CogitAsia

In this episode, we discuss energy cooperation in the U.S.-India relationship. Achieving two diverging goals for energy engagement in the relationship – deepening and broadening renewables cooperation while India is importing U.S. oil and gas – will likely require a balancing act.

Joining the pod from our Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies team to explain the progress in energy cooperation and coming opportunities as well as hurdles are Raymond Vickery and Dr. Kartikeya Singh. Ray and Kartikeya explain how the energy landscape in the relationship has changed, describe the Trump administration’s geopolitical challenge in addressing India’s significant imports of Iranian oil, examine the expansion in sub-national cooperation between U.S. and Indian states, and analyze the legacy of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement. Aman Thakker, research associate with the Wadhwani Chair, recently sat down with Ray and Kartikeya to get their insights.

Hosted by Liza Keller. Audio edited by Ribka Gemilangsari. Written by Jeffrey Bean and Aman Thakker. Produced by Jeffrey Bean.

To learn more: See the recent CSIS policy brief on Key Energy Access needs in India by Dr. Kartikeya Singh, here.

Read an op-ed summarizing his recent remarks at the World Energy Policy Summit by Raymond Vickery, here.

In this episode, we analyze the origin and impact of a Sino-American trade war. As the trading relationship between Washington and Beijing spirals into conflict and protectionism, we are joined by two CSIS experts, Matthew Goodman, Simon Chair in Political Economy, and William Reinsch, Scholl Chair in International Business, to discuss what a trade war actually is, the impact of President Trump’s Section 232 tariffs, the types of tools China and the U.S. can use in this fight, and potential constraints on escalation. Matt and Bill also explain where this leaves the multilateral institutions that govern trade and project the likelihood of miscalculation on either side.

Then Dr. Scott Kennedy, director of the Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies, bats cleanup to assess Section 301 penalties that President Trump has imposed, countermeasures from the Chinese leadership, and whether the U.S. and China are truly ready for a full-on trade conflict. Hosted by Will Colson. Audio edited by Ribka Gemilangsari. Written and produced by Jeffrey Bean.

To learn more, please see analysis from our experts:

A Better Way to Challenge China on Trade | Foreign Affairs by Matthew Goodman & Ely Ratner here.

Section 301, Tariffs, and Chinese Trade and Investment | CSIS by Stephanie Segal & William Reinsch here.

Surviving March Madness in U.S.-China Trade Relations | CSIS by Scott Kennedy here.

Is the U.S. Ready for a Trade War? | Yale Global by Scott Kennedy here.

The Shifting Politics of Trade | CSIS by William Reinsch here.

Finding the Right Off-ramp from the Trade War | CSIS by Claire Reade here.

To read the details of President Trump’s announcements on U.S. trade policy see Section 232 here, Section 301 here.

This week we turn to the topic of North Korea’s cyber capabilities just over a year after the hack against Sony Pictures Entertainment. CSIS Korea Chair Dr. Victor Cha joins to discuss a new study on North Korea’s cyber tactics and how countries can respond. Hosted by Colm Quinn. Audio edited by Sam Ellis. Produced by Jeffrey Bean.

In this episode, we discuss conflict resolution and development in the northeast Indian state of Nagaland. The long-running insurgency in Nagaland looks to be drawing to a close following conclusion of a framework for a peace agreement in 2015 between the government of India and the Naga rebels, but a final peace deal is still pending. For Nagaland's state government, the challenge for the future is solidifying good governance that will translate to development.

Joining the pod to provide an update on the peace process, state politics, and efforts to increase infrastructure and investment in Nagaland is Mr. Abu Metha. Mr. Metha is a journalist and political organizer who serves as the General Secretary of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party in Nagaland. He recently sat down with CSIS Wadhwani Chair Research Associate Aman Thakker to share his insights on the current status of Nagaland.

Audio edited by Ribka Gemilangsari. Written by Jeffrey Bean and Aman Thakker. Produced by Jeffrey Bean.

To learn more:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in 2015 on the historic framework agreement.

Dialogues across Fault Lines of Territory and Peoples: Bridging State, Nation and Ethnicity in North East South Asia Forum for Human Rights & Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2016.

The Naga Peace Accord: Why Now? Dr. Namrata Goswami, Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses, August 2015.

This week we hear from U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes who discussed his recent trip to Myanmar and what the White House is watching for in the November 8 elections with Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies Ernie Bower. Hosted by Colm Quinn. Audio edited by Sam Ellis. Produced by Jeffrey Bean.