Asia Insight

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries examining the future of foreign policy through the lens of emerging leadership in South and Southeast Asia. This first episode features Dr. Christopher Clary of the University at Albany sitting down with Dr. Rohan Mukherjee and Mr. Bashir Ali Abbas to discuss India’s emerging generation of political leaders and the factors influencing their foreign policy outlooks from New Delhi. To view the project webpage, visit https://www.nbr.org/program/next-generation-of-leaders-in-south-and-southeast-asia/. Mr. Bashir Ali Abbas is a Senior Research Associate with the Council for Strategic and Defense Research based in New Delhi, India. His written commentary can be viewed at https://www.nbr.org/publication/continuity-amid-change-how-indias-emerging-political-leaders-will-steer-its-future-foreign-policy/. Dr. Rohan Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Nonresident Fellow at NBR. His written commentary can be viewed at https://www.nbr.org/publication/after-modi-political-leadership-and-the-future-of-indian-foreign-policy/.

In this new Asia Insight miniseries, Next in Line: Rising Leaders and Foreign Policy in South and Southeast Asia examines how a new generation of political leaders is shaping foreign policy across a strategically vital region amid intensifying U.S.-China competition. Across six episodes, leading experts analyze how domestic pressures and international dynamics are converging to influence the foreign policy outlooks of emerging leaders in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Moderated by Dr. Christopher Clary of the University at Albany and Dr. Ann Marie Murphy of Seton Hall University, the miniseries launches on March 30, 2026, with new episodes released monthly through August 30, 2026.

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries exploring the geostrategic significance of China’s borderlands, led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. Episode Seven: Liquid Borders This seventh episode describes China’s position as a “hydro-hegemon,” considers how transboundary rivers can be used either as sources of transborder cooperation or geopolitical leverage, and explores the consequences of China’s river damming. With Selina Ho Li Ching (Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore) and Brian Eyler (Stimson Center). Materials cited or referenced in the recording “Water Wars? A Talk with Ismail Serageldin,” World Policy Journal 26, No.4 (Winter 2009-2010). Li Zhifei 李志斐 “An Analysis of Transboundary River Issues Between China and the Countries of Its Periphery” [中国与周边国家跨国河流问题之分析] Pacific Journal 19, No.3 (March 2011). Mark Zeitoun, Jeroen Warner, “Hydro-Hegemony: A Framework for Analysis of Trans-Boundary Water Conflicts,” Water Policy 8, No.5 (2006). Anthony Spaeth, “China’s Toxic Shock,” Time, November 27, 2005. Brahma Chellaney, “Water, Power, and Competition in Asia,” Asian Survey 54, No.4 (2014). Recommended additional readings Selina Ho, “China’s Transboundary River Policies Towards Kazakhstan: Issue-Linkages and Incentives for Cooperation,” Water International 42, No.2 (2017). Selina Ho, “River Politics: China’s Policies in the Mekong and the Brahmaputra in Comparative Perspective,” Journal of Contemporary China 23, No.85 (2014). Hoang Thi Ha, "China’s Statecraft through the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation: Building a Sino-Centric Regional Order," November 13, 2025 https://strategicspace.nbr.org/chinas-statecraft-through-the-lancang-mekong-cooperation-building-a-sino-centric-regional-order/.

As part of The Evolution of AI Governance and Regulation in the Indo-Pacific project at NBR, this Asia Insight episode features NBR Senior Director of Research and Programs Doug Strub sitting down with Mr. Renan Araujo and Ms. Husan Chahal as they discuss AI risks and the role of multilateral organizations in AI governance. Renan Araujo is the Director of Programs at the Institute for AI Policy and Strategy. Husan Chahal is an AI policy researcher currently working as a Senior AI Risk Analyst for the AI Risk Explorer Project at the Observatorio de Riesgos Catastroficos Globales. She is also a Nonresident Fellow at NBR. Doug Strub is Senior Director of Research and Programs at NBR.

As part of The Evolution of AI Governance and Regulation in the Indo-Pacific project at NBR, this Asia Insight episode features NBR Senior Director of Research and Programs Doug Strub sitting down with Mr. Nigel Cory and Dr. Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano as they discuss AI governance in Southeast Asia, and opportunities and challenges for ASEAN countries to collaborate with the United States in shaping a future AI agenda. Nigel Cory is a Nonresident Fellow at NBR and is a Director with Crowell Global Advisors. His November 2025 paper on "Codeveloping the Model: U.S. and ASEAN Cooperation in Shaping and Deploying AI" can be viewed at https://www.nbr.org/publication/codeveloping-the-model-u-s-and-asean-cooperation-in-shaping-and-deploying-ai/. Doug Strub is Senior Director of Research and Programs at NBR. Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano is a Research Fellow for Future Issues and Technology in the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Her September 2025 paper on "Charting ASEAN’s Path to AI Governance: Uneven Yet Gaining Ground" can be viewed at https://www.nbr.org/publication/charting-aseans-path-to-ai-governance-uneven-yet-gaining-ground/.

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries exploring the geostrategic significance of China’s borderlands, led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. Episode Six: In Russia's Shadow This sixth episode unpacks how China has managed to significantly increase its presence in Central Asia across four key domains (political, economic, people-to-people, and security), in what Russia considers a “region of privileged interests,” part of its so-called “near abroad.” With Bradley Jardine (Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs), Nargis Kassenova (Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University), Edward Lemon (Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs), and Temur Umarov (Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center). Materials cited or referenced in the recording Xi Jinping, “Championing the China-Central Asia Spirit for High Quality Cooperation in the Region,” Speech at the Second China-Central Asia Summit, June 17, 2025. “Wang Yi on Neighborhood Diplomacy: Harmony is Key to a Prosperous Family in All Endeavors,” Press Conference, March 7, 2025. Hu Hao [胡昊] China’s Achievements and Challenges in Promoting the Construction of a Community of Shared Future for Mankind in Central Asia [中国在中亚地区推进人类民运共同体建设的成就和挑战] Contemporary China and the World no.4, 2024. Bradley Jardine, Edward Lemon, Backlash: China’s Struggle for Influence in Central Asia (Oxford University Press, December 2025). Bradley Jardine, Edward Lemon, “China Is Using Vocational Training Centers to Rebuild Its Image in Central Asia,” Carnegie Politika, October 6, 2025. Recommended additional readings Nicola Di Cosmo, Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History (Cambridge University Press, 2002). Craig Benjamin, Empires of Ancient Eurasia: The First Silk Roads Era, 100 BCE-250 CE (Cambridge University Press, 2018). Dan Markey, China’s Western Horizon: Beijing and the New Geopolitics of Eurasia (Oxford University Press, 2020). Adina Masalbekova, Nigora Tangatarova, "What Happens to Central Asian Youth After Following China’s ‘Educational Silk Road?’" The Diplomat, December 29, 2023. https://thediplomat.com/2023/12/what-happens-to-central-asian-youth-after-following-chinas-educational-silk-road/

This first Asia Insight episode of 2026 features NBR President Michael Wills in discussion with NBR colleagues Jeremy Rausch, Nadège Rolland, and Doug Strub on their outlooks for U.S.-Asia policy and the Indo-Pacific more broadly in the year ahead. Jeremy Rausch is Director of Political and Security Affairs at NBR. Nadège Rolland is Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. Doug Strub is Senior Director of Research and Programs at NBR. Michael Wills is President of NBR.

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries exploring the geostrategic significance of China’s borderlands, led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. In this special episode, NBR Project Manager Alayna Bone sits down with NBR Distinguished Fellow for China Studies Nadège Rolland to look back at NBR’s Mapping China’s Strategic Space: Borderlands project, what we have learned so far, and to share some highlights of what is in store for 2026.

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries exploring the geostrategic significance of China’s borderlands, led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. Episode Five: The Himalayan Rim China’s growing economic and political power is redrawing the map of South Asia as a cluster of countries centered around its Himalayan borderlands, connecting its land neighbors through infrastructure building and economic corridors, while redefining the region’s governance norms according to the so-called "Chinese model." This fifth episode, recorded in New Delhi with Professor Jabin T. Jacob (Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence, India), Shruti Jargad (Australian Strategic Policy Institute), and Dr. Constantino Xavier (Center for Social and Economic Progress, India) takes a look at the many facets of China’s increased presence in the Himalayan region. Materials cited or referenced in the recording Constantino Xavier and Jabin T. Jacob (Eds.) “How China Engages in South Asia: In the Open and Behind the Scenes,” CSEP Report, July 2025. Constantino Xavier and Jabin T. Jacob (Eds.) “How China Engages in South Asia: Themes, Partners and Tools,” CSEP Report, May 2023. Shruti Jargad and Constantino Xavier, “Semantics as Strategy: Interpreting China’s Official Discourse on South Asia,” CSEP Working Paper 103, September 2025. National Land Borders Law of the People’s Republic of China (adopted on October 23, 2021 and officially in effect as of January 1, 2022) https://www.mfa.gov.cn/web/wjb_673085/zzjg_673183/bjhysws_674671/bhflfg/ldfxzhxfl/202303/P020230313533924391693.pdf. Recommended additional readings The PRC’s Land Borders Law, USINDOPACOM J06/SJA TACAID Series, October 23, 2023 https://www.pacom.mil/Portals/55/Documents/Legal/J06%20TACAID%20-%20PRC%20LAND%20BORDERS%20LAW%20-%20FINAL.pdf.

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries exploring the geostrategic significance of China’s borderlands, led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. Episode Four: The Great Wall of Villages Since 2016, China has been building or refurbishing several hundreds of so-called “xiaokang (well-off) villages” along its Borderlands, complete with new infrastructure and an increased security presence. Some of these villages have been built on Bhutan’s sovereign territory. This fourth episode trails the strategic motives and the unfolding development of China’s border villages revitalization campaign. With contributions from Japneet Kaur (Center of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar University, India), Professor James Leibold (La Trobe University, Australia) and Professor Robert Barnett (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and Lau China Institute, King’s College, United Kingdom). Materials cited or referenced in the recording “South China Sea: What’s China’s Plan for Its ‘Great Wall of Sand’?” BBC, July 14, 2020 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53344449. Muyi Xiao, Agnes Chang, “China’s Great Wall of Villages,” New York Times, August 8, 2024 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/08/10/world/asia/china-border-villages.html. Robert Barnett, “Forceful Diplomacy: China’s Cross-Border Villages in Bhutan,” Turquoise Roof Bulletin, October 15, 2024 https://turquoiseroof.org/forceful-diplomacy-china-cross-border-villages-in-bhutan/. Japneet Kaur, Devendra Kumar, Jabin T. Jacob, “Beyond the Military Prism: China’s Development Objectives in Xiaokang Villages in Tibet Autonomous Region,” Shiv Nadar University Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies Occasional Paper no.4 (February 2025) https://snu.edu.in/centres/centre-of-excellence-for-himalayan-studies/research/beyond-the-military-prism-chinas-development-objectives-in-xiaokang-villages-in-tibet-autonomous-region/. Sun Chunri [孙春日] “Population Loss in the Border Areas between China and North Korea, and Countermeasures：A Case Study of Yanbian Korean Ethnic Minority Autonomous Prefecture” [中朝边境地区人口流失及对策 – 以延边朝鲜族自治州为列] Journal of Northern Minzu University no.93 (2010). Yang Minghong [样明洪] and Wang Zhoubo [王周博] “Types, Causes and Governance of the ‘Hollowing Out’ of China’s Land Border Regions” [我国陆地边境地区 ‘空心化’ 的类型、成因与治理] Journal of Sichuan Normal University 47 no.6 (2020). “Xi Jinping Delivers an Important Speech at the Second Xinjiang Work Forum” [习近平在第二次中央新疆工作谈会上发表重要讲话] People’s Daily, May 30, 2014. Owen Lattimore, The Inner Asian Frontiers of China, 1940. Glossary of Chinese terms used in the recording 边境小康村 bianjing xiaokang cun: border areas moderately-prosperous (or well-off) villages 成都山地所 Chengdu shandi suo: Chengdu Mountain Institute (a research institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences) 三农问题 sannong wenti: “Three rural problems”(nongmin 农民rural people, nongcun 农村rural areas, nongye 农业rural production) 兴边副民行动 xingbian fumin xingdong: “Border Revitalization and Prosperous Residents Program” (a State campaign aimed at boosting economic development along China’s borderlands launched in 1998) 治国必治边、治边先稳藏 zhiguo bi zhibian, zhibian xian wen zang: “To govern the country, one must govern the borders; to govern the borders, one must first stabilize Tibet” (Xi Jinping addressing a delegation of officials from the Tibetan Autonomous Region in 2013 https://cpc.people.com.cn/n/2013/0902/c64102-22771651.html) 空心化 kongxinhua: hollowing out 神圣国土守护者 shensheng guotu shouhuzhe: “Guardians of the sacred lands” 中华民族 zhonghua minzu: Chinese nation

This episode of Asia Insight complements an ongoing NBR initiative examining Indo-Pacific approaches to digital regulations and competition policy, with this episode focusing on Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) enforcement activities targeting U.S. firms, featuring NBR Senior Director of Research and Programs Doug Strub in conversation with NBR Advisor Tami Overby and NBR Nonresident Fellow Nigel Cory. Nigel Cory is a Nonresident Fellow at NBR and is a Director with Crowell Global Advisors. Tami Overby is a member of the Board of Advisors at NBR and is a Partner at DGA Group Government Relations. Doug Strub is Senior Director of Research and Programs at NBR.

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries exploring the geostrategic significance of China’s borderlands, led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. Episode Three: The Opening-Up/Securitization Paradox Since the early 1990s, China’s borderlands have played a crucial role in the central government’s "opening-up" program. However, starting in the mid-2010s, at the same time as the Belt and Road Initiative was supposed to accelerate China’s opening-up to the rest of the world, Beijing also began to harden the security of its borders – a trend intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic. This third episode examines the tension between prioritizing openness and maintaining security. With contributions from Professor Victor Konrad (Carleton University, Canada), and Professor Alessandro Rippa (University of Oslo, Norway). Materials cited or referenced in the recording Zhuang Rui [庄芮], Song Huike [宋荟柯], Zhang Xiaojing [张晓静], "Strategic Considerations on China’s Border Opening-Up: Historical Logic and Forward Direction" [我国沿边开放战略思考：历史逻辑与推进方向] Chinese Economy and Trade, no.7 (2021). "More Indulgence, My Dear Friend? Why China Is Grudgingly Mending Ties with North Korea," The Economist, September 27, 2025. Glossary of Chinese terms used in the recording Xibu dakaifa 西部大开发 Great Development of the West / Great Western Development Recommended additional readings Zhiding Hu and Victor Konrad, "Repositioning Security Spaces of Exclusion, Exception, and Integration in China-Southeast Asia Borderlands," Regions & Cohesion 11, no. 2 (Summer 2021). Thomas Ptak, Jussi P. Laine, Zhiding Hu, Yuli Liu, Victor Konrad, Martin van der Velde, "Understanding Borders Through Dynamic Processes: Capturing Relational Motion from South-West China’s Radiation Centre," Territory, Politics, Governance 10, no.2 (2022). Alessandro Rippa, Borderland Infrastructures: Trade, Development, and Control in Western China (Amsterdam University Press, 2020). Alessandro Rippa, "Mapping the Margins of China’s Global Ambitions: Economic Corridors, Silk Roads, and the End of Proximity in the Borderlands," Eurasian Geography and Economics 61, no.1 (2020). Zhang Zheren [张哲人] Li Wei [李慰] "Comprehensively Optimizing the Regional Opening-Up" [全面优化区域开放布局] Hongqi no.16 (2023). Guo Yinhong [郭垠宏] Song Tao [宋涛] Sun Man [孙曼] "The Functional Evolution and Temporal Division of China’s Border Regions in the Context of the Security-Development-Opening Up Nexus" [安全、发展与开放关联下的中国边境地区功能演化及时段划分] Geographical Research 42, no.10 (October 2023).

On this episode of Asia Insight, NBR Senior Director of Research and Programs Doug Strub sits down with NBR Advisor Meredith Miller and SAFE Senior Policy Analyst Zoe Oysul to discuss U.S. and Indonesian critical minerals strategies and opportunities and challenges for the two countries to work together within the larger geopolitical context. Meredith Miller is a member of the Board of Advisors at NBR and is a Senior Advisor at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group. Zoe Oysul is a Senior Policy Analyst at SAFE’s Center for Critical Minerals Strategy. Doug Strub is Senior Director of Research and Programs at NBR.

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries exploring the geostrategic significance of China’s borderlands, led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. Episode Two: A Hundred Years of CCP Borderlands Policies The Chinese Communist Party’s borderlands policies fluctuated over time since its founding, alternating between periods of gradual integration and forced assimilation. Regardless of the methods used, the Party’s goal has remained the same: to meld all these regions and their people into a coherent national whole. This second episode examines how the notions of Borderlands, of nation-building, and of ethnic policies have been intimately intertwined throughout the hundred years of CCP existence. With contributions from Professor Benno Weiner (Carnegie Mellon University), Professor Robert Barnett (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and Lau China Institute, King’s College), and Professor James Leibold (La Trobe University). Materials cited or referenced in the recording Benno Weiner, The Chinese Revolution on the Tibetan Frontier (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2020) Andrew Martin Fisher, The Disempowered Development of Tibet in China: A Study in the Economics of Marginalization (Plymouth: Lexington Books, 2014) Fei Xiaotong [费孝通], The Chinese Nation’s Diversity to Unity Model [中华民族多元一体格局] (Beijing: Central University for Nationalities Press, 1989) Ernest Renan, “What is a Nation?” (speech delivered at the Sorbonne University, Paris, on March 11, 1882) Glossary of Chinese terms used in the recording Minzu 民族 nation, nationality(ies), ethnic group(s) Shaoshu minzu 少数民族 ethnic minorities Minzu tuanjie 民族团结 ethnic/national unity Minzu gongzuo 民族工作 ethnic policy work / nation building work Duoyuanyiti 多元一体 diversity within unity / plurality and unity / multiple origins, one body / from diversity towards unity Zhonghua minzu 中华民族 Chinese nation Zhulao 铸牢 to forge Zhuhun 铸魂 to cast souls Zhonghua minzu gongtongti yishi 中华民族共同体意识 collective consciousness of the Chinese nation / a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation Recommended additional readings Uradyn E. Bulag, “Good Han, Bad Han: The Moral Parameters of Ethnopolitics in China,” in Thomas Mullaney et.al. (Eds.) Critical Han Studies: The History, Representation, and Identity of China’s Majority (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012) Vanessa Frangville, “‘Unity Within Diversity’: The Chinese Communist Party’s Construction of the Chinese Nation,” in Jérôme Doyon et.al. (Eds.) The Chinese Communist Party: A 100-Year Trajectory (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 2024) James Leibold, “Toward A Second Generation of Ethnic Policies?” Jamestown China Brief 12(13) July 7, 2012 James Leibold, “Ethnic Policy in China: Is Reform Inevitable?” East-West Center Policy Studies 68, 2013 Benno Weiner, “‘This Absolutely Is Not a Hui Rebellion!’: The Ethnopolitics of Great Nationality Chauvinism in Early Maoist China,” Twentieth-Century China 48(3) 2023

In this episode of Asia Insight, we explore a recent NBR research project that examined the cumulative impact of three trends—the evolution of the Indo-Pacific geopolitical landscape, recurring questions about U.S. alliance commitments, and domestic political debates on nuclear armament—on the sustainability of U.S. extended deterrence and nuclear restraint in Australia, Japan, and South Korea. Zack Cooper is the project’s Principal Investigator, and he is also a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Bee Yun Jo is a Research Fellow in the Center for Security Strategy at the Sejong Institute in South Korea. Lavina Lee is Director of the Foreign Policy and Defence Program at the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney in Australia.

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries exploring the geostrategic significance of China’s borderlands, led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. Episode One: From Empire to Nation When you look at the People’s Republic of China’s map today, you look roughly at the map of the Qing empire - with the notable exceptions of outer Mongolia, Taiwan, and portions of Siberia. Two hundred years ago, the Qing’s borderlands included the Manchu, Tibetan, Hmong, Mongol and Hui (Turkic-speaking Muslim populations of the western regions). Today, twenty neighbors share a land or a maritime border with China. In this first episode, with the help of Professor Nicola Di Cosmo (Institute of Advanced Study) and Maria Adele Carrai (NYU Shanghai), we travel back in time to better understand how the imperial borderlands have been integrated within China’s national territory at the turn of the 20th century. Materials cited in the recording Joseph W. Esherick, How the Qing Became China, in. Esherick et. al. (Eds) Empire to Nation: Historical Perspectives on the Making of the Modern World (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006) Maria Adele Carrai, Sovereignty in China: A Genealogy of a Concept since 1840 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019)

This episode of Asia Insight was recorded directly following NBR’s annual Energy Security Workshop in Washington, D.C., on July 22, 2025. NBR advisor and Energy Security Program research director Mikkal Herberg hosts a conversation with Philip Andrews-Speed, Kurt Glaubitz, and Ken Koyama. The four discuss takeaways from the workshop’s presentations on Asia’s LNG (liquified natural gas) landscape and the implications for regional energy and economic security, while also delving deeper into areas they plan to explore further ahead of NBR’s annual Energy Security Program report release in late-2025. Philip Andrews-Speed is a Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Kurt Glaubitz is the Co-Founder of the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association and Former Corporate Affairs General Manager for the Chevron Corporation, Asia Pacific Exploration and Production. Mikkal Herberg is a member of NBR’s Board of Advisors and the Research Director of NBR’s Energy Security Program. Ken Koyama is Senior Managing Director and Chief Economist in charge of the Research Strategy Unit at The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan.

The project Documenting China's Borderlands is led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. The project investigates how China invests in, engages with, and deepens its presence within its land and maritime border neighbors in an attempt to reshape its immediate periphery. In this introductory episode hosted by NBR President Michael Wills, Rolland discusses what sparked this research effort, how the project defines China's borderlands, which areas of Chinese statecraft will be examined, and what our listeners can ultimately expect from this forthcoming Asia Insight miniseries. The virtual dashboard mentioned in the conversation will be publicly available starting July 28, 2025.

Documenting China's Borderlands, led by NBR Distinguished Fellow, China Studies Nadège Rolland, investigates how China invests in, engages with, and deepens its presence within its land and maritime border neighbors in an attempt to reshape its immediate periphery. This research effort is the second phase of NBR's Mapping China’s Strategic Space project (https://strategicspace.nbr.org/) which defined strategic space as a realm vital to the pursuit of China’s national economic and security objectives and to the enduring survival of the Chinese state. The audio documentaries presented in this forthcoming Asia Insight miniseries are a part of a larger set of products from this research effort, which will include written publications, regional conferences, and a virtual dashboard visualizing key data on China's engagement with its borderland neighbors. The dashboard will be publicly available starting July 28, 2025.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR President Michael Wills is joined by Rear Admiral Mike Studeman (U.S. Navy, ret.) and Cathy Johnston as they assess the People's Liberation Army ahead of the Chinese Communist Party's goal to build a world-class military by 2049. Cathy Johnston spent 33 years in the Intel Community mostly focused on Asia. Her last assignment was as the Deputy Director of Intelligence at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Mike Studeman is the former Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence and a retired Rear Admiral. He is a member of NBR’s Board of Advisors. Michael Wills is President of NBR.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR President Michael Wills hosts a conversation with Laura Rosenberger and Roy Kamphausen on strategic outlooks for Taiwan. This discussion follows an NBR delegation trip to Taiwan led by retired U.S. Navy Admiral John Aquilino, the 26th Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, from April 28–May 2, 2025.

On this special episode of Asia Insight, NBR Distinguished Fellow for China Studies Nadège Rolland and NBR Senior Fellow for Asian Security Bates Gill discuss the May 12, 2025 white paper released by China’s State Council Information Office on China’s national security in the new era.

In this episode of Asia Insight, Doug Strub hosts a conversation with Michael Beeman and Daisuke Kawai on how the United States and Japan are bolstering their technological and economic security while navigating digital disruptions and supply chain vulnerabilities. Michael Beeman served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea and APEC at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative from 2017–2023. Daisuke Kawai is Director of the Economic Security and Policy Innovation Program and Project Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo’s Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology. He is also a Nonresident Fellow at NBR. Doug Strub is Senior Director of Research and Programs at NBR.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR President Michael Wills moderates a conversation with Robert Holleyman and Tami Overby on some of the insights and themes that arose during NBR's 2025 Pacific Technology Policy Conference. The conference took place in Seattle on March 13, 2025. Ambassador Robert Holleyman served as Deputy United States Trade Representative from 2014-2017, responsible for U.S. trade and investment relations in Asia, including APEC, China, and India. He is a member of the Board of Advisors at NBR. Tami Overby is a Senior Advisor in the East Asia & Pacific practice of Dentons Global Advisors-Albright Stonebridge Group. She is also a member of the Board of Advisors at NBR. Michael Wills is President of NBR.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR Senior Director of Research and Programs, Mr. Doug Strub engages in conversation with Dr. Jungmi Cha, Mr. Charlie Vest, Dr. Michelle Rozo, and Ms. Hodan Omaar as they examine strategies and policies of the United States and the Republic of Korea in the pivotal areas of battery technology, biotechnology, and quantum technology. This Asia Insight episode complements the NBR special report "U.S.-ROK Tech Cooperation: Batteries, Biotech, and Quantum Technologies" (March 2025) and was produced by the National Bureau of Asian Research with support from the Korea Foundation.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR’s executive vice president Michael Wills hosts a discussion with NBR distinguished fellow for China studies Nadège Rolland and advisor William McCahill Jr. in the aftermath of China’s 2024 parallel annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

In this podcast, we highlight the main findings of NBR’s research project "Into Africa: China’s Emerging Strategy,” explore the strategic drivers behind China’s increased engagement with African countries, examine the significance of its investments in African critical infrastructure, and detail the extent of its influence networks on the continent. The podcast is hosted by Rachel Bernstein, a former assistant director for the Political and Security Affairs team at NBR. Yunnan Chen is a London-based researcher in the Development and Public Finance program at ODI, where her work centers on the changing global development finance architecture and China’s global footprint. Daria Impiombato is a research analyst specialized in Chinese technology and human rights at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Center. Mareike Ohlberg is a Berlin-based Senior Fellow in the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, specializing in China’s global influence networks and tactics. Mandira Bagwandeen is a Senior Research Fellow at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where she focusses on Africa's regional integration and industrialization and China-Africa relations. Roukaya Kasenally is a democracy scholar and Associate Professor at the University of Mauritius. She is the current chair of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), a board member of West African Democracy Radio (WADR), and a member of the International Advisory Board of the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP). Nadège Rolland is Distinguished Fellow, China Studies, at NBR.

With Japan assuming the G-7 presidency and the United States hosting APEC meetings this year, the two countries are well positioned to lead Indo-Pacific engagement on climate change and energy transition efforts that are in line with regional energy security needs. Clare Richardson-Barlow moderates this Asia Insight podcast with Ken Koyama (Institute of Energy Economics, Japan) and Jennifer Sklarew (George Mason University) on the energy security relationship between the United States and Japan. The participants consider how the two countries are tackling their respective energy transition challenges and how bilateral cooperation can help address both energy and economic security concerns. Clare Richardson-Barlow is a lecturer at the University of Leeds and an interdisciplinary social scientist whose research and teaching explores just transitions, energy policy, political economy, and energy governance. Ken Koyama is Chief Economist and Senior Managing Director at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan. Dr. Koyama also is a Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo and an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Innovative Research at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Jennifer Sklarew is an Assistant Professor for the Environmental Science and Policy Department at George Mason University and brings 30 years of energy and environmental policymaking and analysis to her research and teaching.

Offering a strategic overview of the relationship between China and Myanmar across history, Ambassador Kelley Currie highlights grey zones, disaggregated sovereignty, fluid frontiers and deeply rooted mutual suspicions as permanent features of China’s southern strategic space’s hinterland in this podcast moderated by Nadège Rolland. This podcast is part of the project Mapping China's Strategic Space at strategicspace.nbr.org.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR counselor Charles Boustany hosts a discussion on APEC 2023 with Ambassador Robert Holleyman and Shihoko Goto. NBR is grateful to the Hinrich Foundation for their generous support of this podcast. Charles W. Boustany Jr., MD, is a Counselor for the National Bureau of Asian Research. Congressman Boustany retired from the U.S. Congress after serving from 2005 to 2017. During his tenure, he served on the House Ways and Means Committee and chaired the Subcommittee on Oversight, the Subcommittee on Human Resources, and the Subcommittee on Tax Policy. He was also a senior member of the Subcommittee on Trade. Congressman Boustany was an acknowledged leader in the areas of trade policy, international tax policy, energy policy, and foreign policy in the U.S. House of Representatives. He co-chaired the U.S.-China Working Group, the U.S.-Japan Caucus, and the Friends of TPP Caucus. Shihoko Goto is the Director for Geoeconomics and Indo-Pacific Enterprise and Deputy Director for the Asia Program at the Wilson Center. Her research focuses on the economics and politics of Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, as well as U.S. policy in Northeast Asia. A seasoned journalist and analyst, she has reported from Tokyo and Washington for Dow Jones and UPI on the global economy, international trade, and Asian markets. A columnist for the Diplomat magazine and contributing editor to the Globalist, she was previously a donor country relations officer for the World Bank and has been awarded fellowships from the East-West Center and the Knight Foundation, among others. Robert Holleyman is a member of the Board of Advisors at the National Bureau of Asian Research and President and CEO of Crowell & Moring International, where he is part of the firm’s International Trade, Privacy & Cybersecurity, and National Security groups. Ambassador Holleyman served as Deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) from 2014 to 2017. He was responsible for U.S. trade and investment relations in Asia, including the APEC forum, China, and India. He was also responsible for global trade policy in the areas of services, investment, intellectual property, and innovation. He led USTR’s focus on the digital economy and U.S. negotiating priorities around digital trade and also represented USTR on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

With many nations aiming for midcentury net-zero emissions targets, massive amounts of critical minerals will be necessary to build the commodities and infrastructure for supporting a lower-carbon energy network. Each interlocking facet of energy production, trade, and consumption relies on the stability of existing partnerships and processes, many of which have been turned upside down in the wake of regional conflicts. In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR’s Tom Lutken discusses critical mineral competition with Niharika Tagotra and Kristin Vekasi.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR’s Doug Strub has conversations with two experts on Japan’s digital transformation (DX). First, Ulrike Schaede discusses digital transformation among Japanese industry. Following that conversation, Daisuke Kawai joins to talk about the Japanese government’s DX strategies and objectives. Daisuke Kawai is a Research Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). His areas of expertise are Japan’s foreign and security policy, Indo-Pacific security, technology policy, and arms control, with an overarching research interest in emerging technologies. He is also the serving secretariat of the Council of Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Japan. Ulrike Schaede is Professor of Japanese Studies and Director of the Japan Forum for Innovation and Technology at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. She is a member of the Board of Advisors at the National Bureau of Asian Research. Dr. Schaede is an expert on Japanese business and management strategies, author of The Business Reinvention of Japan: How to Make Sense of the New Japan and Why It Matters (2020), and co-author of The Digital Transformation and Japan’s Political Economy (2022). Doug Strub is Director of NBR’s Center for Innovation, Trade, and Strategy. He manages NBR’s work on trade, technology, and digital issues. TIMESTAMPS Ulrike Schaede [1:30] How do you define “digital transformation?” [3:50] What are the key technologies driving this transformation, and in which technologies is Japan finding the most success? [6:40] You’ve written a lot about Japan’s “competitive repositioning.” Can you explain this idea and how Japanese industry and manufacturing have been evolving in recent decades? [11:25] What drove these changes? [17:15] How is Japan’s success in digital manufacturing translating to broader digital transformation across society? [19:42] How successful have strategies and initiatives such as Society 5.0 been at enabling a broader societal digital transformation? [23:14] Why is there such a contrast between the successful advancements in digital transformation among industry compared to the slower progress made by the government? [27:00] How is Japan’s aggregate niche strategy and its emergence as a key producer of critical technological inputs impacting the rest of the world? Daisuke Kawai [30:12] How does the Japanese government define digital transformation, and what are its DX goals? [30:58] How successful has Japan been so far in its pursuit of digital transformation? [31:27] What are the main impediments that have prevented Japan’s DX from being carried out more quickly? [32:26] Can you explain what the Hanko is? [33:03] What are the current administration’s main DX goals, and what strategies and policies is it implementing to pursue these? [33:50] What are the Digital Agency’s main responsibilities, and what steps has it taken so far to further Japan’s digital transformation? [34:30] Have people embraced the introduction of the My Number Card system, and how has this impacted society? [35:32] What services does this card provide, and what incentives do people have to sign up for it? [36:24] The government has also launched the Digital Garden City Initiative. Can you talk about what that is and what it’s trying to achieve? [38:57] Related to this, the government has also launched the Digital Garden City Initiative Promotion Grant. Can you explain what this is and the impact it’s having? [40:20] What are the main remaining barriers the government will need to address to more effectively and comprehensively realize its DX goals? [41:18] How effective are the current polices in addressing the challenges you’ve mentioned? [41:58] Are there any particular areas you think these policies could be doing a better job in addressing? [42:57] Do you have any recommendations for how the government could more effectively achieve its DX goals?

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight, NBR executive vice president Michael Wills hosts a discussion with senior fellow Nadège Rolland and advisor William McCahill Jr. in the aftermath of China’s 20th National Party Congress.

In this episode of NBR's Asia Insight, NBR executive vice president Michael Wills hosts a discussion with Aaron Friedberg on his new book Getting China Wrong.

In this episode of Asia Insight, moderator Michael Wills is joined by Christopher Hughes and Yuka Koshino for a discussion of the political legacy of former Japanese prime minister Abe Shinzo as Japan prepares for the state funeral, which is set take place on September 27.

In this episode of Asia Insight, moderator Michael Wills is joined by experts discussing the four partner countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Hayley Channer is a senior policy fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre, Sheila Smith is a senior fellow for Asia-Pacific studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Alison Szalwinski is vice president of research at the National Bureau of Asian Research, and Akriti Vasudeva is a fellow with the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center.

In advance of the May 8, 2022, Hong Kong chief executive election, Yvonne Chiu (U.S. Naval War College) and NBR advisor William McCahill joined NBR executive vice president Michael Wills for an Asia Insight podcast to discuss Hong Kong's future under the only candidate, John Lee. As Hong Kong emerges from two years of political crackdowns and strict pandemic measures, Lee will face the task of reviving the global financial hub's faltering economy.

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight, NBR counselor Charles Boustany is joined by Wendy Cutler and Robert Holleyman to discuss the latest developments in Indo-Pacific trade, including the Biden administration’s proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, challenges around market access and digital trade, and how to overcome political obstacles in the United States to allow for more effective trade policy to be implemented.

This is the second of three episodes in the Asia Insight podcast miniseries China’s Strategic Approach to the Digital Revolution examining the findings of the NBR report “China’s Digital Ambitions: A Global Strategy to Supplant the Liberal Order.” NBR nonresident fellow Emily de La Bruyère, the project’s principal investigator, is joined by two of the report’s authors—Greg Levesque and Matt Turpin—to discuss the security implications of China’s digital rise and potential policy responses for liberal democracies to more effectively mitigate the associated risks and counter China’s ambitions.

This is the second of three episodes in the Asia Insight podcast miniseries China’s Strategic Approach to the Digital Revolution examining the findings of the NBR report “China’s Digital Ambitions: A Global Strategy to Supplant the Liberal Order.” NBR nonresident fellow Emily de La Bruyère, the project’s principal investigator, is joined by three of the report’s authors—Nigel Cory, Samantha Hoffman, and Karen Sutter. They discuss the implications of China’s construction of digital infrastructure abroad, the expansion of Chinese digital platforms overseas, and Beijing’s efforts to reshape global digital norms and regulations to better reflect its values and interests.

This is the first of three episodes in the Asia Insight podcast miniseries China’s Strategic Approach to the Digital Revolution examining the findings of the NBR report “China’s Digital Ambitions: A Global Strategy to Supplant the Liberal Order.” NBR’s Doug Strub speaks with nonresident fellow Emily de La Bruyère, the project’s principal investigator, about the nature of China’s digital ambitions and what’s driving China’s strategy to achieve these goals.

Leading up to the 26th United Nations’ Conference of the Parties (COP26), both Japan and the United States laid out ambitious goals to achieve net zero for their respective economies. Notably, Japan is taking substantial steps to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions over the next 30 years, with a plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The United States has been a longtime partner of Japan and is recently recommitted to the Paris Agreement, with President Biden striving for a carbon free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by 2050. In this Asia Insight discussion moderated by NBR nonresident fellow Clare Richardson-Barlow, we aim to analyze these goals by rethinking policy approaches to decarbonization across political administrations in the United States and Japan. As two of the largest emitters in the world, Japan and the United States have significant challenges to address over the next three decades to achieve their respective net zero goals. However, this also presents a range of opportunities for both countries to increase collaboration through research, investment, and knowledge sharing.

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight, NBR executive vice president Michael Wills speaks with Marcin Kaczmarski, author of the chapter “Russian Foreign Policy in a Time of Rising U.S.-China Competition” (Strategic Asia 2021–22), and Elizabeth Wishnick, author of “Russia and the Arctic in China’s Quest for Great-Power Status” (Strategic Asia 2019), about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This podcast was recorded on March 3, 2022.

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight, NBR president Roy Kamphausen speaks with Robert Sutter, co-editor with Richard Ellings of the book Axis of Authoritarians: Implications of China-Russia Cooperation, about the dynamic between China and Russia, Russia's aggressiveness toward Ukraine, and China's provocations against Taiwan.

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight, NBR vice president of research Alison Szalwinski discusses the new book Strategic Asia 2021–22: Navigating Tumultuous Times with co-editor Ashley J. Tellis and contributor Michael J. Green. Ashley J. Tellis is a counselor at NBR. He holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He has served as research director of the Strategic Asia Program at NBR and co-editor of the program’s annual volume since 2004. Michael J. Green director of Asian studies and chair in modern and contemporary Japanese politics and foreign policy at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight, Alison Szalwinski, NBR vice president of research, hosts a discussion with Elizabeth Economy and guest interviewer Jessica Teets. The discussion focuses on Dr. Economy's new book The World According to China. Dr. Economy is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and was previously senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is currently on leave from her position at the Hoover Institution and is serving as a senior adviser to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The views expressed in the podcast and her book are her personal views and do not represent the views of the U.S. government or the Commerce Department. Dr. Teets is an associate professor in the Political Science Department at Middlebury College (United States) and associate editor of the Journal of Chinese Political Science.

In this Asia Insight podcast, Tom Lutken speaks about disaster management in South Asia with Pushp Bajaj of India's National Maritime Foundation and Mohammad Hasan of the Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh. As climate change and vulnerable populations create a perfect storm for natural disasters in South Asia, both experts highlight the challenges of today and the best path forward for the region to overcome the challenges of tomorrow.

In this Asia Insight podcast, Tom Lutken speaks with T.H. Schee of Open Knowledge Taiwan and Takako Izumi of Tohoku University about the disaster management lessons learned from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. With changes brought about by technology and global warming, alongside the ongoing impacts of a global pandemic, both experts weigh in on how our best practices for dealing with disasters can be informed by the past to better prepare for an uncertain future.