Pekingology

Latest Episodes:

How to Win a Summit: China’s Economic and Commercial Leverage May 14, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Philip Luck, Director of the CSIS Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business. Phil was previously the deputy chief economist at the U.S. Department of State. Phil and Henrietta discuss the economic and commercial context for the big summit between President Trump and President Xi in Beijing, what it means to have “managed trade,” the trajectory of U.S. tariff rates and export controls, and how soybeans may shape the future of U.S.-China relations.

Tune in tomorrow (May 15) for a special bonus episode unpacking the outcomes from President Trump's visit to China, featuring Jon Czin, fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Director for China at the White House National Security Council.

China and the Iran War: Beijing's Ambitions in the Middle East Apr 30, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Aaron Glasserman, an expert on China's Middle East strategy and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Contemporary China. Aaron and Henrietta unpack what China is really trying to achieve in the Middle East, how China is approaching the U.S. war against Iran, and what this all means for the upcoming summit between President Trump and President Xi.

Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China Apr 16, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Eyck Freymann, a Hoover Fellow at Stanford University and author of the new book, Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China. Eyck unpacks Beijing’s real goals vis-à-vis Taiwan, how Taiwan fits into the Party’s domestic and international ambitions, and how the United States and its allies can manage the bedeviling challenge of gray zone coercion while also deterring high-end conflict.

How the Chinese Communist Party Stays in Power Apr 02, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Ben Hillman, Director of the Australian Centre on China in the World at Australian National University and co-editor of the new book, The Communist Party of China: Understanding the Durability of the World's Most Powerful Political Organization. Ben explains how the Party has managed to stay in power, becoming the world's second-longest ruling party (barely losing out to North Korea's communist party) and maintaining an iron grip on power across vastly different phases in China's development. Ben addresses the role of ideology in Party governance, the utility of linguistic engineering and patriotic symbols in bolstering political legitimacy, the role of the United Front Work Department in manufacturing buy-in, and the Party's tremendous capacity for coercion.

Decoding China's Two Sessions: Politics, Purges, and a New Five Year Plan Mar 19, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Neil Thomas, Fellow on Chinese Politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. They discuss the significance of China's recent "Two Sessions," where the National People's Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference come together with great pageantry to announce new policies. Neil unpacks the state of China's elite politics and purges, the highlights of the 15th Five-Year Plan, President Xi's conservative approach to policymaking, and who might rise to important roles during Xi's fourth term.

Understanding Chinese Power Mar 05, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Zoe Liu, Fellow in China Studies with the Council on Foreign Relations. They discuss Zoe’s new Foreign Affairs piece, China’s Long Economic War: How Beijing Builds Leverage for Indefinite Competition. Zoe offers a new framework for understanding China’s national power, evaluating the country’s evolving capacity, capital, character, and credibility.

Can China Sway Australia? Feb 19, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Charlie Edel, Senior Adviser and Australia Chair at CSIS. Charlie unpacks China’s strategy towards Australia, an influential, democratic middle power that maintains strong economic ties to China and a security alliance with the United States. How has Beijing used economic coercion and inducements to try and sway Australian policy? Why has Australian public opinion turned sharply against China? And why has Australia come to see Chinese actions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait – thousands of miles from the Australian coast – as a threat to Australia’s national security?

China’s Growing Influence in Latin America Feb 05, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Francisco Urdinez, Associate Professor at the Political Science Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and author of the new book Economic Displacement: China and the End of US Primacy in Latin America. Francisco unpacks China’s strategy in Latin America, how regional countries have experienced China’s growing influence, how Chinese firms are replicating U.S. companies’ playbook from the early 20th century, and Chinese banks’ bad bet on Venezuela.

How Experts Shape Chinese Foreign Policy Jan 22, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Sabine Mokry, Postdoctoral Researcher with the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg and author of the new book Chinese Scholars and Think Tanks’ Construction of China's National Interest. Sabine unpacks the process through which outside expertise can shape the Party’s national security concepts, the relevance of Chinese think tanks and scholars in policymaking, and how China – nearly a thousand miles from the Arctic – became a “near-Arctic State.”

China's Church Divided Jan 08, 2026

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In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Paul Mariani, Professor at Santa Clara University and author of the new book, China’s Church Divided: Bishop Louis Jin and the Post-Mao Catholic Revival. Paul unpacks the Communist Party's views on religion, how the Catholic Church navigated the turbulent politics of 1980's China, and why the Vatican has renewed a controversial deal with Beijing.

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