China Considered

In a new episode of China Considered, Elizabeth Economy widens the lens from Taiwan to the broader Indo-Pacific with Isaac Kardon, a leading scholar of China’s maritime strategy, to examine how the United States and China are coexisting, conflicting, and sometimes confronting each other across the region. Drawing on his recent paper for the Hoover Global Commons project, Kardon explains why he calls China “hyper-sovereigntist”—opposed to conflict in principle but doing next to nothing to prevent it in practice—and lays out Beijing’s three security goals in the region: restoring sovereignty over Taiwan and other claimed territory, w...

In a new episode of China Considered, Elizabeth Economy sits down with Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, to assess why tension in the Taiwan Strait is markedly higher than it was a decade ago. Glaser lays out Xi Jinping’s strategy for making progress toward unification without firing a shot—military pressure, psychological warfare, efforts to divide Taiwan politically, and legal and diplomatic moves that erode its sovereignty—and explains why sweeping purges of the PLA and the steep costs of an invasion weigh against the use of for...

In a new episode of China Considered, Elizabeth Economy sits down with Martin Chorzempa, the Dennis Weatherstone Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, to ask whether the United States and China are in an AI race—and, if so, what the prize is. Drawing on his work on Chinese fintech, Chorzempa explains how lessons from that sector’s boom and crackdown have shaped Beijing’s approach to AI, from registration and censorship requirements to quiet, behind-the-scenes supervision of its labs. The two examine why China may not be as far ahead in AI adoption as many assume...

Economy sits down with Glenn Tiffert, a distinguished research fellow at the Hoover Institution, to examine what China wants in the Arctic and what it can currently do there. Tiffert distinguishes the limited military presence he describes from the longer-term capabilities China is developing through scientific research, ice-capable ships, and commercial activity. The two discuss the potential military uses of Arctic research, China’s efforts to gain a greater voice in regional governance, and how investment restrictions have redirected its activity toward Russia. They explore the opportunities and obstacles facing Arctic shipping between China and Europe, alongside the limits of...

In a new episode of China Considered, Elizabeth Economy sits down with Logan Wright, partner at Rhodium Group and author of the forthcoming book Broken China: How the Economic Miracle Shattered and What It Means for the World (Polity, 2026), to reconcile the competing narratives about China’s economy: inexorable rise, “K-shaped” growth, or “peak China.” Wright argues that the financial system that once fueled China’s growth now constrains it—after the largest single-country credit expansion in more than a century, Beijing keeps rolling over loans to unproductive state firms rather than absorbing losses, leaving it unable to fund the sectors th...

In a new episode of China Considered, Elizabeth Economy sits down with Jonathan Fulton about China's role in the Middle East. Recorded just after a ceasefire reopened the Strait of Hormuz, the conversation begins with the war's toll on the region and the sense among Gulf governments that, however reluctantly, they are doubling down on the United States as the only power able to provide security at scale. Fulton argues that China's presence in the region is overwhelmingly economic—energy, trade, infrastructure, surveillance and digital technology—more so than Beijing being a key diplomatic or security actor. The two exami...

In this episode, Elizabeth Economy sits down with former Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell to talk about his distinguished career, Indo-Pacific strategy, and the recent presidential summit in Beijing. They start by talking about Campbell’s early years in government, including his experience in military diplomacy negotiating with both the Chinese and Taiwanese. The two then discuss the current impact the war in Iran is having on both China and the broader geostrategic relationship as it pertains to the Trump-Xi meeting; Campbell describes the Chinese perspective as President Trump arrived in Beijing as a “correlation of power in many...

In this episode, Liz Economy sits down with Sarah Beran, a veteran US Foreign Service officer who served across six administrations, most recently as senior director for China and Taiwan at the National Security Council under President Biden. Beran traces her career from post-9/11 stints in the Middle East and South Asia, discussing how working outside of China early in her career gave her a sharper sense of how third countries assess their own interests when caught between Washington and Beijing. With experience across multiple administrations, the two touch on the contrasts between Republican and Democratic approaches to China...

In this episode of China Considered, Dr. Elizabeth Economy speaks with Randy Schriver and Mike Kuiken of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission about national security and economic policy towards China, and how the two are intertwined. They explain how the Commission monitors emerging risks, from advanced technologies like AI and quantum computing to vulnerabilities in supply chains and tracking scam centers abroad, culminating in a yearly report to Congress. 

The conversation touches on the current US approach to “economic statecraft” and whether a more coordinated framework for export controls, sanctions, and trade policy could be benefi...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with Nadia Schadlow, former deputy national security advisor for strategy in the first Trump administration and author of the influential 2017 National Security Strategy (NSS). Schadlow reflects on how the NSS was architected around the shift toward great power competition and America's four core national security interests: protecting the homeland and way of life; promoting American prosperity; preserving peace through strength; and advancing American influence. The conversation moves through key differences between the first and second Trump administrations, including process, tone, and the role of ideology in foreign policy, before turning to a substantive debate...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with Dr. Miles Yu, who served as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's principal China policy advisor during the first Trump administration, discussing his journey from experiencing China's Cultural Revolution to shaping US policy at the State Department. Yu explains his role in shifting American policy during the first Trump administration from transactional engagement toward addressing ideological differences between the two systems, including elevating human rights and supporting Taiwan. The two then debate whether the second Trump administration represents continuity or departure from the first term's approach, particularly regarding democracy promotion and alliance-building. 

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Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Lingling Wei, Chief China Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, sit down for a wide ranging conversation on China’s purges, her personal story and look ahead to US-China relations for 2026. They begin with the recent ouster of General Zhang Youxia's from China's Central Military Commission and what it reveals about Xi Jinping's consolidation of power ahead of the 2026 Party Congress. Wei then shares her personal journey from being inspired by her mother to take up journalism in China to being expelled by Beijing in 2020, and how she continues reporting on China. The two then co...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with Dr. Rowena He to explore her journey from participating in pro-democracy demonstrations during the 1989 Tiananmen protests to becoming a leading scholar on Chinese human rights. She recounts how the June 4th crackdown shattered her generation's hopes, forcing survivors to publicly conform while doing their best to keep the memory of the movement alive. The two then turn to He’s experience teaching at the Chinese University of Hong Kong during the 2019 protests, where she supported students while drawing connections to 1989, before being forced to flee Hong Kong in 2022 under threatening circumstances. He emphasizes th...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with Patrick McGee, Financial Times technology journalist and author of "Apple in China," discussing how Apple's deep integration into China's manufacturing ecosystem inadvertently helped build China into the industrial powerhouse it is today. McGee traces Apple's journey from near-bankruptcy in the late 1990s to becoming deeply dependent on Chinese manufacturing, explaining how Apple didn't just outsource production but actively trained Chinese factories and transferred sophisticated manufacturing knowledge that later benefited competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi. The two explore critical inflection points, including Apple's partnership with Foxconn, political tensions with Xi Jinping's government in 2013, and...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy talks with Dr. Bonny Lin about China's evolving security posture and military ambitions under Xi Jinping. Lin explains how China's goals extend beyond regional dominance to achieving global parity with or superiority over the United States, tracing major inflection points including South China Sea island-building, military reforms, and the strategic partnership with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The two then discuss ongoing purges within the Chinese military, and in turn, what these upheavals mean for military competence and readiness. The conversation then turns to Taiwan, where Lin argues that Xi Jinping's conditions for unification have...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy talks with Dr. Joanna Lewis and Dr. Scott Moore to explore China's commanding position in the global clean energy sector and its far-reaching implications. The two experts explain how China has become both the world's largest manufacturer and consumer of clean energy technologies, dominating supply chains from raw materials through finished products like solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries. The conversation tackles the complex question of whether China can be considered a climate leader, revealing a mixed picture of impressive renewable energy investments alongside continued heavy coal dependence. Additionally, the three address China's recent export restrictions...

Host Dr. Elizabeth Economy interviews Dr. Chenjian Li, discussing the fundamental differences between the Chinese and US systems. He highlights China's rapid progress in biotech and pharmaceutical development, predicting the country may produce its first truly innovative drug within five years.  While the U.S. excels at "zero-to-one" grassroots innovation stemming from decades of basic research, China has traditionally focused on "one-to-100" government-supported scaling and is now increasingly investing in breakthrough innovation. The conversation concludes with Dr. Li's recommendations for U.S. competitiveness: continuing robust basic science funding, maintaining large-scale translational research programs, and preserving America's traditional openness to g...

Host Dr. Elizabeth Economy interviews Yanzhong Huang, a leading expert on China's public health system, examining how China has evolved from the COVID-19 pandemic and its growing role in global health diplomacy. The two explore China’s dramatic policy pivots—from initial inaction to draconian zero-COVID lockdowns to sudden reopening—and analyze why meaningful domestic reforms and transparency remain elusive despite lessons from the crisis. Huang discusses China's strategic health diplomacy, particularly how its provision of vaccines and medical supplies during COVID earned goodwill in developing countries. The conversation reveals how U.S. withdrawal from global health institutions creates opport...

Host Dr. Elizabeth Economy interviews Oliver Melton, who shares insider perspectives on China's complex economy, drawing from his years as a diplomat in Beijing and his current role at the Rhodium Group. Economy and Melton discuss how China's structural imbalances, high savings rates, and over-investment in real estate have created fundamental economic challenges that the leadership struggles to address through consumption-boosting policies. Melton also evaluates three major Chinese initiatives: the Belt and Road's evolution from sprawling campaign to targeted strategic investments, Made in China 2025's mixed success, and China's approach to de-dollarization focused on sanctions-proofing. The two also touch...

Host Dr. Elizabeth Economy interviews Noah Barkin, senior advisor with the Rhodium Group, about the evolving EU-China relationship following their July 2025 summit celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties. Barkin traces Europe's awakening to the China challenge and China's designation as a "systemic rival" in 2019, explaining how the EU has developed its own distinct approach to managing Chinese economic competition. The conversation explores why China's strategy of leveraging Trump-era U.S.-Europe tensions to drive a wedge between allies has largely failed, with Europe maintaining its critical stance on issues like Chinese overcapacity and support for Russia. Barkin discusses the different...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy interviews Professor David Shambaugh about his new book Breaking the Engagement: How China Won & Lost America, which examines the collapse of America's four-decade engagement strategy with China. Shambaugh argues that China initially "won over" American constituencies during the reform era, but starting around 2010, these groups faced increasing obstacles in China, leading to the breakdown of the "engagement coalition." The conversation explores the five schools of thought dominating current US-China policy debates and Shambaugh's assertion that the relationship has shifted to "indefinite, comprehensive, competitive rivalry." Drawing on his experience as both a leading China scholar and a f...

Hoover Fellows Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Dr. Amy Zegart discuss the "DeepSeek moment"— when China's DeepSeek AI model surprised U.S. markets by replicating OpenAI's performance using fewer resources and an open-source approach. The two explore the strategic implications of open versus closed AI models, with there being an argument that the U.S. should embrace more open research approaches rather than closed models. They highlight how China is successfully replicating America's historical innovation model—investing heavily in long-term basic science—while the U.S. has reduced federal R&D spending. The two scholars conclude with policy recommendations, including fixing...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Ely Ratner sit down to discuss challenging security environment in the Indo-Pacific region, the specific goals and ambitions of China in the Western Pacific and East Asia, their experiences in the Biden Administration and the state of the alliance system in the region, based off his recent Foreign Affairs Piece, “The Case for a Pacific Defense Pact”. The two scholars touch on continuity between both the Biden and Trump administrations’ strategy in the Indo-Pacific, but also increasing intra-Asian cooperation and awareness between nations as the China threat grows. They conclude with a conversation about what a Paci...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Michael McFaul sit down to discuss the relationship between the United States, China, and Russia, the history of US engagement with Russia, his experience as the United States Ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama, and the increasing cooperation between China and Russia. McFaul begins by discussing early engagement with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during the early Obama years, namely the signing of comprehensive multilateral sanctions with Iran, along with his role in crafting the Obama administration’s Russia policy. The two scholars then shift to a conversation about how Russia and China, namely Vladimir Pu...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Šumit Ganguly sit down to discuss the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, the roots of the conflict between the two nations, and how the United States and China fit into the relationship. Ganguly starts out by giving listeners an overview of the cross-border clashes in early May, where the tension from the two nations stems from; originating over a land dispute along religious lines in the state of Kashmir during the formation of India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the fall of the British Empire in Southern Asia. The two then shift to a...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Susan Schwab sit down to discuss the current global trade environment and the outlook for US-China trade relations in the aftermath of negotiations in Geneva. The two discuss the magnitude and reaction to President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, along with the motivations and scale behind the actions. Schwab then explains the dynamics of negotiating within a presidential administration and the importance of understanding the objectives and red lines within those negotiations. The two conclude with an assessment of the US-China trade war, recent developments in the relationship, and what the United States can best do to...

Longtime friends Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Michael Dunne sit down to discuss the transformation of the Chinese automobile industry, the roots of electric vehicles in China, the demand for electric vehicles (EV) both in the United States and globally, and how the United States can best compete in a rapidly changing environment. Dunne details the early days of the Chinese EV revolution, a quiet transformation that came to a head at the 2023 Shanghai auto show and has now resulted in China becoming a global leader in EVs. The two also touch on how the conversation around electric autos has...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with Gary Rieschel to discuss his two decades-plus working in venture capital in China, his experience starting his own firm, Qiming Venture Partners, in the country, and the evolution of the business and entrepreneurial space in the 21st century. Rieschel illustrates the early challenges in the VC sector, from a lack of infrastructure and difficulty in finding reliable partners to being part of a successful VC landscape that boomed in China during the late 2000s and 2010s. Economy and Rieschel then touch on the involvement of the government in the industry; from the problem...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with Patrick Jenevein to discuss his career in the energy industry in China, the outlook for foreign individuals and companies seeking to do business in the country, and his new book - Dancing with the Dragon. Jenevein, who worked in the country for more than 20 years, recounts a collection of stories ranging from one of his company’s first deal in the country’s far west, negotiating with one of Deng Xiaoping’s top advisers to detailing the frustrations that eventually led him to leave the country.  

Recorded on March 26, 2025.

ABOUT T...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with Matthew Turpin to discuss his road to becoming a China specialist, the US government’s strategy to compete with China, the role of China and the United States in international institutions, and the likelihood of a deal between President Trump and President Xi over the next four years. Turpin describes how his path led him from a European History major at West Point, to Indo-Pacific Command and eventually to working on China strategy at the Pentagon and White House. The two experts discuss how US policy towards China has evolved, with Turpin illustrating ho...

Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with NED’s Christopher Walker to discuss the importance of democratic systems, how they benefit a given country’s citizens, and the challenges democracy faces in a new era. Walker argues that political rights often lead to economic prosperity and while China is one of the few countries where that does not apply, he states that China’s fastest period of economic growth came during a period of liberalization. Walker and Econony discuss the threat China poses in seeking to spread its repressive political system abroad, touching on the PRC censorship abroad, and the countr...

In a wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Leland Miller talk about his experiences running China Beige Book, his insights on the Chinese economy, and conclude with a discussion about the Trump Administration’s trade policy.

Miller discusses the early skepticism surrounding the China Beige Book and the process of transforming it into a valuable tool that gathers data from across the Chinese economy while serving as an independent “check” to the Chinese government. He provides insight into the methodology used, from conducting thousands of surveys within China, to looking at labor, manufacturing, and market data which altoge...

In a broad and insightful conversation, Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Dr. Adam Segal discuss the impact of China’s DeepSeek breakthrough, the cyber challenge China poses to the United States, international norms around cyber warfare and how the US can best respond.

Segal provides insight into the “typhoon” cyber attacks from Chinese malign actors, illustrating how China is seeking to embed itself in critical American infrastructure. The two then discuss the tools the US can best use to respond; from more severe sanctions to increased disruption against foreign hackers. And while China poses the most critical cyber threat...

In a wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Professor Diana Fu talk about activism and protest in China, how this has changed under the regime of Xi Jinping along with Fu’s upcoming book on how China governs its global diaspora. 

The two scholars discuss how a civil society that was allowed to exist during Hu Jintao’s rule has slowly been decimated in the 12 years Xi has been in power as the central government in Beijing has taken more and more control. Economy and Fu analyze the increase in repression over the last decade, from over 150,000 protest...

In a wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Elizabeth Economy and Dr. Melanie Hart discuss China’s economic coercion, its impact globally, and how the United States can most effectively respond. Hart draws on cases from her time at the State Department to illustrate how her team successfully combatted Chinese efforts to use the power of their market to force political alignment by other countries. She also stresses, however, that this is an ongoing battle. 

Hart also describes the Biden administration's framework for reducing dependence on Chinese critical minerals and semiconductors. She underscores the importance of investing in domestic manufacturing, partn...

Host Elizabeth Economy sits down with Jimmy Goodrich to discuss the technology competition between the United States and China.  Goodrich argues that the competition is far from settled with leadership in many emerging technologies still up for grabs. 

He describes China’s model as one defined by state-led investment in key sectors, tremendous depth in their ability to innovate, and leading the race in advanced technology and patents. He also outlines China’s long-term ambition to dominate the next wave of advanced technology such as high-energy physics and quantum computing. But he cautions that a weak private sector...

Host Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with Joerg Wuttke to discuss his 30+ years doing business in China, the systemic challenges facing the Chinese economy, what the future holds for the China-EU relationship, and buying 160 million masks for then German Prime Minister Angela Merkel during the pandemic.

Wuttke provides insight into the dramatic changes in China’s business environment from his seat as BASF’s chief representative in China and head of the European Union’s Chamber of Commerce in China. He shares how he navigated the Chinese system to build one of the country’s most successful joint venture...

Host Dr. Elizabeth Economy sits down with Rhodium Group Co-founder Daniel Rosen for an in-depth look at the current state of the Chinese economy, the challenges it will face going forward and how a second Trump presidency may affect it. 
 
With an economy that is currently facing reduced growth, a cratering real estate sector, and increased scrutiny from US and EU counterparts over its exports of overcapacity in EVs, Rosen describes the issues at the heart of the problem: a failure to meaningfully reform the fiscal system, including rebalancing the share of central and local government revenues, we...

In this episode, Elizabeth Economy, Matt Pottinger, and Evan Medeiros discuss where the US-China relationship stands at the end of the Biden administration, to the second Trump administration’s possible approach to China policy, as Trump has already promised significant increases on tariffs of Chinese imports. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Matt Pottinger is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. He previously served in the Trump Administration for four years in senior roles on the National Security Council staff, including as Senior Director for Asia and Deputy National Security Advisor, where he coordinated the full spec...