University. Michael is the author of Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower (Cornell University Press, 2018).

Shaking the Global Order, Series 2, Ep. 5: Michael Beckley on the Shape of the Emerging Global Order

The new book by Cheng Li - Middle Class Shanghai: Reshaping US-China Engagement, published by Brookings was an excellent moment to bring Cheng Li into the Virtual Studio to explore the influence on the rise of the Middle Class but particularly Shanghai’s middle class on China’s foreign policy. There was so much to ask Cheng Li about the impact of the middle class on the Party and the Government. We will have to bring Cheng Li back but for now a real opportunity to explore Chinese foreign policy from a unique position, the transformation of political leaders, generational change, the Chinese middle class, and technological development in China. Cheng Li is the director of the John L. Thornton China Center and a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. He is also a distinguished fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. And he is a director of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. Li is the author or the editor of numerous books including most recently, “China’s Political Development: Chinese and American Perspectives” (2014), “Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era: Reassessing Collective Leadership” (2016), “The Power of Ideas: The Rising Influence of Thinkers and Think Tanks in China” (2017), and the just recently released, “Middle Class Shanghai: Reshaping U.S.-China Engagement”. In 1985, Cheng Li came to the United States, where he received a master’s in Asian studies from the University of California, Berkeley and a doctorate in political science from Princeton University.

Shaking the Global Order, Series 2, Ep. 4: Cheng Li on the Impact of the Shanghai Middle Class

I was pleased to invite into the virtual studio Stewart Patrick to discuss the many efforts to tackle the dramatic decline in biodiversity. Today, there are many summit initiatives underway to deal with the alarming decline in biodiversity. The need to reverse the decline in biodiversity is all too apparent. Humans have already transformed more than 70 percent of the planet’s ice-free land surface, primarily for agriculture and ranching, as well as for mining and human settlements. Around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades, more than ever before in human history. There are many initiatives underway from deserts to wetlands to the High Seas all to deal with the rapid decline in biodiversity. But are they effective? So, Stewart agreed to join us in the Virtual Studio to talk about all these efforts. Stewart M. Patrick is James H. Binger senior fellow in global governance and director of the International Institutions and Global Governance (IIGG) Program at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). His areas of expertise include multilateral cooperation on global issues; U.S. policy toward international institutions, including the United Nations and a focus biodiversity and climate change. From September 2002 to January 2005, Stewart served on the secretary of state's policy planning staff. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of five books. These days Stewart writes the blog, The Internationalist. Stewart graduated from Stanford University and received two master’s degrees and his doctorate in international relations from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Summit Dialogue, Ep. 23: An Interview with Stewart Patrick on Tackling Biodiversity

It was a pleasure to have Angel Hsu back in the Virtual Studio. As I have pointed out there will be a burst of Summits and Global Summits this fall 2021. Many of these summits will tackle various aspects of climate change and the impact on the Anthropocene. To discuss the issues of climate action I could think of no one better than my colleague, Angel. Today, Angel is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program (E3P) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also Founder and Director of the Data-Driven EnviroLab, an interdisciplinary research group that innovates and applies quantitative approaches to pressing environmental issues. The last time we had a chance to sit down was just following the Global Climate Action Summit that took place in San Francisco in September 2018. The EnviroLab had just before the Climate Summit released the first Report: Global Climate Action from cities, regions, and businesses. Since then, two other reports have been prepared. Angel explores the intersection of science and policy and the use of data-driven approaches to understand environmental sustainability, particularly in the areas of climate change and energy, urbanization and air quality. Angel holds a PhD in Environmental Policy from Yale University, an MPhil in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge, and a BS in Biology and BA in Political Science from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. So, join me as I invite Angel Hsu into the Virtual Studio.

Summit Dialogue, Ep. 22: An Interview with Angel Hsu

It was a pleasure to invite Joshua Busby back into the virtual studio to discuss the Leaders’ Earth Summit just recently concluded and the current state of climate efforts to reduce emissions and keep the average temperature to as close to 1.5 degrees Celsius ads possible. President Biden invited 40 world leaders to the Leaders’ Summit on Climate which he hosted virtually on April 22nd and 23rd. The Summit brought together the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which brought together the 17 countries responsible for approximately 80 percent of global emissions and global GDP. The President also invited the heads of other countries that are demonstrating strong climate leadership, are especially vulnerable to climate impacts, or are charting innovative pathways to a net-zero economy. A small number of business and civil society leaders also participated in the Summit. This Earth Day Summit is a major event on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) scheduled for this fall in Glasgow. What was committed to by Leaders to this Summit? Where were commitments not made and what are the consequences? What can we expect from the Glasgow COP26 meeting in October following the G20 Leaders Summit in Rome? All of this is part of the discussion that Josh and I had on the continuing global climate change efforts. Joshua Busby is an Associate Professor of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and a Distinguished Scholar at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. In 2018, Josh joined the Center for Climate & Security as a Senior Research Fellow. Josh is the author of numerous studies on climate change, national security, and energy policy that have been published by peer-reviewed academic outlets and various think tanks.

‘Summit Dialogue’ Series, Ep. 21: An Interview with Josh Busby

We are just entering the ‘Summit Season’ and I thought I would kick off the Season with a conversation with Paola Subacchi on the question of the Italian G20 Leaders’ Summit. Paola has been involved in G20 summits going back some years. And she has links to those organizing the Italian Rome Summit that will occur possibly in person in the fall. Paola is a Professor of International Economics and Chair Advisory Board at the Global Policy Institute at Queen Mary, University of London, and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Bologna. Previously, she was Director of International Economics Research at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) for over ten years. She is the founder and director of Essential Economics, an independent economic research service. She writes widely about global financial issues and her most recent book from Yale University Press is The Cost of Free Money (2020). Let’s join Paola in the virtual studio to discuss the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

‘Summit Dialogue’: Ep. 20: An Interview with Paola Subacchi on the upcoming Italian G20 Summit

I invited Nick Bisley into the virtual studio to explore the changing dynamics of the global order in Asia. We have seen the conclusion recently of the RCEP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that includes 15 countries including China. In addition, in March we saw the first meeting of leaders of the Quad. The Quadrilateral Initiative made up of the United States, Japan, India and Australia was formed in 2007 but this was the first leaders meeting, though virtually. It was one of the first multilateral gatherings that included President Biden. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan noted that each of the four leaders present had described the meeting as “historic.” This podcast was an opportunity then to talk with Nick about the significance of this meeting, the rising Australia-China tensions and the consequences for the region of the rising US-China tensions. Nick Bisley is the Dean and Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of International Relations at La Trobe University in Melbourne. His research and teaching expertise is in Asia's international relations, great power politics and Australian foreign and defence policy. Nick is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of International Affairs between 2013 and 2018, the country's oldest scholarly journal in the field of International Relations. Nick is the author of many works on international relations.

Shaking the Global Order Series 2, Ep 3: Interview with Nick Bisley on the Changing Order in Asia

I am pleased to welcome back to the virtual studio Thomas Wright from Brookings to explore Biden foreign policy in the wake of the first US-China Summit which took place on March 18th and 19th. What does this meeting between top foreign policy officials tell us about the Biden Administration’s foreign policy, especially between the United States and China? Have we entered Cold War 2.0 between China and the United States? Tom is the director of the Center on the United States and Europe and a senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution. Tom has been very active writing on contemporary politics and in particular the impact of former President Trump and his officials and now President Biden and his officials on American foreign policy. He continues his writing in The Atlantic magazine. Tom’s most recent book, co-authored with Colin Kahl, is entitled: “Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order” and will be released this coming August.

Shaking the Global Order, Series 2, Ep. 2: Thomas Wright on The Alaska Summit and More

It is my pleasure to sit with an old colleague who is currently the Executive Director of the Institute for International Trade in the Faculty of the Professions, University of Adelaide, Peter Draper. Much change is afoot in the trade world. First a new Director General has been seated at the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo - Iweala. The DG has much to tackle in the WTO that has been crippled by member actions, especially the Trump Administration. In the Asia - Pacific a new 15 member RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) has been signed and China has signed an investment agreement with the EU, the CAI. And then there are the growing tensions between China and Australia. It was at this crucial moment, I was able to ‘grab’ my colleague for an in - depth discussion of global trade with a particular Asia - Pacific focus. Besides being the Executive Director of the Institute for International Trade in the Faculty of the Professions, University of Adelaide, Australia. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Research Foundation; non-resident senior fellow of the Brussels-based Euro pean Centre for International Political Economy; Associated Researcher at the German Development Institute (DIE); and a Board member of the Australian Services Roundtable.

'Now', Ep 24: An Interview with Peter Draper on reforms to the WTO & new trade construction

Bruce and I have had some back and forth recently on the definition and importance of Middle Powers in the current global order. I thought that it would be valuable to invite Bruce into the virtual studio to discuss the role and influence of the Middle Powers. In particular I wanted to review with Bruce his recent writings with several colleagues on ‘democratic multilateralism’ and ‘competitive multilateralism’. How could these shape global governance efforts going forward in light of the growing tensions between the two leading states – the United States and China. Bruce Jones is currently the director and a senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution; he also works with the Center for East Asia Policy Studies. Bruce is as well a consulting professor at the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford University. Jones previously served as the vice president and director for the Foreign Policy program. Jones’ research expertise and policy experience is in international security. His current research focus is on U.S. strategy, international order, and great power relations. Recent publications include an article in Foreign Affairs, “Can Middle Powers Lead the World Out of the Pandemic? Because the United States and China Have Shown They Can’t”

Summit Dialogue Series, Ep. 19: Bruce Jones on Democratic & Competitive Multilateralism

It was a pleasure to sit down again with Oliver Della Costa Stuenkel to discuss Brazil and the region. This session with Oliver was designed to focus on Brazilians’ reactions to the violence in Washington on January 6th.Also, I wanted an update on Brazil’s difficult struggle with the pandemic and the efforts in Brazil to roll out vaccinations against Covid-19. It has become clear that Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro has remained highly skeptical over ‘lock down’ measures to safeguard Brazilians. And the numbers of hospitalizations and deaths keep rising. What impact has all of this has on President Bolsonaro’s popularity. Oliver is an associate professor of international relations at Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) in Sao Paulo. There, with several colleagues, he launched a new School of International Relations. Oliver has written extensively on the politics of the rising powers, including The BRICS and the Future of the Global Order and his most recent book from Polity, Post-Western World: How Emerging Powers are Remaking the Global Order. He is a frequent commentator on the Hemisphere in journals and in the media across the region.

Shaking the Global Order S2,Ep 1: Oliver Stuenkel on Brazil reaction to Jan 6 violence in Washington

Hal Brands is a contemporary historian that explores the current global order. He has focused, among other things, on the rising tensions and competition between China and the United States. With Jake Sullivan, a former Obama official and a non-resident senior fellow in Carnegie’s Geoeconomics and Strategy Program, they wrote an intriguing examination in Foreign Policy of the possible paths to global domination by China – “China has two paths to Global Domination.”I explore with Hal this article and ‘dig into’ current Trump foreign policy, especially towards China. Come join us for this global order conversation. Hal Brands is an American historian. Currently, he is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Shaking the Global Order, Ep. 32: Hal Brands on China's 'Domination' & US-China Competition

It was a great pleasure to welcome back both colleagues into the virtual studio to continue our discussion on the rising tensions in China-US relations it causes and its consequences for the liberal order. While Part 1 of this Episode 31 focused more the ‘China-West’ Dialogue (CWD) Project, this podcast cast a more critical light on the rising tensions between these two leading powers and other powers in the international system exploring in particular what could be down to avoid this growing rivalry. As a reminder, Colin is a Non-resident Senior Fellow of the Global Economy and Development Program, Brookings Institution. Colin a specialist on global governance and the G20, He has edited Global Leadership in Transition (2010) and Global Governance Reform (2007). As a co-chair of Vision20 (V20) since 2016, Colin has convened annual events with Brookings to encourage longer term strategic thinking for the future. Yves Tiberghien (Ph.D. Stanford University, 2002 and Harvard Academy Scholar 2006) is a Professor of Political Science, Faculty Associate in the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, Director Emeritus of the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He has published many articles and book chapters on Japan and China’s political economy, on global governance, global climate change politics, and on the governance of agricultural biotechnology. Yves founded the V20 group in 2015, a new coalition of global scholars and policy-makers aiming at providing a long-term perspective on the challenges of global economic and environmental governance.

Shaking the Global Order, Ep. 31-2: Colin Bradford and Yves Tiberghien on China-US Relations

Global Summitry: Politics, Economics, and Law in International Governance is a peer-reviewed journal on international governance. We also conduct interviews with academics, policymakers, and former officials.

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