Episodes
Friday Aug 28, 2020
Shinzo Abe’s Setting Sun
Friday Aug 28, 2020
Friday Aug 28, 2020
Just two days after Pacific Century interviewed Japan’s Defense Minister, Misha returns solo for breaking news: Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, unexpectedly resigned. Misha discusses Abe’s legacy, how he changed Japan, and what his resignation means for Japan, Asia, and the United States.
Thursday Aug 27, 2020
Japan’s Rising Military
Thursday Aug 27, 2020
Thursday Aug 27, 2020
Misha gets a new sound system just in time for John and him to welcome Taro Kono, Japan’s Defense Minister. Minister Kono, who also served as Japan’s Foreign Minister, talks about the ways in which the Japanese military has modernized over the past decade, and discusses the worsening threats from China and North Korea. Minister Kono also explains the role of Japan’s alliances with the US and other nations, including Australia and India, which are a crucial part of Tokyo’s defense strategy.
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
The Past, Present, and Future of the China Challenge
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
John and Misha welcome their colleague, Larry Diamond, one of the world’s preeminent scholars of democracy, to talk about the global scope of the China challenge. Larry discusses the strategy of the CCP and its comprehensive targeting of the West’s political, academic, cultural, and media cultures to both promote Beijing’s ambitions and stifle criticism. Larry also discusses the work he spearheads at Hoover on China’s influence campaigns, “sharp power,” and Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific.