Asia Insight

From the National Bureau of Asian Research, an Asia Insight miniseries exploring the geostrategic significance of China’s borderlands, led by Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow for China Studies at NBR. Episode One: From Empire to Nation When you look at the People’s Republic of China’s map today, you look roughly at the map of the Qing empire - with the notable exceptions of outer Mongolia, Taiwan, and portions of Siberia. Two hundred years ago, the Qing’s borderlands included the Manchu, Tibetan, Hmong, Mongol and Hui (Turkic-speaking Muslim populations of the western regions). Today, twenty neighbors share a land or a maritime border with China. In this first episode, with the help of Professor Nicola Di Cosmo (Institute of Advanced Study) and Maria Adele Carrai (NYU Shanghai), we travel back in time to better understand how the imperial borderlands have been integrated within China’s national territory at the turn of the 20th century. Materials cited in the recording

This episode of Asia Insight was recorded directly after NBR’s annual Energy Security Workshop in Washington, D.C. on July 22, 2025, and features NBR Advisor and Energy Security Program Research Director Mikkal Herberg in conversation with Dr. Philip Andrews-Speed, Mr. Kurt Glaubitz, and Dr. Ken Koyama. The four discuss takeaways from the workshop’s presentations on Asia’s LNG (liquified natural gas) landscape and its implications for regional energy and economic security, while also delving deeper into areas they plan to explore further ahead of NBR’s annual Energy Security Report release in late-2025. Philip Andrews-Speed is a Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Kurt Glaubitz is the Co-Founder of the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association and Former Corporate Affairs General Manager for the Chevron Corporation, Asia Pacific Exploration and Production. Mikkal Herberg is a member of NBR’s Board of Advisors and the Research Director of NBR’s Energy Security Program. Ken Koyama is Senior Managing Director and Chief Economist in charge of the Research Strategy Unit at The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan.

Documenting China's Borderlands, led by NBR Distinguished Fellow, China Studies Nadège Rolland, investigates how China invests in, engages with, and deepens its presence within its land and maritime border neighbors in an attempt to reshape its immediate periphery. NBR President Michael Wills sits down with Ms. Rolland for this introductory episode to explore what sparked this research effort, how the project defines China's borderlands, which areas of Chinese statecraft will be examined, and what our listeners can ultimately expect from this forthcoming Asia Insight miniseries. The virtual dashboard mentioned in the conversation will be publicly available starting July 28, 2025.

Documenting China's Borderlands, led by NBR Distinguished Fellow, China Studies Nadège Rolland, investigates how China invests in, engages with, and deepens its presence within its land and maritime border neighbors in an attempt to reshape its immediate periphery. This research effort is the second phase of NBR's Mapping China’s Strategic Space project (https://strategicspace.nbr.org/) which defined strategic space as a realm vital to the pursuit of China’s national economic and security objectives and to the enduring survival of the Chinese state. The audio documentaries presented in this forthcoming Asia Insight miniseries are a part of a larger set of products from this research effort, which will include written publications, regional conferences, and a virtual dashboard visualizing key data on China's engagement with its borderland neighbors. The dashboard will be publicly available starting July 28, 2025.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR President Michael Wills is joined by Rear Admiral Mike Studeman (U.S. Navy, ret.) and Ms. Cathy Johnston as they assess the People's Liberation Army ahead of the Chinese Communist Party's goal to build a world-class military by 2049. Cathy Johnston spent 33 years in the Intel Community mostly focused on Asia. Her last assignment was as the Deputy Director of Intelligence at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Mike Studeman is the former Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence and a retired Rear Admiral. He is a member of NBR’s Board of Advisors. Michael Wills is President of NBR.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR President Michael Wills sits down with Ms. Laura Rosenberger and Mr. Roy Kamphausen to discuss strategic outlooks for Taiwan. This discussion follows an NBR delegation trip to Taiwan led by retired U.S. Navy Admiral John Aquilino, the 26th Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, from April 28–May 2, 2025.

On this special episode of Asia Insight, NBR Distinguished Fellow for China Studies Nadège Rolland and NBR Senior Fellow for Asian Security Bates Gill discuss the May 12, 2025 white paper released by China’s State Council Information Office on China’s national security in the new era.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR Senior Director of Research and Programs, Mr. Doug Strub engages in conversation with Dr. Michael Beeman and Mr. Daisuke Kawai as they explore how the United States and Japan are bolstering their technological and economic security while navigating digital disruptions and supply chain vulnerabilities.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR President Michael Wills engages in conversation with two NBR Advisors, Ambassador Robert Holleyman and Ms. Tami Overby, as the trio reflects on some of the insights and themes that arose during the second annual NBR Pacific Technology Policy Conference, held in Seattle, WA on March 13, 2025.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR Senior Director of Research and Programs, Mr. Doug Strub engages in conversation with Dr. Jungmi Cha, Mr. Charlie Vest, Dr. Michelle Rozo, and Ms. Hodan Omaar as they examine strategies and policies of the United States and the Republic of Korea in the pivotal areas of battery technology, biotechnology, and quantum technology. This Asia Insight episode complements the NBR special report "U.S.-ROK Tech Cooperation: Batteries, Biotech, and Quantum Technologies" (March 2025) and was produced by the National Bureau of Asian Research with support from the Korea Foundation.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR’s executive vice president Michael Wills hosts a discussion with NBR distinguished fellow for China studies Nadège Rolland and advisor William McCahill Jr. in the aftermath of China’s 2024 parallel annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

In this podcast, we highlight the main findings of NBR’s research project "Into Africa: China’s Emerging Strategy,” explore the strategic drivers behind China’s increased engagement with African countries, examine the significance of its investments in African critical infrastructure, and detail the extent of its influence networks on the continent. The podcast is hosted by Rachel Bernstein, a former assistant director for the Political and Security Affairs team at NBR. Yunnan Chen is a London-based researcher in the Development and Public Finance program at ODI, where her work centers on the changing global development finance architecture and China’s global footprint. Daria Impiombato is a research analyst specialized in Chinese technology and human rights at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Center. Mareike Ohlberg is a Berlin-based Senior Fellow in the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, specializing in China’s global influence networks and tactics. Mandira Bagwandeen is a Senior Research Fellow at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where she focusses on Africa's regional integration and industrialization and China-Africa relations. Roukaya Kasenally is a democracy scholar and Associate Professor at the University of Mauritius. She is the current chair of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), a board member of West African Democracy Radio (WADR), and a member of the International Advisory Board of the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP). Nadège Rolland is Distinguished Fellow, China Studies, at NBR.

With Japan assuming the G-7 presidency and the United States hosting APEC meetings this year, the two countries are well positioned to lead Indo-Pacific engagement on climate change and energy transition efforts that are in line with regional energy security needs. Clare Richardson-Barlow moderates this Asia Insight podcast with Ken Koyama (Institute of Energy Economics, Japan) and Jennifer Sklarew (George Mason University) on the energy security relationship between the United States and Japan. The participants consider how the two countries are tackling their respective energy transition challenges and how bilateral cooperation can help address both energy and economic security concerns. Clare Richardson-Barlow is a lecturer at the University of Leeds and an interdisciplinary social scientist whose research and teaching explores just transitions, energy policy, political economy, and energy governance. Ken Koyama is Chief Economist and Senior Managing Director at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan. Dr. Koyama also is a Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo and an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Innovative Research at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Jennifer Sklarew is an Assistant Professor for the Environmental Science and Policy Department at George Mason University and brings 30 years of energy and environmental policymaking and analysis to her research and teaching.

Offering a strategic overview of the relationship between China and Myanmar across history, Ambassador Kelley Currie highlights grey zones, disaggregated sovereignty, fluid frontiers and deeply rooted mutual suspicions as permanent features of China’s southern strategic space’s hinterland in this podcast moderated by Nadège Rolland. This podcast is part of the project Mapping China's Strategic Space at strategicspace.nbr.org.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR counselor Charles Boustany hosts a discussion on APEC 2023 with Ambassador Robert Holleyman and Shihoko Goto. NBR is grateful to the Hinrich Foundation for their generous support of this podcast. Charles W. Boustany Jr., MD, is a Counselor for the National Bureau of Asian Research. Congressman Boustany retired from the U.S. Congress after serving from 2005 to 2017. During his tenure, he served on the House Ways and Means Committee and chaired the Subcommittee on Oversight, the Subcommittee on Human Resources, and the Subcommittee on Tax Policy. He was also a senior member of the Subcommittee on Trade. Congressman Boustany was an acknowledged leader in the areas of trade policy, international tax policy, energy policy, and foreign policy in the U.S. House of Representatives. He co-chaired the U.S.-China Working Group, the U.S.-Japan Caucus, and the Friends of TPP Caucus. Shihoko Goto is the Director for Geoeconomics and Indo-Pacific Enterprise and Deputy Director for the Asia Program at the Wilson Center. Her research focuses on the economics and politics of Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, as well as U.S. policy in Northeast Asia. A seasoned journalist and analyst, she has reported from Tokyo and Washington for Dow Jones and UPI on the global economy, international trade, and Asian markets. A columnist for the Diplomat magazine and contributing editor to the Globalist, she was previously a donor country relations officer for the World Bank and has been awarded fellowships from the East-West Center and the Knight Foundation, among others. Robert Holleyman is a member of the Board of Advisors at the National Bureau of Asian Research and President and CEO of Crowell & Moring International, where he is part of the firm’s International Trade, Privacy & Cybersecurity, and National Security groups. Ambassador Holleyman served as Deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) from 2014 to 2017. He was responsible for U.S. trade and investment relations in Asia, including the APEC forum, China, and India. He was also responsible for global trade policy in the areas of services, investment, intellectual property, and innovation. He led USTR’s focus on the digital economy and U.S. negotiating priorities around digital trade and also represented USTR on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

With many nations aiming for midcentury net-zero emissions targets, massive amounts of critical minerals will be necessary to build the commodities and infrastructure for supporting a lower-carbon energy network. Each interlocking facet of energy production, trade, and consumption relies on the stability of existing partnerships and processes, many of which have been turned upside down in the wake of regional conflicts. In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR’s Tom Lutken discusses critical mineral competition with Niharika Tagotra and Kristin Vekasi.

In this episode of Asia Insight, NBR’s Doug Strub has conversations with two experts on Japan’s digital transformation (DX). First, Ulrike Schaede discusses digital transformation among Japanese industry. Following that conversation, Daisuke Kawai joins to talk about the Japanese government’s DX strategies and objectives. Daisuke Kawai is a Research Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). His areas of expertise are Japan’s foreign and security policy, Indo-Pacific security, technology policy, and arms control, with an overarching research interest in emerging technologies. He is also the serving secretariat of the Council of Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Japan. Ulrike Schaede is Professor of Japanese Studies and Director of the Japan Forum for Innovation and Technology at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. She is a member of the Board of Advisors at the National Bureau of Asian Research. Dr. Schaede is an expert on Japanese business and management strategies, author of The Business Reinvention of Japan: How to Make Sense of the New Japan and Why It Matters (2020), and co-author of The Digital Transformation and Japan’s Political Economy (2022). Doug Strub is Director of NBR’s Center for Innovation, Trade, and Strategy. He manages NBR’s work on trade, technology, and digital issues. TIMESTAMPS Ulrike Schaede [1:30] How do you define “digital transformation?” [3:50] What are the key technologies driving this transformation, and in which technologies is Japan finding the most success? [6:40] You’ve written a lot about Japan’s “competitive repositioning.” Can you explain this idea and how Japanese industry and manufacturing have been evolving in recent decades? [11:25] What drove these changes? [17:15] How is Japan’s success in digital manufacturing translating to broader digital transformation across society? [19:42] How successful have strategies and initiatives such as Society 5.0 been at enabling a broader societal digital transformation? [23:14] Why is there such a contrast between the successful advancements in digital transformation among industry compared to the slower progress made by the government? [27:00] How is Japan’s aggregate niche strategy and its emergence as a key producer of critical technological inputs impacting the rest of the world? Daisuke Kawai [30:12] How does the Japanese government define digital transformation, and what are its DX goals? [30:58] How successful has Japan been so far in its pursuit of digital transformation? [31:27] What are the main impediments that have prevented Japan’s DX from being carried out more quickly? [32:26] Can you explain what the Hanko is? [33:03] What are the current administration’s main DX goals, and what strategies and policies is it implementing to pursue these? [33:50] What are the Digital Agency’s main responsibilities, and what steps has it taken so far to further Japan’s digital transformation? [34:30] Have people embraced the introduction of the My Number Card system, and how has this impacted society? [35:32] What services does this card provide, and what incentives do people have to sign up for it? [36:24] The government has also launched the Digital Garden City Initiative. Can you talk about what that is and what it’s trying to achieve? [38:57] Related to this, the government has also launched the Digital Garden City Initiative Promotion Grant. Can you explain what this is and the impact it’s having? [40:20] What are the main remaining barriers the government will need to address to more effectively and comprehensively realize its DX goals? [41:18] How effective are the current polices in addressing the challenges you’ve mentioned? [41:58] Are there any particular areas you think these policies could be doing a better job in addressing? [42:57] Do you have any recommendations for how the government could...

In this episode of NBR’s Asia Insight, NBR executive vice president Michael Wills hosts a discussion with senior fellow Nadège Rolland and advisor William McCahill Jr. in the aftermath of China’s 20th National Party Congress.

In this episode of NBR's Asia Insight, NBR executive vice president Michael Wills hosts a discussion with Aaron Friedberg on his new book Getting China Wrong.

In this episode of Asia Insight, moderator Michael Wills is joined by Christopher Hughes and Yuka Koshino for a discussion of the political legacy of former Japanese prime minister Abe Shinzo as Japan prepares for the state funeral, which is set take place on September 27.