Education
Council of Councils
Think Global Health
Online Store
International efforts, such as the Paris Agreement, aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But experts say countries aren’t doing enough to limit dangerous global warming.
Episode Guests
Elizabeth C. Economy
Senior Fellow for China Studies
Show Notes
Harvard Professor Joseph Nye once said that “security is like oxygen: you do not tend to notice it until you begin to lose it.” Alliances also often function like oxygen, with the security and stability they provide going underappreciated argues Victor Cha, the director of Asian studies and D.S. Song-Korea Foundation professor of government and international affairs at Georgetown University. On this week’s Asia Unbound podcast, Cha delves into the formation of U.S. alliances with Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines after World War II described in his new book Powerplay: The Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia. He suggests that while historically the alliance system has been a bulwark for U.S. security interests in Asia, today it faces a new strain from emerging China-centric regional bodies. Where are these alliances headed as the United States and a number of its Asian partners undergo leadership transitions? Listen below to hear about how U.S. partnerships in Asia have been maintained and what the future may hold for the alliance structure.
More Episodes
First came Mao, then came Deng, now Chinese President Xi Jinping has ushered in the Third Revolution, introducing sweeping reforms throughout the government, economy...
Jun 29, 2018
First came Mao, then came Deng, now Chinese President Xi Jinping has ushered in the Third Revolution, introducing sweeping reforms throughout the government, economy...
Read More
Jun 29, 2018
Under President Xi Jinping, China’s era of opening up and reform has drawn to an end, and a new era—one marked by the consolidation of power under Xi himself—has daw...
Apr 30, 2018
Under President Xi Jinping, China’s era of opening up and reform has drawn to an end, and a new era—one marked by the consolidation of power under Xi himself—has daw...
Read More
Apr 30, 2018
With over 5,000 years of history, modern China must be understood through the lens of its past. In his recent book, Bully of Asia: Why China's Dream is the New Threa...
Mar 1, 2018
With over 5,000 years of history, modern China must be understood through the lens of its past. In his recent book, Bully of Asia: Why China's Dream is the New Threa...
Read More
Mar 1, 2018
Situated in the heart of Southeast Asia, Thailand occupies a crucial geopolitical space in the region and is a major gateway to ASEAN markets. For years, it has main...
Feb 28, 2018
Situated in the heart of Southeast Asia, Thailand occupies a crucial geopolitical space in the region and is a major gateway to ASEAN markets. For years, it has main...
Read More
Feb 28, 2018
Four hundred million strong, the number of young Chinese exceeds the combined population of the United States and Canada. And as China grows more prominent on the wo...
Feb 9, 2018
Four hundred million strong, the number of young Chinese exceeds the combined population of the United States and Canada. And as China grows more prominent on the wo...
Read More
Feb 9, 2018
How will an emerging India wield its influence? With 800 million voters, India is the world’s largest democracy. It is also one of the world’s largest economies, wit...
Feb 2, 2018
How will an emerging India wield its influence? With 800 million voters, India is the world’s largest democracy. It is also one of the world’s largest economies, wit...
Read More
Feb 2, 2018
Despite sweeping reforms that have reduced rural poverty by 94 percent since 1980, more than 43 million people in China still live below the poverty line. To combat ...
Dec 8, 2017
Despite sweeping reforms that have reduced rural poverty by 94 percent since 1980, more than 43 million people in China still live below the poverty line. To combat ...
Read More
Dec 8, 2017
Dean Acheson. Mao Zedong. Harry Truman. Chiang Kai-Shek. All were significant players during one of China’s most pivotal years. In 1949, Mao’s Communist army swept ...
Nov 16, 2017
Dean Acheson. Mao Zedong. Harry Truman. Chiang Kai-Shek. All were significant players during one of China’s most pivotal years. In 1949, Mao’s Communist army swept ...
Read More
Nov 16, 2017
In a half century, South Korea has transformed itself from an impoverished, war torn country into a thriving, soft power giant known for its cars, cell phones, and c...
Oct 31, 2017
In a half century, South Korea has transformed itself from an impoverished, war torn country into a thriving, soft power giant known for its cars, cell phones, and c...
Read More
Oct 31, 2017
Los Angeles is the quintessential horizontal city with 915 miles of sprawling freeways and highways. Hong Kong’s astronomical real estate prices have led to a severe...
Oct 24, 2017
Los Angeles is the quintessential horizontal city with 915 miles of sprawling freeways and highways. Hong Kong’s astronomical real estate prices have led to a severe...
Read More
Oct 24, 2017