In this episode of the Asia Chessboard, hosts USSC CEO Mike Green and Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS Jude Blanchette are joined by Kurt M. Campbell, Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs in the National Security Council, and Mira Rapp-Hooper, Director for Indo-Pacific Strategy at the National Security Council.
They begin by discussing educational and professional experiences that build the groundwork for successful careers in international relations. They then discuss the recent one-year anniversary of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, noting that the approach reflects the recognition of “a new strategic era” in the region. They underline the Strategy’s focus on alliances and emphasise the importance of promoting broader regional engagement and shared interests beyond the framework of competition with China. Next, they discuss the implications of China’s evolving diplomatic approach towards the United States and regional partners. They conclude the conversation by exploring recent narratives of China’s overreach, and how US strategy might react to a course correction in Beijing that would present China as a stronger, more reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific.
The Asia Chessboard is co-produced by the United States Studies Centre and Center for Strategic and International Studies and features in-depth conversations with the most prominent strategic thinkers on Asia. Co-hosts Dr Michael Green (CEO of the United States Studies Centre) and Jude Blanchette (Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies) take the debate beyond the headlines of the day to explore the historical context and inside decision-making process on major geopolitical developments from the Himalayas to the South China Sea.