Explainer 466: What actually happens dur...

For the first time ever, Australia has expelled an ambassador. But why is Iran’s Ahmad Sadeghi packing his bags and what does it have to do with antisemitic attacks?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

As president Trump’s isolationist leanings become US foreign policy, is the era of the American hegemony over? Did the US lead us somewhere worthwhile? And if the US recedes, who steps up?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Myanmar’s military, which has held power since 2021, has announced a general election for later this year. Has Myanmar suddenly become a democracy? Or is something else afoot? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Taiwan is a vibrant democracy in the western Pacific just east of Communist China where Xi Jinping, the most powerful Chinese ruler since Mao Zedong, is the decider. His intentions toward Taiwan are imperialist and predatory. But it’s not just Taiwan that is in his crosshairs — h ... Show More

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Camille Grand, ECFR distinguished policy fellow, and Janka Oertel, head of ECFR’s Asia programme, who have recently returned from Taipei. Together, they explore Taiwan’s delicate balancing act as China ramps up its military drills and as the s ... Show More

In just a few short years, the United States’ China policy has undergone nothing short of a revolution. Few people have been more central to that shift than Matt Pottinger. He was a reporter in China for Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, then a U.S. Marine, deploying to Iraq a ... Show More

Late last week, China launched a comprehensive two-day military drill around Taiwan, mimicking a full-scale attack. The drills included dozens of fighter jets carrying live missiles, alongside navy vessels stationed at strategic locations around the island. The military operation ... Show More

When global supply chains were shut down in 2020 and messily rebooted after COVID lockdowns ceased, one island nation emerged as the most important player in getting critical components to factories around the world. That was Taiwan, which produces 90 percent of the world’s advan ... Show More

While China has spent the past 12 years growing its friend circle through its $1 trillion Belt and Road infrastructure program, the U.S. has struggled to come up with a comprehensive response. Could President Trump’s more aggressive approach to diplomacy mean Beijing will meet gr ... Show More

Isabel Hilton and Quentin Peel assess China’s surprise military exercises aimed at blockading Taiwan, the EU plans to strengthen police powers to tackle foreign threats, LG and Samsung make a return to Russian markets and why The Beatles have stolen the show at CinemaCon. Plus: w ... Show More

How does a country deepen its relationship and do business with China without risking retaliation by the US and its allies? How can a nation protect its territorial claims in the South China Sea yet maintain a delicate balancing act with its neighbours with their own views and cl ... Show More

The global tech industry depends on Taiwan’s semiconductor chips and many believe the sector plays a key role in the island’s national security, helping stave off an invasion from mainland China. But as relations between China and Taiwan worsen, some countries are taking steps to ... Show More

While the US seeks reconciliation with Russia, it angers China by quietly dropping reference to opposing Taiwan’s independence. Then: Turkey detains PKK suspects, what Ukraine thinks of the US-Russia talks, South Korea’s secret sauce joins Unesco list and tech news with David Phe ... Show More