logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
23m 31s

Japan raises its defences

Financial Times
About this episode

Gideon talks to Takako Hikotani of the Asia Society Policy Institute about how Japanese attitudes towards security have changed in light of the war in Ukraine and China’s more aggressive stance in the South China Sea. Clips: CNA


Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachman


Free links to read more on this topic:

Japan says China’s airspace incursion ‘totally unacceptable’

Never a zealot, Fumio Kishida showed a surprising fearlessness

China rejects Nato accusations of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine

US and Japan announce ‘most significant’ upgrade to military alliance


Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.


Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Aug 21
Trump ‘plays into Putin’s hands’
Gideon discusses the outcome of the recent Alaska and Washington summits with Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. Has Russia emerged as a clear winner? What can be achieved without more pressure on Vladimir Putin? How effective would western security ... Show More
22m 46s
Aug 14
What next for India as Trump-Modi friendship sours?
The Trump administration has hit India with 50% tariffs. And just after a short military conflict between India and Pakistan, President Trump played host to Pakistan’s army chief of staff at the White House. Gideon discusses what this means for India and for the region with Tanvi ... Show More
22m 37s
Aug 7
The cold war guru whose warnings on Russia still stand
Zbigniew Brzeziński was one of the most influential statesmen of the cold war. But many of the geopolitical problems he wrestled with in Russia, China and the Middle East, have returned with a vengeance. Among his many prescient ideas, ‘Zbig’ as he was known, predicted that Ameri ... Show More
29m 42s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
‘Aggressive, illegal’ clashes raise fears of superpower war
The Philippine government criticises Beijing over a series of ‘alarming’ incidents in the South China Sea - the latest confrontations in the sea and air near disputed islands. With growing fears of a larger conflict, The Times’ Asia editor Richard Lloyd Parry outlines the potenti ... Show More
10m 38s
Jan 2025
Sarah Paine Episode 2: Why Japan Lost (Lecture & Interview)
This is the second episode in the trilogy of a lectures by Professor Sarah Paine of the Naval War College.In this second episode, Prof Paine dissects the ideas and economics behind Japanese imperialism before and during WWII. We get into the oil shortage which caused the war; the ... Show More
2h 8m
Apr 2025
The Rachman Review: Iran’s nuclear talks could reshape the Middle East
Swamp Notes is taking this weekend off so instead we wanted to share the latest episode from our fellow FT podcast, The Rachman Review. Nuclear talks between the US and Iran began last weekend in Oman, and are set to continue in the coming weeks. President Trump has warned that i ... Show More
23m 54s
Jun 12
Europe’s game plan for handling Trump at G7
The Pentagon has launched a review of the 2021 Aukus submarine deal with the UK and Australia, Donald Trump has said the US and China’s deal to restore their trade war truce is “done”, and US inflation rose less than expected to 2.4 per cent in May. Plus, European governments are ... Show More
10m 31s
Apr 2025
China Launches Surprise Military Drills Around Taiwan
In today’s episode, we cover China’s military drills, Myanmar’s earthquake death toll, South Korea’s impeachment drama, and a record-breaking Supreme Court election in the US.Watch TLDR’s latest videos here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXJK0g_deVEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch? ... Show More
6m 56s
Apr 2025
Holiday special: Driving toward a trade war with China
​This week, EU Confidential is on a spring break — but with trade tensions between the U.S. and the rest of the world (China in particular) escalating, we thought it was the perfect moment to revisit a timely episode from our archives. As Trump’s new trade war heats up, with trip ... Show More
31m 33s
Jun 2024
Unpacking Influence: China's Impact on US Strategy in the Middle East
In this episode of China-MENA, titled "China's Challenging Role in US Policy in MENA," join our host Jonathan Fulton featuring Dana Stroul, director of research and senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, as they explore China's evolving role and its impac ... Show More
42m 40s
May 12
Duty falls: US and China reach a deal
Tariffs against China were the centrepiece of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” trade plans. Our correspondent explains the significance of a new 90-day hiatus. Will Ukraine and Russia come to the negotiating table this week (7:51)? Why new techniques to compress the contrast betwe ... Show More
21m 41s
Jul 30
Tsunami warnings, UK and Palestinian statehood, EPA reversal and alien probe
The Fed keeps rates unchanged despite Trump's pressure. A huge quake rattles Russia's Far East. Israel faces pressure as the UK joins France in saying it could recognize Palestinian statehood in September. Trump’s EPA targets key ruling underpinning all U.S. greenhouse gas rules. ... Show More
12m 6s
Jan 2025
FTS: AAI - The View from the Pentagon: What's Next In the Mideast, Ukraine, on China and on AI?
Original air date: January 22, 2024Has the US response to attacks on our troops and ships, been adequate? Are the attacks against Houthis too little too late...or the start down a slippery slope to another military quagmire? What if our aid to Ukraine dries up? Is the Pentagon lo ... Show More
42m 52s