The Asia Chessboard

Latest Episodes:

Amb. Nicholas Burns – Allies, Partners, and the U.S.-China Relationship Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

Mike speaks with Nicholas Burns, Managing Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Burns previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 2021-2025. They discuss where we are in U.S.-China relations, how the relationship has become much more complicated in recent years, how the U.S. is working with allies and partners in the region, their vital role in supporting U.S. strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, and much more.

Kurt Campbell: Reflections on Indo-Pacific Strategy Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

This week Mike speaks with Kurt Campbell, former Deputy Secretary of State and President Biden’s “Asia Czar.” He is currently Chairman of The Asia Group and Distinguished Fellow in Diplomacy with the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. They discuss the U.S. strategic approach to the Indo-Pacific, the buildup of international security architecture, working in the Biden administration, and the role of technology in geopolitical competition.

Singapore’s Strategy for a New Indo-Pacific Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

This week Mike speaks with Ja Ian Chong, Associate Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore. They discuss the lessons and parallels of WWI and WWII for the contemporary Indo-Pacific, the potential for an outbreak of crisis and conflict in the region, the need for Singapore to review its geopolitical strategy, and much more.

Why Aid Matters to Asia Strategy Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

This week Mike speaks with Michael Schiffer, former Assistant Administrator of the USAID Bureau for Asia from 2022 to 2025. Prior to that he was Senior Advisor and Counselor to the U.S. Senate Committee of Foreign Relations. They discuss foreign aid and its role in supporting U.S. interests abroad.

An Indispensable Partner: U.S.-India Relations in the Indo-Pacific Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

This week Mike speaks with Richard Rossow, an esteemed expert who has focused on U.S.-India Relations for over 25 years. He is currently Senior Adviser and Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They discuss the activities of the Quad, U.S.-India relations, how India could grow its trade partnership with the United States, and more.

Russia, the Newest Disrupter in Southeast Asia? Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

This week Mike speaks with Ian Storey, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and Editor of the Contemporary Southeast Asia journal. His new book is Putin's Russia and Southeast Asia: The Kremlin's Pivot to Asia and the Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War and is the first single-authored book on Russia and Southeast Asia to be published since the end of the cold war. It can be found using this link.

Indo-Pacific Strategy with U.S. Rep. Ami Bera May 20, 2025

Show notes

This week Mike speaks to Congressman Ami Bera, who represents California’s Sixth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Representative Bera is a senior Democrat serving as Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. They discuss the role of Congress in determining U.S. Indo Pacific Strategy.

Is AI a Game Changer in U.S.-China Competition? Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

This week Mike speaks to Ben Buchanan, Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and former Director for Technology and National Security on the National Security Council and White House Special Advisor on AI. He was also the former Director of the CyberAI Project at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University and has written several influential books. They discuss AI competition between the U.S. and China.

The Biden Administration’s Indo-Pacific Legacy Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

This week Mike joins Mira Rapp-Hooper, a political scientist and expert on the Indo-Pacific who formerly served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council, White House. From 2021-2023 she served as Director for Indo-Pacific Strategy at the National Security Council, where she was responsible for the White House’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.

South Korean Tumult and Strategic Direction Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

This week Mike joins Victor Cha, President OF Geopolitics and

Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at CSIS. From 2021 to 2025, he was appointed

by Joseph R. Biden administration to serve on the Defense Policy Board in an

advisory role to the secretary of defense. From 2004 to 2007, he served on the

National Security Council (NSC) and was responsible for Japan, Korea,

Australia/New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations. They discuss South Korea's

recently failed coup in 2024, and the future of South Korean international

relations in the region.