Afleveringen
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Why Should We Care About Airpower in the Indo-Pacific?
Jim and Ray welcome General Kevin Schneider, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), to explain why airpower matters for deterring and defeating aggression in a massive region largely dominated by oceans.
General Schneider explains what lessons PACAF has learned from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and how concepts like “agile combat employment” and “adaptive basing” are crucial to making sure air forces are not easily targeted by China’s large and growing arsenal of precision strike weapons.
He also discusses how the U.S. Air Force’s 2025 Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) exercise will take place during the biennial U.S.-Australia Talisman Sabre exercise to demonstrate the capability to concentrate airpower in the region
The general digs into what China’s rollout of “sixth generation” fighter aircraft prototypes means for the future of American air superiority in the Indo-Pacific.
General Schneider explains the importance of allies and partners to deterring aggressors, and specifically recounts his recent experience delivering U.S. T-6C training aircraft to Vietnam.
Our podcast is produced by IEJ Media, sharing news that matters on statecraft & instruments of national power.
Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.
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Jim and Ray welcome U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney, who represents Connecticut’s 2nd District, home to the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton.
Rep. Courtney addresses concerns raised by some of our previous guests–most notably former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull–about whether U.S. Virginia-class submarine construction can support Australia’s requirements under the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) agreement.
Representative Courtney emphasizes that even in America’s polarized political climate, AUKUS retains bipartisan support, and that keeping up with its nuclear-powered submarine production goals is essential for both U.S. and Australian national security.
Even so, supply chain and workforce development challenges continue to threaten the program, and America’s defense industrial base will need even more attention to make sure the U.S. and its allies can keep pace with the rapidly growing military threat posed by China.
Our podcast is produced by IEJ Media, sharing news that matters on statecraft & instruments of national power.
Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Ray and Jim welcome Sue-Lin Wong, investigative journalist from The Economist, to talk about her new podcast series, “Scam, Inc.”
Sue-Lin explains the vast multi-billion criminal network behind the mysterious e-mails, text messages and social media offers that we see every day. She takes us on a harrowing journey from huge scam compounds in Southeast Asia populated by ruthless criminal groups and illegally trafficked people working under often horrific conditions.
From Asia she returns to the United States, where she explains how ordinary people are targeted and ensnared into “investing” their money into these elaborate schemes through a process called “pig-butchering”.
She walks us through the psychological tactics used by scammers; the role of technology and cryptocurrency; the heartbreaking impact of human trafficking in scam compounds; and how Singapore has mobilized a whole-of-society response. She explains how otherwise rational people can be victimized by the scammers’ increasing sophistication and resources.
This crucial conversation highlights the need for awareness at the individual, national and global levels.
Follow Sue-Lin on X at @suelinwong.
Our podcast is produced by IEJ Media, sharing news that matters on statecraft & instruments of national power.
Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.
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Jim and Ray welcome Critical Minerals Institute Co-chair Melissa Sanderson to explain why allowing China to dominate the critical minerals and rare earths industries creates vulnerabilities for the United States and its allies.
Mel explains how China has come to control the supply chain for materials fundamental to national defense, technological development and economic security, and why it has thrived while other countries have languished in this sector.
Mel explains the steps the United States has taken to secure its critical minerals mining and processing sectors, but also the continuing challenges it faces in competing with China’s price manipulation and industrial policies. She considers the use of tariffs and global partnerships as potential solutions for addressing the problem.
Ultimately, Mel argues that the U.S. must aggressively invest in domestic mining and processing to reduce its reliance on geopolitical adversaries for national security.
Our podcast is produced by IEJ Media, sharing news that matters on statecraft & instruments of national power.
Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.
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Jim and Ray welcome Thailand’s renowned scholar and journalist Dr. Thitinan Pongsudhirak to help them understand why the past quarter century has seen Thailand’s politics in a state of near-constant turmoil, and what the prospects are for the years ahead.
Dr. Thitinan explains how the conservative forces of Thailand’s monarchy, judiciary and military have used their institutional power to sideline repeated electoral victories by populist and reformist groups. He discusses how the one-time outsider Thaksin Shinawatra has overcome being deposed by military coup to return to power behind the scenes with the election of his daughter Paetongtarn as prime minister.
He also unpacks Thailand’s political youth movement, and how it actually won the most votes in the last election but was prevented from taking power by an alliance of the country’s traditional powers and Thaksin. He explains how this young party–now called the People’s Party–remains a potent force.
Thailand’s turmoil has led to economic stagnation as foreign investment has shied away from the uncertainty of its politics, but Dr. Thitinan believes stability in the medium term should usher in a period of growth.
Geopolitically, Thailand has been among America’s least reliable allies, he contends, because its anti-democratic forces have driven it in the direction of more autocratic regimes like China’s. Meanwhile, the Thai government faces pressure from Beijing to send Uyghur refugees back to China, which is opposed by the U.S.
Thailand is also dealing with threats to its security from across the border, where Myanmar’s civil war threatens to spill over.
Dr. Thitinan is a professor of international relations and international political economy at Bangkok-based Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science and a senior fellow at its Institute of Security and International Studies. He is also a senior advisor with our podcast’s sponsor, BowerGroupAsia.
Our podcast is produced by IEJ Media, sharing news that matters on statecraft & instruments of national power.
Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.
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"It's my belief that the incoming administration has chosen USAID...to curb-stomp it to death as a way to send a message to the rest of the federal bureaucracy." -- Michael Schiffer
As Washington DC is in turmoil over the drastic changes to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Jim and Ray welcome its former Asia Bureau Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer to explain what exactly USAID does and the potential impacts of these changes.
Michael argues that USAID is not just a charity organization but plays a crucial role in supporting U.S. foreign policy. Established in 1961 during the height of the Cold War, he explains that USAID has long been considered essential for America’s national security.
Against charges that USAID’s budget lacks oversight, Michael describes the agency’s bipartisan congressional oversight process. He also explains how the once fully independent agency was legislatively rolled into the State Department in the late 1990s, though still with some degree of operational autonomy.
While agreeing that a thoughtful review of the USAID structure and budget is called for, he contends that the current pause in USAID funding creates a vacuum for other nations–particularly China–to exploit by moving quickly to backfill the gaps in support left by American absence. This allows Beijing to say that America is an unreliable partner.
Follow Michael Schiffer at his page at Justsecurity.
Our podcast is produced by IEJ Media, sharing news that matters on statecraft & instruments of national power.
Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.
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Ray and Jim welcome Justin Bassi, former Australian National Security Advisor and current Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). Justin explains what the “Quad” grouping between the U.S., Australia, Japan and India means for Indo-Pacific security, stability and prosperity–on issues from supply chain resiliency, cyber security and maritime security.
Justin makes the case that given the threat from China, the Quad needs to mature so as to overtly include security as a key component of its remit, despite India’s status as a non-aligned nation. He also believes that developing a range of other minilateral groupings like the so-called “Squad” (U.S.-Japan-Australia-Philippines) are crucial.
Our guest addresses the tension between the Quad and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which desires “centrality” in Indo-Pacific affairs, and explains why the Quad can provide important alternatives to countering China’s growing influence across the region.
Justin turns to the U.S.-Australia alliance, and how Canberra’s approach to China has garnered respect in Washington. He delves into how the countries need to work together on issues such as defense and cyber security.
Follow Justin at the ASPI web site or on X.
Our podcast is produced by IEJ Media, sharing news that matters on statecraft & instruments of national power.
Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.
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Retired Australian Army Major General Mick Ryan–author of three recent books on the future of warfare–joins our hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso to discuss how autonomous weapons (drones) are challenging our military assumptions, and their implications for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific.
Mick draws lessons from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and asserts that drones don’t necessarily mean the obsolescence of current inventories of manned weapon systems, but will require significant cultural and organizational changes to integrate them into our strategies, tactics and force structure.
Mick considers the U.S. “Replicator” project to field drones at high volume, and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s notion of turning the Taiwan Strait into a drone “hellscape” for any potential invasion. He also talks about how developing countries can leverage inexpensive drone technology to level the playing field against larger aggressors.
If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you won’t miss an episode! Your subscription also helps us reach more people on these important Indo-Pacific topics.
You can also follow Mick Ryan’s substack, Futura Doctrina, a conversation about technology, ideas, people and their convergence in contemporary war and competition. Also covering issues related to the war in Ukraine, Chinese aggression against Taiwan and Indo-Pacific defence.
Our podcast is produced by IEJ Media, sharing news that matters on statecraft & instruments of national power.
Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.
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RAND’s senior behavioral scientist Todd Helmus joins Jim Carouso and Ray Powell to explain how China exploits the maritime “gray zone” to pursue its aggressive and expansionist policies without triggering open conflict.
They examine how China’s competitors have seen their sovereignty eroded and their influence wane by remaining passive in the face of gray-zone aggression. They discuss the crucial role of assertive transparency and affirmative engagement in illuminating these activities in order to counter them, while also building resiliency and international support against them.
Turning their attention to the South China Sea, they discuss how China has turned its coast guard into a large and highly capable paramilitary force, and has paired it with its maritime militia to pressure the Philippines into surrendering its own maritime rights. Meanwhile, the Philippines’ southeast Asian neighbors’ responses have ranged from muted to outwardly critical of Manila due to their fear of economic retaliation from Beijing.
They conclude by talking about how the U.S. and its allies need to develop comprehensive strategies to counter China’s gray-zone campaign before it achieves its expansionist objectives.
Read RAND’s work on gray-zone responses:
Understanding and Countering China's Maritime Gray Zone OperationsHow the United States Can Support Allied and Partner Efforts to Counter China in the Gray ZoneProduced by IEJ Media ), sharing news that matters on statecraft & instruments of national power.
Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.
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Ray and Jim welcome back one of their most popular guests, retired Rear Admiral Mike Studeman, to discuss his recent assertion that Beijing’s malign influence operations–which extend from hacking computer networks to undermining faith in institutions to altering the media landscape–have reached the point of constituting a ‘silent invasion’ of the U.S. homeland.
Mike discusses his documented concerns about the extraordinary case of Elon Musk, America’s most important industrialist whose core businesses also have deep dependencies on Beijing’s largesse, and who has also now become a major political figure. Mike answers questions about why he has raised alarms about Musk as being “compromised and co-opted” by America’s most powerful adversary.
Mike argues that America needs leaders who can lead a national conversation and “connect the dots” for the public so that Americans can understand the pervasive nature of the threat.
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Ray and Jim welcome Colonel Rich Butler and Dr. Sheena Greitens to help us understand the readiness of China’s military for combat operations, and what that means for global security. They explain the contingencies the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is preparing for, from a cross-strait invasion of Taiwan to a South China Sea confrontation, and what lessons the PLA has learned from Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
Colonel Butler and Dr. Greitens also discuss how China uses the PLA and non-traditional forces like the People’s Armed Police as coercive tools against its neighbors. They also weigh the sheer weight of China’s security forces against its blind spots—political control, corruption and inexperience in combat operations. They also consider China’s ongoing political and military corruption purges—and their impact on combat readiness.
They explain how China prioritizes the conquest of Taiwan for achieving its “national rejuvenation”, and what role coercion plays in achieving those goals, even while planning for the potential of a protracted conflict against the U.S. and implementing non-traditional security programs across the Indo-Pacific region.
Colonel Butler and Dr. Greitens unpack the problems the PLA faces in a cross-strait invasion scenario, and what problems a military blockade of the island might present. They talk through the military and economic challenges Taiwan faces, both in terms of food and energy security.
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Ray and Jim welcome Colonel Rich Butler and Dr. Sheena Greitens to help us understand the readiness of China’s military for combat operations, and what that means for global security. They explain the contingencies the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is preparing for, from a cross-strait invasion of Taiwan to a South China Sea confrontation, and what lessons the PLA has learned from Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
Colonel Butler and Dr. Greitens also discuss how China uses the PLA and non-traditional forces like the People’s Armed Police as coercive tools against its neighbors. They also weigh the sheer weight of China’s security forces against its blind spots—political control, corruption and inexperience in combat operations. They also consider China’s ongoing political and military corruption purges—and their impact on combat readiness.
They explain how China prioritizes the conquest of Taiwan for achieving its “national rejuvenation”, and what role coercion plays in achieving those goals, even while planning for the potential of a protracted conflict against the U.S. and implementing non-traditional security programs across the Indo-Pacific region.
Colonel Butler and Dr. Greitens unpack the problems the PLA faces in a cross-strait invasion scenario, and what problems a military blockade of the island might present. They talk through the military and economic challenges Taiwan faces, both in terms of food and energy security.
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Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randy Schriver joins Jim and Ray to discuss how the security policies pursued by Donald Trump’s second administration are likely to affect the U.S., its allies and the broader region.
Randy explains that while the first Trump administration may have featured certain splashy events and surprising rhetoric, real progress on policy was more evolutionary than revolutionary. For example, America’s Indo-Pacific alliances were actually strengthened despite confrontations over trade and defense burden-sharing.
He further discusses growing influence of economic nationalism on U.S. policy, and how the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) trilateral initiative presents both challenges and opportunities for the struggling American shipbuilding industry. The recently announced U.S.-Japan-South Korea and U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilaterals are also key regional pillars to build upon.
Randy touts the need to address the U.S. defense procurement process and industrial base to meet the challenge of a rapidly growing and increasingly aggressive People’s Republic of China.
Finally, Randy announces some exciting changes upcoming for the Project 2049 Institute, for which he is the Chairman of the Board.
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U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel joins Jim and Ray for 2025's inaugural episode, in which he discusses why the alliance between the U.S. and Japan is critical to the security of both nations and of a vital but volatile region.
In his characteristically forthright style, he explains how the Japan alliance strengthens America's strategic position, especially as it has been increasing its investments in its own defense. Multilateral cooperation among allies--an alliance "latticework--is, he says, an asymmetric advantage for the U.S. to offset an increasingly aggressive but still largely isolated China.
Turning to economic issues, the ambassador asserts that trade imbalances don't tell the whole story, and that Japan is a major investor in the U.S. economy. Moreover, he makes the case that deterring China can't be seen solely in military terms but must consider economic statecraft as a key element of strategic power.
Ambassador Emanuel talks about the evolution and impact of 2024's two major trilateral summits--one between the U.S., Japan and South Korea, and the other between the U.S., Japan and the Philippines. He explains that Japan has had an important influence on building regional resilience against coercion and aggression through its defense and economic cooperation programs.
Finally, he explains how he used social media to influence the conversation in East Asia, supporting Japan while calling out China for its malign actions and misleading messages.
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In this special year-end edition of the podcast, co-hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso reflect on most significant developments in the Indo-Pacific region throughout 2024 including the economic challenges faced by China amidst the consolidation of power by President Xi Jinping, and how concern over its increasing military power and aggression is strengthening the U.S. network of alliances. They also discuss the prospects for a grand U.S.-China deal in the upcoming Trump administration.
They talk about the most surprising developments of 2024, including the recent political upheaval in South Korea and the dramatic confrontations between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
They then review some of their favorite, most-viewed/most-heard, and most underrated episodes of the 2024, and give their Indo-Pacific "Person of the Year" nominees: Jim picked China's President Xi Jinping, while Ray chose the recently impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea and Philippine President Ferdinand "BongBong" Marcos, Jr.
They discuss surprises that may lie in wait for 2025, and what impact emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons will have on the Indo-Pacific order.
Finally, they talk about what they’ve learned and most enjoyed in their first 9 months of podcasting.
E-mail us at [email protected] with your questions and comments!
We are pleased to announce the support of our new sponsor, BowerGroupAsia (BGA), a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific. BGA applies unmatched expertise and experience to help clients navigate the world’s most complex and dynamic markets.
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Ray and Jim welcome Isaac Stone Fish to discuss why he believes companies that want to do business with China are being compelled to make hard choices due to the increasingly fraught relationship with the U.S. and the West.
Isaac explains how the ongoing economic decoupling with China has been driven in large part by Beijing’s own policies, and that this process has been accelerated since the COVID-19 outbreak. He asserts that U.S. political and business elites, in their enthusiasm for what China might have been, have instead strengthened its authoritarian model to the detriment of the West.
Isaac urges companies to understand the risks inherent in their exposure to China’s market, and explains some of the economic challenges Beijing faces moving forward. He also warns that conflict is a real possibility that must be factored in.
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Jim and Ray welcome McKinsey & Company’s Global Director of Geopolitics Ziad Haider to discuss how businesses are navigating the evolving risks and opportunities of today’s Indo-Pacific business environment. Ziad asserts that the region is the engine of the global economy which is both economically vibrant but also highly volatile.
Ziad discusses the role of India and Southeast Asia as rising global economic power, and of course, the increasingly complex challenge of operating in China amidst its growing regulatory and geopolitical hazards. He emphasizes the need for companies to be prepared to adapt as circumstances can change quickly, as evidenced by recent supply chains disruptions and black-swan events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Jim and Ray welcome BowerGroupAsia’s Managing Director for Indonesia Doug Ramage to look at the country’s economic and geopolitical position as it moves on from a decade under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to new President Prabowo Subianto. They consider Indonesia’s position as a rising power with a $1 trillion economy, a G20 membership and leadership position within the Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) nations.
Doug credits the Jokowi presidency for championing a stable political and investment climate, and explains why he believes that Prabowo is seeking continuity while also promoting social development.
He explains that Prabowo will face a rising imperative to balance Jakarta’s relationships with Washington DC and Beijing in the face of rising great-power competition. He will seek to maintain Indonesia’s strong regional position and continue to promote ASEAN-centrality, while also continuing to promote its role as a leader in the Muslim world.
Doug unpacks the strains created by the twin impulses toward economic growth and trade protectionism, and how these may impact the former defense minister’s military modernization plans and the slow-moving effort to relocate the capital city.
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Jim and Ray welcome Suzanne Vares-Lum, retired U.S. Army Major General, outgoing President of the East-West Center and Director-designate of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Together they explore the geopolitical significance of the geographically vast but sparsely populated Pacific Islands region.
They discuss how these small island nations have found themselves in the midst of the great-power competition between the U.S. and China, while many have also become unlikely players in the cross-strait tensions between Taiwan and China. At the same time, the concerns that preoccupy these nations at international gatherings such as the Pacific Islands Forum include illegal fishing and climate change.
Suzy explains how the U.S. has been renewing its commitment to many of these countries through education and leadership programs, as well as opening new embassies and funding infrastructure projects.
To close, Ray tells the story of when he dispatched a special forces officer to rescue a stuffed animal.
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In this "emergency" episode, Ray and Jim welcome retired South Korean Lieutenant General Chun In-Bum back to help explain the extraordinary events of December 3rd–President Yoon Suk Yul’s shocking declaration of martial law, its unanimous rejection by the parliament, and its subsequent repeal by Yoon.
General Chun talks about the ethical and legal dilemma faced by South Korean military personnel, crediting their professionalism and restraint for averting violence. He also discusses South Korea’s history with martial law and how the ever-present threat of North Korean aggression colors that landscape.
The conversation then turns to what is likely to happen next to President Yoon and his administration, and how a potential presidential succession might unfold should he be impeached or resign from office.
General Chun laments the impact Yoon’s actions and their aftermath is likely to have on South Korea’s geopolitical situation, with special emphasis on how it will affect recent positive trends with Japan relations during Yoon’s tenure.
To close, Jim and Ray compare this experience with others they’ve encountered during their long diplomatic and military careers, and also discuss how authoritarian regimes are likely to exploit the chaos in Seoul.
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