Podcasts about road initiative bri

: In this episode of Global Issues Explained, we examine the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Latin America. Our guest, Sebastián Hurtado, a lawyer, political scientist, and MSc in International Relations, provides insights into how the BRI has shaped economic and political landscapes across the region. We discuss China's strategic interests, the opportunities, and challenges for Latin American countries, and the future of this ambitious global infrastructure project. Join us for a compelling conversation on the evolving role of the BRI in Latin America and what it means for the region's development.

In recent years, China's relations with North Africa have evolved significantly, driven by strategic economic interests and geopolitical considerations. As China expands its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), North Africa's strategic location—linking Europe, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa—makes it increasingly important. Looking ahead, China's engagement in the region is expected to deepen, particularly in the digital economy, renewable energy, and space cooperation. However, despite strong mutual interest in strengthening ties, Sino-North African relations should not be overstated, as China's presence and influence in the region remain far below that of the US and the EU.

What role has China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) played in Southeast Asia so far? In this episode, Dr. Ian Chong holds an in-depth dialogue with Dr. Ngeow Chow Bing, another nonresident scholar at Carnegie China; and Muhammad Habib, a researcher at the Department of International Relations, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia. The three scholars discuss how the BRI has affected perceptions of China in Southeast Asia and the China-Southeast Asia relations.Dr. Ian Chong is a nonresident scholar at Carnegie China, where he examines U.S.-China dynamics in Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific. He is also an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.Dr. Ngeow Chow Bing is a nonresident scholar at Carnegie China. He focuses on China's relations with Southeast Asian countries.Muhammad Habib is a researcher at the Department of International Relations, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia. His main research areas include international political economy, Indonesia-U.S. bilateral relations, and Indonesia-China bilateral relations.

The EU's Global Gateway Initiative aims to mobilize €300 billion for global infrastructure by 2027, but how does it compare to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)? Host Yuyun Zhan discusses this with Alicia García-Herrero and Romana Vlahutin. They explore the initiative's origins, progresses and challenges, and how Europe can sharpen its strategy to balance development goals with economic interests. This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics. ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe. Sign up now to receive it in your mailbox!

① President Xi Jinping has emphasized advancing high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), urging efforts to manage all types of risks and effectively address the impact of geopolitical conflicts. What could be BRI cooperation's future trajectory? (00:50)② Why has US President Joe Biden waited until the final days of his presidency to visit Africa? (14:22)③ German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has paid a visit to Ukraine, his first to the country in more than two years. We explore Germany's careful balancing act on the war in Ukraine. (24:47)④ French Prime Minister Michel Barnier is facing a no-confidence vote this week after he pushed through a budget bill without a final parliamentary vote. Why is this crisis not a surprise? (35:23)⑤ Volkswagen workers are staging mass protests across Germany over proposed pay cuts. We explore the problems in Volkswagen and Germany's manufacturing sector that are being reflected by the strike. (42:40)

US politicians and media outlets complain about China's growing global influence, but offer no alternatives to help countries develop. China has the world's largest economy, produces inexpensive manufactured goods everyone wants, invests trillions in infrastructure, and doesn't interfere in internal affairs of foreign nations. Ben Norton compares what Washington and Beijing have done in Latin America, especially Peru and Nicaragua. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRpe7W4vxHY Topics 0:00 US politicians fearmonger about China 1:32 Non-interventionist foreign policy vs US wars 2:21 China: world's largest economy & manufacturer 3:49 China: biggest trading partner of most countries 4:36 Latin America 6:48 Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) 9:19 US alternative: tariffs & privatized infrastructure 11:42 BlackRock plans to buy up infrastructure 12:39 BlackRock CEO Larry Fink at G7 summit 13:49 China builds Peru's Chancay mega-port 15:56 USA threatens Latin America over Chinese-built port 18:09 US-backed coup in Peru 19:47 USA sells Peru old trains from 1980s 21:31 What US offers vs what China offers 23:40 Nicaragua canal plans 25:04 US attacks on Nicaragua's Sandinista Revolution 26:10 Why China is winning influence 29:02 Outro

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/economics

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk.

In this episode, Dr. Shahar Hameiri and Dr. Lee Jones discuss the political economy and financing behind global infrastructure development, with a focus on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion explores the driving forces behind Chinese infrastructure investment, while addressing the crucial question of why American and European initiatives such as Global Gateway and the Program for Global Infrastructure and Investment struggle to compete with the BRI. We discuss dynamics of public and private finance, the role of public-private partnerships, and the challenges private investors face. Importantly, this episode reveals the U.S. Development Finance Corporation's increasing reliance on private capital, and the decline of the construction sector in the U.S. economy. This comprehensive view shows how different financing and development models shape the global infrastructure landscape, how infrastructure development has evolved into its current state, and novel fields of competition, such as undersea Internet cables. Hameiri and Jones are co-authors of Fractured China: How State Transformation is Shaping China's Rise (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Dr. Hameiri is Professor in the School of Political Science and International Relation at The University of Queensland. A political economist with diverse research interests, traversing the fields of security, development and aid, governance, political geography and international relations, he is interested in understanding the evolving nature of statehood and political agency under conditions of globalisation. His books include International Intervention and Local Politics (Cambridge University, 2017), Governing Borderless Threats: Non-Traditional Security and the Politics of State Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and Regulating Statehood (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and he is a co-editor for the fourth edition of The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Poliltics and Uneven Development Under Hyperglobalisation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). X: @ShaharHameiri. Dr. Jones is Professor in International Politics at the Queen Mary University of London. Lee specialises in political economy and international relations, focusing on the politics of intervention, security, and governance, with a particular interest in social conflict and the transformation of states. Much of his work focuses on Southeast Asia and China. Lee regularly advises the British and other governments and civil society organisations and has often appeared in the national and international media. A fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also sits on the board of Palgrave's series Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy, and the ESRC's peer review college. For further information see www.leejones.tk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

Joe's Premium Subscription: www.standardgrain.comGrain Markets and Other Stuff Links-Apple PodcastsSpotifyTikTokYouTubeFutures and options trading involves risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone.0:00 US / Brazil / China2:42 BRICS Grain Exchange?5:19 Ethanol Production is STRONG9:07 Argentina Weather10:26 Flash SalesHere's a summary of the latest developments in international trade, agriculture, and ethanol production!

75% of China's over $1.1 trillion loans to low- and middle-income countries will have entered their repayment period by 2030. How will this debt be dealt with? The goals of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have evolved since its inception in 2013 and so have environmental protection standards and public opinion relating to BRI projects. How has the BRI navigated through existing and impending issues? How does China address scrutiny over the BRI's environmental and social protections, debt repayment setbacks, and other challenges? In an interview recorded on July 8, 2024, Ammar A. Malik, senior research scientist at AidData, joins the National Committee to review the evolution of the Belt and Road Initiative's goals and the future of the BRI.

There has been a significant transformation in Europe-China relations over the past decade, with a shift from economic optimism to cautious de-risking. While Europe has sought partnerships with China, particularly in industrial and technological sectors, there are increasing concerns about economic dependencies that may be leveraged by Beijing for political gain. The Russia-Ukraine war has further complicated the dynamic, as China's support for Russia has created divisions within Europe regarding how to engage with China moving forward.In this episode, Janka Oertel explains the key drivers behind Europe's changing relationship with China and the ongoing debates in European policy circles about how to reduce dependencies on Chinese goods, technology, and investments without completely decoupling. She emphasizes that de-risking is not a simple, one-size-fits-all strategy but rather a complex process that varies across European countries and industries.The episode also discusses how China has sought to deepen relationships with countries in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans, providing investments through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to gain access to EU markets. Oertel notes that while some EU countries have welcomed Chinese investments, others are growing increasingly wary of Beijing's intentions.The conversation touches on how Europe is looking to collaborate with India and the Global South as part of its broader strategy to diversify partnerships and reduce its reliance on China. The discussion highlights the importance of political will on both sides to make the EU-India relationship a cornerstone of future European foreign policy.Episode Contributors:Janka Oertel is the Director of the Asia Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Her research focuses on EU-China relations, US-China relations, Asia-Pacific security, and emerging technologies. She is the author of "End of the China Illusion: How We Must Deal with Beijing's Claim to Power."Shibani Mehta is a senior research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. Her research focuses on the India-China boundary dispute with the purpose of analyzing India's foreign and security policy decision-making. She also writes extensively on South Asian regional dynamics and minilaterals in the Indo-Pacific.Additional Readings:The End of Germany's China illusion With Janka Oertel by Janka OertelEU-China Relations: De-Risking or De-Coupling—the Future of the EU Strategy Towards China: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2024/754446/EXPO_STU(2024)754446_EN.pdfEuropean Commission's 2019 Strategic Outlook on China: https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2019-03/communication-eu-china-a-strategic-outlook.pdf"China's New International Paradigm: Security First" by Helena Legarda: https://merics.org/en/chinas-new-international-paradigm-security-first"This isn't a new weapon, it is a new world"—three things Oppenheimer tells us about tech. https://www.ias.edu/news/video-2024-public-policy-lecture Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

China's car giant BYD's announcement to build a billion-dollar factory in Turkey represents a significant turnaround in bilateral relations. However, concerns persist regarding human rights issues and Turkey's stance on the Chinese Muslim Uyghur community. In a ceremony attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, China's BYD car company signed an agreement to build a billion-dollar factory in Turkey.The factory will produce 150,000 vehicles annually, mainly for the European Union market.Analysts say the July deal marks a turning point in Turkish-Chinese relations."The significance of this deal is Turkey would be considered as a transition country between China and the EU," Sibel Karabel, director of the Asia Pacific department of Istanbul's Gedik University told RFI.  "This deal has the potential to reduce the trade imbalance, the trade deficit, which is a detriment to Turkey," he adds, "Turkey also wants to reap the benefits of China's cutting-edge technologies by collaborating with China."Sidestepping tariffsChina's pivot towards Turkey, a NATO member, is also about Beijing's increasing competition for global influence, especially with the United States.  Karabel says the planned BYD factory offers a way for China to avoid the EU's new tariffs on vehicles.Turkey is already a part of China's global investment strategy through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Beijing has shown interest in Turkey becoming a trade route from China to Europe through Ankara's Middle Corridor Intiative.But until now, such collaborations have until been just empty words, claims Ceren Ergenc a China specialist at the Centre for European Policy Studies.  Turkey set on rebuilding bridges with China to improve trade"When you look at the press statements after meetings, you don't see Chinese investments in Turkey, and the reason for that is because China perceives Turkey as a high political risk country in the region," Ergenc explains.One of the main factors widely cited for Beijing's reluctance to invest in Turkey is Ankara's strong support of China's Muslim Uyghur minority.Ankara has been critical of Beijing's crackdown on Uyghurs, offering refuge to many Uyghur dissidents. Their Turkish supporters fear Beijing's billion-dollar investment in Turkey could be part of an extradition deal struck during Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's recent visit to China."There are rumors, of course, that the Chinese side is pressing for the ratification of this extradition agreement, that they would want Uyghurs in Turkey, some of them at least, to be returned to China to be tried in China," warns Cagdas Ungor of Istanbul's Marmara University, referring to people China considers to be dissidents or "terrorists".Common ground over GazaElsewhere, Ankara and Beijing are finding increasing diplomatic common ground, including criticism of Israel's war on Hamas."If you take, for instance, the Gaza issue right now, Turkey and China, and even without trying," observes Ungor, "they see eye to eye on this issue. Their foreign policies align, overlap, and their policy becomes very much different from most of the other Western countries."Carmakers unhappy after EU hits China with tariffs on electric vehiclesFor example, Ankara welcomed last month's decision by Beijing to host Palestinian leaders amid an escalation of threats and bombardment by Israel.Such a move can provide common ground, Ungor suggests, and this could be the basis for future cooperation."There are certain issues at a global level, at the regional level, that China seems to be a much better partner(to Turkey) than the Western countries," he concludes.

This week on Sinica, I'm joined by Eric Olander, host of the outstanding China in Africa Podcast and the indispensable China-Global South Podcast, and creator of the China-Global South Project. Eric's detailed and very current knowledge of China's relations across the developing world is on display in this whirlwind tour that takes us from the troubled waters of the South China Sea to China's diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, on to Subsaharan Africa and how Washington has struggled to create policies that can match what China offers, and to Latin America. He then zooms out and talks about what it all means in aggregate. Don't miss this show!Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter! Go to sinicapodcast.com to sign up! And if you want to support my work and access premium content, please be sure to become a paying subscriber.2:39 The situation with the Philippines and the Second Thomas Shoal, and the U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty — the potential challenges in activating it on the U.S. side and President Marcos' changing standards for invoking it 15:50 ASEAN's difficulty in reaching consensus, and Myanmar as another ASEAN priority 18:53 China's role as convener in brokering a “unity deal” for Palestine23:02 The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) 30:20 Why Africa is so hard to fit onto the U.S. foreign policy agenda and the lack of a forward-looking American vision for Africa 37:56 Geraud Neema's disappointment with Washington's talk about battery metals and critical minerals42:22 The pushback from Mexico's finance minister and Mexico's concern over the growing number of imports from China46:48 The trade surplus number and long-term concerns for China's exports 49:35 Brazilian President Lula hints at willingness to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) 51:51 How it all fits together, and how China has leveraged the Global South's frustration over the U.S.-European-led international order Recommendations:Eric: Matt Pottinger's The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan, and Anne Stevenson-Yang's Wild Ride: A Short History of the Opening and Closing of the Chinese EconomyKaiser: Will Durant's books from The Story of Civilization, especially The Age of Faith and The Reformation, as well as the audiobook versions read by Stefan Rudnicki See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Air China, one of the country's major airline companies, plans to schedule more international flights during the upcoming summer travel rush to cater to passengers' needs and facilitate China's global civil aviation market.中国国际航空公司是中国主要航空公司之一，预计将为夏季旅游高峰期安排更多国际航班，以满足乘客需求并促进全球民航市场。According to the company, the airline will launch new routes such as Beijing to Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, Chengdu to Milan, and resume the Shanghai to Barcelona route. Additionally, it will increase the frequency of flights on 13 international routes, including Beijing to Copenhagen and Chengdu to Singapore.据国航称，将开通北京至孟加拉国首都达卡、成都至米兰等新航线，并恢复上海至巴塞罗那航线。此外，将新增13条国际航线的航班量，包括北京到哥本哈根及成都到新加坡。By doing so, Air China's international and regional flight network will be restored to over 90 percent of the level in 2019, totaling 114 routes connecting 43 countries and regions across the world.中国航空国际和地区航线网将恢复到2019年水平的90%以上，共计114条航线，连接全球43个国家和地区。In addition, through collaboration with member airlines of the Star Alliance, the airline will expand its route network to nearly 1,200 destinations worldwide.通过与星空联盟组织成员的合作，国航将把航线网络扩展到全球近1200个目的地。To facilitate the Belt and Road Initiative, Air China has opened 61 routes to countries and regions involved in the BRI, connecting 36 cities in 28 countries. The number of these flights accounts for 60 percent of the total international flight volume.为推动“一带一路”倡议，国航开通了61条通往“一带一路”沿线国家和地区的航线，连接28个国家的36个城市，航班数量占国际航班总量的60%。Notably, the company is a significant carrier between China and Europe, holding a market share of over 28 percent. The company operates 32 routes between China and Europe with 53 flights every day.中国航空是连接中国和欧洲的重要航空公司，市场份额超过28%。该公司运行中国和欧洲之间的32条航线，每天有53个航班。The number of flights between China and Europe has surpassed the volume in 2019, representing about 116 percent of the level in 2019.截至目前，连接中国和欧洲的航班数已超过2019年，约为2019年的116%。China's summer travel rush usually begins in early July and ends in late August, in line with students' summer vacation. During that time, travel demand often booms.中国的暑期旅游高由7月初开始，8月下旬结束，与学生群体的暑假时间对应，此期间旅行需求经常激增。Air Chinan. 中国国航Star Alliancen. 星空联盟Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)n.“一带一路”

Saturday Mornings host Glenn van Zutphen and co-host, award-winning author Neil Humphreys speak to Eric Olander, Editor in Chief of The China-Global South Project about his belief that the most dangerous military and political flashpoints in the region is the South China Sea. He also talks about the current thinking about why China will likely not invade Taiwan, and how the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is evolving with a new, greener mandate and execution. chinaglobalsouth.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of China-MENA titled “The View from New Delhi: Can IMEC rival China's Belt and Road?”, our host Jonathan Fulton and guests Ambassador Navdeep Suri and expert Kabir Taneja explore the India, Middle East, Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and its ties to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). We unravel India's significant strategic interests in the Middle East and how these regions perceive India's expanded role in driving economic prosperity and enhancing regional security. Join us for an enlightening conversation that bridges continents and cultures on the China MENA podcast.TakeawaysIndia, Middle East, Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)India's Strategic Interests in the Middle EastRegional Dynamics and Diplomatic EngagementsQuotes“IMEC propels us towards future-proof economies, blending technology and energy integration.” - Navdeep Suri "The geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East offer both a landscape of opportunities and a complex set of challenges for India."- Kabir Taneja Featured in the EpisodeNavdeep SuriFormer Ambassador of India to UAE & Egypt, High Commissioner to AustraliaGuest LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/navdeep-suri-2930452bGuest Website:  Navdeep SuriKabir TanejaFellow Strategic Studies Program, Observer Research FoundationGuest LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/kabirtanejaJonathan FultonNonresident Senior Fellow for Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council. Assistant Professor of Political Science at Zayed University in Abu Dhabihttps://ae.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-fulton-2627414bhttps://twitter.com/jonathandfultonChapters00:00 - Introduction01:39 - Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Considerations03:16 - Challenges and Ongoing Interest07:17 - IMEC's Focus on Technology in Transportation11:28 - Economic Growth in Gulf Linked to India14:11 - Growing Strategic Relationships in UAE, Saudi Arabia17:55 - Exploring Potential Funding Sources19:11 - Positive Momentum in the Region25:12 - India's Role in Global Supply Chains29:51 - Risk Distribution and US-China Contest31:11 - Outro

Our third and final installment of Over The Borderline stays below the U.S. southern border to look at the economic factors that contribute to mass migration from Central and South American countries specifically. We look at the root economic causes of migration, the U.S. failure to meaningfully partner with LAC nations to promote mutually beneficial economic conditions and the expansion of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Latin America and the geopolitical impact that's having on our relationships. Chapters Intro: 00:01:01 Chapter One: 00:02:45 Chapter Two: 00:10:19 Chapter Three: 00:22:16 Chapter Four: 00:31:02 Post Show Musings: 00:38:18 Outro: 00:53:01 Book Love Alan McPherson: A Short History of U.S. Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean Carol Wise: Dragonomics: How Latin America is Maximizing (or Missing Out on) China's International Development Strategy Tad DeLay: Future of Denial: The Ideologies of Climate Change Imperialism, Neoliberalism, And Social Struggles in Latin America Resources El Pais: Mexican Tycoon Carlos Slim Takes Stock of the last six years… Congressional Research Service: Central American Migration U.S. State Department: Dollar Diplomacy World Population Review: Country Rank by GDP World Bank: Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Review (LACER); April, 2024  Council on Foreign Relations: China's Massive Belt and Road Initiative UNFTR Episode Resources  The Washington Consensus -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A common concern voiced by leaders in many developing nations is the deterioration of their road systems and the apparent hesitance of the international community to fund infrastructure improvements. In response, China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. This sweeping project has facilitated investments in sectors such as transportation, infrastructure, telecommunications, logistics, energy, and oil and gas. While some African citizens and policymakers view the BRI as an opportunity to expand their policy space for development, opinions are divided. The presence of Chinese investments in Africa's infrastructure has ignited a multifaceted debate about the benefits of such partnerships versus the risks, including debt dependency, sustainability issues, and project prioritization that might not meet the wider needs of the population.Karuti Kanyinga is a Research Professor of Development Studies at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS), University of Nairobi, who has worked extensively on governance and development. @karutikkKey highlightsIntroduction – 00:24Public perceptions of recent infrastructure projects in Nairobi – 03:18Project modalities and demands for greater transparency – 08:09Negotiating better deals with external actors – 14:36The cost of politics – 22:16Expectations of idealism in politics – 28:37Strategies for combating corruption – 37:42 HostProfessor Dan Banik (@danbanik @GlobalDevPod)Apple Spotify YouTube Subscribe:https://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.comhttps://globaldevpod.substack.com/

U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.  In the time since Kenya and China normalized relations in 1963, China has become Kenya's largest trading partner in addition to large economic involvement, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the establishment of Chinese businesses in Kenya. What does Kenya need to consider when navigating its separate relationships with the United States and China? Professor Elijah Munyi joined the National Committee on August 18, 2023 to help us understand Kenya's diplomatic balance between China and the United States.  About the speaker Read the transcipt Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at communications@ncuscr.org Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

U.S.-China & the World is an interview series investigating how the U.S.-China relationship impacts societies, economies, and policies around the globe. Through short interviews with local experts, this series takes a closer look at the countries and regions affected by and navigating through U.S.-China tensions—and ultimately, how the United States and China together can build a better future for the international community.  Italian domestic politics and role in global developmental projects changed drastically in 2023. What will Italian infrastructure and economy look like after Italy leaves the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)? Professor Matteo Dian joined the National Committee on August 29, 2023 to discuss how the Italian public and government understands itself in relation to the U.S.-China relationship.   About the speaker Read the transcript Follow Matteo Dian on X: @matteo_dian Want to suggest a country or region for us to cover? Email us at communications@ncuscr.org Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).

China's burgeoning relationship with the African continent has been characterized by significant economic investment, trade, and infrastructure development, with China emerging as Africa's largest trading partner and a major player in the continent's evolving economic landscape. In recent years, we have seen an influx of Chinese involvement in African industries ranging from mining and construction to manufacturing and retail. This has been accompanied by an ambitious drive to develop Africa's infrastructure with projects that span roads, railways, ports, airports, and telecommunications networks. But the ties between China and Africa extend far beyond economics. We're witnessing a dynamic cultural exchange, burgeoning diplomatic activities, and even aid and military support. However, these activities have not been without controversy, igniting debates over so-called debt-trap diplomacy and resource exploitation.Joshua Eisenman is an Associate Professor of Politics in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on the political economy of China's development and foreign relations with the United States and the Global South —particularly Africa. Together with David Shinn, Josh has recently co-authored a new book entitled: China's Relations with Africa: A New Era of Strategic Engagement. @Joshua_EisenmanKey highlightsIntroduction – 00:24China and an alternative world order – 03:20The quest for soft power – 10:40Debt burdens and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – 15:10Revamping the BRI – 18:11Why “debt-trap diplomacy” is misleading – 24:10China's growing relational power - 30:14Increasing the voice of the Global South – 39:57New forms of Chinese multilateralism – 45:53 HostProfessor Dan Banik (@danbanik @GlobalDevPod)Apple Google Spotify YouTubeSubscribe: https://globaldevpod.substack.com/

There's a widely-held perception in many parts of the U.S., Europe, and India that debt and geopolitics have led to the demise of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But a landmark new study from AidData proves otherwise, revealing not only that the BRI is still very much alive but it's also undergone major reforms to make it even more competitive.AidData pored through 21,000 Chinese-backed projects over the past twenty years in 165 countries valued at more than $1.3 trillion.Ammar Malik, a senior research scientist at AidData, joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the new report and how China is moving to de-risk the BRI as part of a larger effort to outflank its competitors.SHOW NOTES:Download the full AidData report: Belt and Road Reboot: Beijing's Bid to De-Risk Its Global Infrastructure Initiative -- https://bit.ly/47i0tUmJOIN THE DISCUSSION:X: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander | @malikammarFacebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProjectYouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouthFOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC:Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChineعربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfrJOIN US ON PATREON!Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug!www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouthSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, titled "10 Years On: China's Belt & Road Initiative and its Future in the Middle East," our host Jonathan Fulton delves into the current state of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its implications for the Middle East. Jonathan will analyze the recently held Belt and Road Forum, the involvement of various countries in the initiative, and the challenges and opportunities it presents. Get ready to explore the complexities of China's global infrastructure plan and its impact on the Middle East, as we discuss the geopolitical dynamics, competing interests, and potential alternatives to the BRI.TakeawaysImpact of the Belt & Road InitiativeChina's Strategic Goals and Future PlansCompetition for Leadership in the Global SouthAlternatives and Response to the BRIThe EU's Global Gateway InitiativeChina's Renewed Commitment to the BRIBroader Foreign Policy Strategy of ChinaChina's Economic Relationship with the Middle EastQuotes"The Belt and Road Initiative exemplifies China's ambition to reshape global dynamics, providing growth alternatives to emerging nations against the prevailing US-led order." - Yun Sun"Developing countries will continue to engage with China, but they need to negotiate for better terms and develop resilience against negative effects." - David O. ShullmanFeatured in the EpisodeJonathan FultonNonresident Senior Fellow for Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council. Assistant Professor of Political Science at Zayed University in Abu Dhabihttps://ae.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-fulton-2627414bhttps://twitter.com/jonathandfultonDavid O. ShullmanSenior Director of the Global China Hub at the Atlantic Councilhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/david-0-shullman-56a85a24/Yun SunSenior Fellow and Co-Director, East Asia Program, Director of the China Program, Stimson Centerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/yun-sun-62871729/Chapters00:00 - Introduction02:29 Shaping Foreign Policy: China's BRI and the Global Order07:04 Reviving Commitments: China's Renewed Focus on the BRI11:07 Summit Dynamics: Sparse Western Presence at the Belton Road Summit12:37 Emerging Axis: China's Intensified Focus on the Developing World15:48 Geopolitical Chess: China's Quest for Influence in the Global South19:06 Global Rivalry: China's Strategy for Garnering Developing World Support24:40 Power Balance: India's Role in the Global Competition26:08 Mission Engagement: Challenging China's Diplomacy in Africa, Latin America, and Asia29:56 Resilience and Revolution: Offering Digital Alternatives to the BRI34:19 Economic Endurance: BRI's Stability Amid China's Economic Slowdown36:57 Strategic Partnerships: Gulf Countries' Economic Diversification with China39:56 Outro

The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013. By now, the BRI is more than just ports and rail lines and its projects covers a variety of sectors like energy, telecommunications, digital, health, education, and culture. How has the BRI changed in the last decade? What mark has it left abroad and at home? And how do initiatives from the EU and the US fare in comparison? Clark Banach, Futures Fellow at MERICS and Program Director at the Alethia Research Institution, and Jacob Gunter, Lead Analyst at MERICS, join Johannes Heller-John to answer these questions.

HOUR 1Tom & Tom talk about darkness and snow ramping up in Alaska as winter approachesSecretary of State Blinken overviews President Biden's Wed trip to Israel to support the nation and then to Jordan to meet with Arab leaders.  / (APNews) https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-781b3c63af4ae6e51c313a68f314e66dMajor donors at UPenn and Harvard made it clear that they're angered by students on large prestigious campuses voicing support for Hamas and may pause financial support / (NYTimes) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/15/business/harvard-upenn-hamas-israel-students-donors.html?"Piers Morgan Uncensored is joined by Israel Ambassador for the UK Tzipi Hotovely to discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel, Hamas, and Palestine" / (PMU) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8x3EXfdD0Y"Ukraine's forces struck two air bases in Russian-held territory on Tuesday with American-supplied long-range missiles that were one of the last major weapons systems that Kyiv had sought from the United States." / (NYT) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/world/europe/ukraine-atacms-attacks-russia.html?FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyers made an unusual request as his fraud trial entered its third week: more Adderall for their client. (MB) https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/2023/10/16/sbf-is-among-americans-not-getting-their-adhd-meds?According to the most recent data from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the number of US students graduating with either a bachelor's or master's degree in accounting dropped 7.4% during the 2021–22 academic year from the year before, the largest one-year decline since at least 1994–95." / (MB) https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/2023/10/16/fewer-students-want-to-be-accountants?The U.S. government has agreed to compensate thousands of migrant families who were forced apart at the southern border in 2017 and 2018 as part of the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy. / (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2023/10/16/1206135260/u-s-government-agrees-to-settlement-with-migrant-families-separated-at-the-bordeHOUR 2Tom remembers Emma and Terry Mason who died in a home fire over the weekend in WasillaTom & Tom talk about global issues and the wars and struggles Micky from Mat-Su on globalism and faith "Representatives from dozens of countries are gathering in Beijing this week to mark the 10th anniversary of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a signature foreign policy initiative for China's leader, Xi Jinping." / (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2023/10/17/1206059710/china-belt-road-initiative-development-10-yearsAlaska Permanent Fund leaders are asking state lawmakers to consider making changes to the fund's structure so future generations will have access to its dividends / (ANS) https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/10/17/permanent-fund-managers-exploring-options-changing-funds-structure/

The Belt-and-Road Initiative (BRI) has reached the ripe old age of 10 this month. Those 10 years have seen a lot of change, including on topics like the relative focus on clean energy versus fossil fuels and the interest in and incentives for applying ESG criteria to BRI investments. Today we are joined by frequent guest and longtime friend of the pod, Professor Christoph Nedopil-Wang. This year he became the Director Griffith Asia Institute and is also Professor at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. Previously, he was Associate Professor and Director of the Green Finance & Development Center, Fudan University. He previous worked in Beijing at the International Institute of Green Finance (IIGF), as well as at GIZ. Cheat sheet: Q: Was the 1H 2023 really the greenest ever, as Reuters summarized? (A: Reuters focused on energy sector, where change most evident, though oil & gas investments are big and lumpy, so can't just look at 1H. "Small and beautiful" green investments becoming more common.) Q: Is energy becoming greener just because fossils falling, but renewables not picking up as much? (A: Both declining coal share and growing renewables, but renewables need much stronger growth.) Q: Why is state-owned sector declining and private sector going up? Is that due to SOEs focusing on domestic investment to respond to downturn? (A: Perhaps, but also because private firms now much stronger, and battery-related giants investing in big projects.) Q: What about mining for battery materials, is there more investment in value-creating parts of that supply chain in Africa, or is it all being processed elsewhere? (A: Yes, but need to be cautious on environmental impact of local processing and whether local firms or communities actually capture value.) Q: What is the situation with Chinese basic ESG principles (disclosure, community involvement) being applied on the BRI, as opposed to just meeting minimum local standards? (A: Not so good, for the power sector case studies they looked at.) For further reading: Christoph Nedopil Wang, ‘China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Investment Report 2023 H1,' Green Finance & Development Center, Fudan University, 1 August 2023, at https://greenfdc.org/china-belt-and-road-initiative-bri-investment-report-2023-h1/ Cecilia Springer et al., ‘Elevating ESG: Empirical lessons on environmental and social governance implementation of Chinese projects in Africa,' Boston University, 30 August 2023, at https://www.bu.edu/gdp/2023/08/30/elevating-esg-empirical-lessons-on-environmental-social-and-governance-implementation-of-chinese-projects-in-africa/ Andrew Hayley, 'China's Belt and Road energy projects set for "greenest" year, research shows,' Reuters, 2 August 2023, at https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chinas-belt-road-energy-projects-set-greenest-year-research-2023-08-02/ 

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) turned 10 this year, and BRICS, the global economic organization made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has recently expanded. How will these two global endeavors impact the United States and global economic order? In an interview recorded on September 26, 2023, Ammar A. Malik, senior research scientist at AidData, joins the National Committee to discuss BRI and China involvement with BRICS+. REGISTER FOR CHINA TOWN HALL: https://www.tfaforms.com/5079195 Watch live: https://www.ncuscr.org/livestream/ About the speaker: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/brics/ Read the transcript here: https://www.ncuscr.org/podcast/brics/ Follow Ammar Malik on Twitter: @MalikAmmar Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr).  

Listen to the Sat. Sept. 30, 2023 edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features our regular PANW report with dispatches on the attempt to divert another government shutdown in Washington, D.C.; the Republic of Congo-Brazzaville is participating in a forum on the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); Ethiopia is working to reach the full capacity of its Grand Renaissance Project (GERD); and we look at the August coup in Gabon and its implications for the Central Africa region. In the second and third hours we continue our review of the United Nations General Assembly 78th session. In this episode we will listen to the addresses from leaders from Zimbabwe, Iran, State of Palestine, China, Ethiopia and Cuba.

Xi Jinping announced a massive building project along the ‘New Silk Road' to very little fanfare in Kazakhstan 10 years ago this month. Infrastructure including railways, roads and ports have been built in 165 countries to date, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Billions of dollars has been lent to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Some are now struggling to afford the payments and China is reducing the amount being loaned. We look at what this means for Beijing's finances and for countries with huge projects underway, but with no means of meeting the repayments. Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Hannah Bewley Additional reporting: Michael Kaloki (Picture: Xi Jinping waits for a photo call at the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, China in May 2023: Credit: Florence Lo/Reuters)

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:• Central European University: CEU• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio Follow us on social media!• Central European University: @CEU• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @AHDCentre Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks!  GlossaryBelt and Road Initiative (BRI)(04:10 or p.1 in the transcript)China's Belt and Road Initiative is a strategy initiated by the People's Republic of China that seeks to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks with the aim of improving regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth. The name was coined in 2013 by China's President Xi Jinping, who drew inspiration from the concept of the Silk Road established during the Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago – an ancient network of trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean via Eurasia for centuries. The BRI has also been referred to in the past as 'One Belt One Road'. The BRI comprises a Silk Road Economic Belt – a trans-continental passage that links China with southeast Asia, south Asia, Central Asia, Russia and Europe by land – and a 21st century Maritime Silk Road, a sea route connecting China's coastal regions with south east and south Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East and Eastern Africa, all the way to Europe. The initiative defines five major priorities: policy coordination; infrastructure connectivity; unimpeded trade; financial integration; and connecting people. The BRI has been associated with a very large programme of investments in infrastructure development for ports, roads, railways and airports, as well as power plants and telecommunications networks. Since 2019, Chinese state-led BRI lending volumes have been in decline. The BRI now places increasing emphasis on “high quality investment”, including through greater use of project finance, risk mitigation tools, and green finance. The BRI is an increasingly important umbrella mechanism for China's bilateral trade with BRI partners: as of March 2020, the number of countries that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China is 138. source BRICS(04:41 or p.2 in the transcript)"BRICS" is the acronym denoting the emerging national economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The term was originally coined in 2001 as "BRIC" by the Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in his report, Building Better Global Economic BRICs (Global Economics Paper No: 66). At that time, the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China experienced significant growth, raising concerns regarding their impact on the global economy. Foreign ministers of these countries began meeting informally in 2006, which led to more formal annual summits beginning in 2009. Generally speaking, these meetings are held to improve economic conditions within BRICS countries and give their leaders the opportunity to work in collaboration regarding these efforts. In December of 2010, South Africa joined the informal group and changed the acronym to BRICS. Together these emerging markets represent 42% of the world population and account for over 31% of the world's GDP according to the World Factbook. According to the 2023 summit chair South Africa, over 40 nations were interested in joining the economic forum for the benefits membership would provide including development finance and increase in trade and investment. At the conclusion of the summit, it was announced that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will become new members of BRICS starting in 2024. source Global Gateway (25:52 or p.7 in the transcript)Global Gateway is a new European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. The European Commission and the EU High Representative launched it in 2021. Global Gateway aims to mobilise up to €300 billion in investments through a Team Europe approach, bringing together the EU, its Member States and their financial and development institutions. It seeks a transformational impact in the digital, climate and energy, transport, health, and education and research sectors. The focus is on smart investments in quality infrastructure, respecting the highest social and environmental standards, in line with the EU's interests and values: rule of law, human rights and international norms and standards. 6 core principles are at the heart of Global Gateway, guiding the investments: democratic values and high standards; good governance and transparency; equal partnerships; green and clean; security focused; catalysing the private sector. Global Gateway is the EU's contribution to narrowing the global investment gap worldwide. It is in line with the commitment of the G7 leaders from June 2021 to launch a values-driven, high-standard and transparent infrastructure partnership to meet global infrastructure development needs. Global Gateway is also fully aligned with the UN's Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Paris Agreement on climate change. source  

Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer*China is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The global infrastructure project is a keystone of Xi Jinping's foreign policy and he has lauded the huge economic benefits the scheme has brought to the world. But enthusiasm for the BRI is fading at home.David Rennie, The Economist's Beijing bureau chief, and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, host the second episode of a two-part look at China's BRI and how it's changing. They speak to Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University. Runtime: 31 min*If you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you'll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten years ago Xi Jinping announced the “project of the century”, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the last decade, more than 150 countries have signed up to Mr Xi's global infrastructure project. In this first episode of a two-part look at the BRI, Alice Su, The Economist's senior China correspondent, travels to Laos to assess the impact of the project. She rides a train from Luang Prabang to the Chinese border, on a railway built by China. She and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, ask who gains more from the Belt and Road Initiative: a host country like Laos; or Beijing? Runtime: 43 minSign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.If you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you'll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to the Sun. Sept. 17, 2023 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. This episode features our regular PANW report with dispatches on the humanitarian disaster in Derna, Libya where the continuing impact of the floods are causing enormous challenges; the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has pledged to allocate a loan to the Kingdom of Morocco that is reeling from a recent earthquake which has killed thousands; Ethiopia has praised the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); and United States hegemony is being fought by progressive forces around the world. In the second hour we look at the full membership of the African Union (AU) in the Group of 20 (G20). Later, we explore the issues which will be addressed at the upcoming 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Finally, we review the visit of Democratic People's Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong Un to the Russian Federation. 

In response to Bolivia's recent agreement with Russian state nuclear firm Rosatom and China's Citic Guoan Group to develop its largely untapped resources of lithium – a resource of increasing importance due to its use in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles – US Senator Marco Rubio tweeted: “Whether it's through China's BRI, debt-trap policy, or other false promises, nations in our region must remain vigilant of the threat of doing business with Beijing.”   Despite a range of policy makers and researcher debunking Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) activities as ‘debt-trapping' – even by World Bank researches who descibed BRI as ‘largely beneficial' – Western and allied groups have continually stocked fears and misunderstandings of what the BRI is and the role it is playing in human development.  Yet, in the face of this, China continues to prioritize engagement with developing nations. So what's the BRI and what are some of its implications for Africa? Amadeus and Mika discuss. *** The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast is a bi-monthly podcast giving you a fresh look at the news, events, and debates around China-Africa relations from the perspective of two young(ish) Africans. You can listen to all episodes of The Crane for free anywhere you get podcasts. Brought to you by the Dongsheng Collective. Follow us @DongshengNews on Twitter, Instagram, Telegram & TikTok. Or visit www.dongshengnews.org. The bumper music uses the song "Live It" by Ketsa, under a single track perpetual license that gives the licensee the perpetual right to use the track in commercial projects worldwide.  #TheCranePodcast #ChinaAfrica #Dongsheng

China's economic ties with the Gulf States have undergone significant changes in recent years. Although historically there was little interaction between China and the Middle East, the past decade has seen a transformative shift with far-reaching implications for trade, business and politics.  According to the IMF, trade between China and the Gulf countries has doubled from approximately $90 billion to $180 billion between 2010 and 2021. Additionally, the Gulf region has become a significant recipient of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) funding. In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Giuseppe Porcaro sits down with Karen E. Young and Alicia García-Herrero to discuss the growing economic relations between China and the Gulf States. They mention the changing dynamics of trade, investment, currency as well as potential political alliance shifts in the region. They also discuss the changing dynamics of foreign policy with a stronger focus on energy security, leaving an opportunity of leverage for the Gulf States.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, April 28th, 2023. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/04/27/argentina-shuns-u-s-dollar-will-pay-for-china-imports-in-yuan/ Argentina Shuns U.S. Dollar: Will Pay for China Imports in Yuan Argentina struck a deal with Beijing on Wednesday to stop using U.S. dollars to pay for Chinese imports and embrace the yuan instead. The measure, driven by Argentina’s leftist President Alberto Fernández, is designed to relieve the South American country’s dwindling dollar reserves, AP reports. The deal further enhances China’s rise on the world stage and the diminished role of the U.S. on a host of fronts under President Joe Biden. After reaching the agreement with various companies, Argentina will use the yuan for imports from China worth about U.S.$1.04 billion from next month, accelerating trade with China as Beijing seeks to gain a further foothold in South America. In November last year Argentina expanded a currency swap with China by $5 billion in an effort to increase its yuan reserves. That agreement allowed Argentina “to work on the possibility” of advancing the rate of imports with yuan-denominated import orders being authorized in 90 days rather than the standard 180 days. The decision comes as Argentina battles critical levels in its dollar reserves amid a sharp drop in agricultural exports caused by a historic drought, as well as political uncertainty ahead of elections this year. It has also been working hard to build a relationship with Beijing after having officially joined China’s infrastructure-building Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last year. Argentina’s government finalized a deal with Beijing soon after to construct a nuclear plant based on Chinese technology near Buenos Aires, Argentina’s national capital, in the near future. The Chinese Communist Party will reportedly provide $8 billion in financing toward the project’s $12 billion total budget. As Breitbart News reported, Argentina currently owes the International Monetary Fund (IMF) $44 billion. The international organization is in talks with Argentine authorities to finalize a fourth review of its program that includes a flexibilization of the proposed foreign exchange reserve accumulation as Argentina, whose foreign reserves are now at a $5 billion deficit, cannot comply with the current goals. https://www.foxnews.com/world/singapore-executes-man-conspired-traffic-2-pounds-cannabis Singapore executes man who allegedly conspired to traffic 2 pounds of cannabis Singapore on Wednesday executed a man accused of coordinating a cannabis delivery, despite pleas for clemency from his family and protests from activists that he was convicted on weak evidence. Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in 2018 for abetting the trafficking of 2.2 pounds of cannabis. Under Singapore laws, trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis may result in the death penalty. Tangaraju was hanged Wednesday morning and his family was given the death certificate, according to a tweet from activist Kirsten Han of the Transformative Justice Collective, which advocates for abolishing the death penalty in Singapore. Although Tangaraju was not caught with the cannabis, prosecutors said phone numbers traced him as the person responsible for coordinating the delivery of the drugs. Tangaraju had maintained that he was not the one communicating with the others connected to the case. At a United Nations Human Rights briefing Tuesday, a spokesperson called on the Singapore government to adopt a "formal moratorium" on executions for drug-related offenses. "Imposing the death penalty for drug offences is incompatible with international norms and standards," said the spokesperson, who added that increasing evidence shows the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent. Singapore authorities say there is a deterrent effect, citing studies that traffickers carry amounts below the threshold that would bring a death penalty. The island-state's imposition of the death penalty for drugs is in contrast with its neighbors. In Thailand, cannabis has essentially been legalized, and Malaysia has ended the mandatory death penalty for serious crimes. Singapore executed 11 people last year for drug offenses. One case that spurred international concern involved a Malaysian man whose lawyers said he was mentally disabled. https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/26/red-state-bill-religious-institutions-state-funding/ Red State Passes Bill Allowing Religious Institutions Access To State Funding The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday protecting religious institutions from being denied access to state funding. The Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act was introduced by Republican state Sen. Shane Jett and Republican state Sen. Julie Daniels to further reinforce the First Amendment by preventing the state from denying faith-based groups access to taxpayer dollars, according to the bill. The legislature passed the act Tuesday by a 64 to 27 vote, officially sending the act to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk to be signed into law. The bill makes way for religious institutions to access state funding by barring the state from denying applications for funding “based solely on the religious character or affiliation of the person or entity.” The act adds to religious protections the state passed in 2021 preventing the government from declaring church activities non-essential, as was often the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some Democrats argued that the bill was an unnecessary addition to the First Amendment, according to KFOR.com, a local media outlet. One Democratic state representative warned that the bill could lead to government funding of religious activities at religious schools. Republican state Rep. John Echols, who co-authored the bill, disagreed with his colleague’s assessment, according to KFOR.com. Oklahoma has been at the center of this discussion for some time. Earlier this month, Gov. Stitt and state Attorney General Gentner Drummond clashed over a Catholic charter school application that would have created the first state-funded religious charter school in the nation. The application was temporarily denied by the state’s virtual charter board but will be voted on again in the coming weeks. Stitt told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he was disappointed by the the attorney general’s response to the charter and continued to hope that Oklahoma would host the nation’s first state-funded religious charter school, providing more options for parents. Stitt, Jett, Daniels and Echols did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-ex-producer-suing-tucker-carlson-has-never-even-met-him?utm_campaign=64487 Ex-producer suing Tucker Carlson has never even met him Tucker Carlson Tonight producer Abby Grossberg is suing Carlson and the Fox Network over sexual behavior in the workplace, despite never having met Carlson in person. The Spectator reports that lawyers for Grossberg have confirmed that she never actually met Carlson. "Like many on the [Tucker Carlson Tonight] staff, Abby never met Tucker Carlson in person because he taped the show from his personal studios in Maine and Florida, and he did not visit Fox's NY HQ during her time there," said one of Grossberg's attorneys Kimberly A. Catala. Grossberg was the head of booking from July 2022 until she was recently placed on leave in March. She "alleges that Carlson encouraged a hostile and sexist workplace environment among his employees. Grossberg says she was subjected to bullying, antisemitic comments and sexism by staff while working out of Fox’s Manhattan office," Spectator reports. Despite never having met Carlson, Grossberg told rival network MSNBC that "Tucker and his executive producer Justin Wells, who was also fired, really were responsible for breaking me and making my life a living hell." "Since Tucker did not come to the Fox office, he relied on Justin Wells, his executive producer, and others like Alexander McCaskill, senior producer, who were present in the office every day to be his eyes, ears and mouthpiece, and to convey his ‘tone,’ as they threateningly reminded Ms. Grossberg," Catala said. The allegation per Grossberg's attorneys is that Carlson directed the "sexist" environment from afar. Apparently, the attorneys posited that Carlson had staff work as his "eyes" and "ears" in the New York office while he worked away in Maine. Carlson and Fox parted ways on Monday morning, though promos for the evening's show were already airing as the press release from Fox went out. It is unclear as to why Fox dismissed the insanely popular news anchor, though speculation abounds, including that Fox owner Rupert Murdoch took issue with Carlson's Christian beliefs. Carlson has been seen in Florida enjoying time with his wife, and laughing about finally being able to dine together on weeknights. His show has been on the air for 7 years, and in that time he amassed a loyal following. In the hours following his departure from the network, "RIP Fox News" was trending on Twitter as many viewers found they had no reason to tune in once Carlson was no longer on the air. The end of the Tucker Carlson Tonight era was celebrated by AOC, who had called for federal regulation of Fox and Carlson, which routinely took aim at her and her shenanigans. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/26/us/colorado-rock-throwing-arrests.html 3 Teens Charged With Murder in Rock-Throwing Spree That Killed Colorado Driver Three teenagers have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a rock-throwing spree on Colorado roads last week that led to the death of one driver, the authorities said. The three suspects, all 18 and identified as Joseph Koenig, Nicholas Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, were arrested on Tuesday evening at their homes in Arvada, Colo., for taking part in a series of rock-throwing episodes on April 19 that fatally wounded Alexa Bartell, 20, who was killed when one of the rocks smashed through her windshield and struck her, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday. In addition to murder, the three men are charged with extreme indifference; other charges to be determined by the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office are expected. It was not immediately clear if the three, who are seniors from different high schools, had lawyers on Wednesday. The rock-throwing spree began shortly after 10 p.m. on April 19 in Westminster, Colo., which is a city of about 114,000 residents north of Denver, the authorities said. During that hour, the authorities said, the three drove a pickup truck around the county and threw large landscaping rocks at six vehicles, including a minivan and an S.U.V., hitting their windshields and driver’s side windows. Those drivers had minor or no injuries. Around 10:45 p.m., Ms. Bartell was driving north on Indiana Street when her Chevrolet Spark, a subcompact, became the last vehicle struck during the spree, the authorities said. Moments before she was killed, Ms. Bartell was on her phone talking to a friend “when the phone went silent,” according to the sheriff’s office. Her friend tracked her phone and drove to the location on Indiana Street where she found Ms. Bartell “fatally wounded inside her car, which was off the roadway in a field.” It was unclear which of the men were driving but “all three are suspected of throwing rocks,” the sheriff’s office said. They were believed to be in a black 2016 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. “Ultimately, mobile device forensics and supporting information from the public helped lead to the identification and arrest of the suspects,” according to the sheriff’s office, which did not release additional details. The men, who were booked into the jail at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. Before we end today… how about some good news?! https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/mom-wins-lottery-with-ticket-she-bought-celebrating-daughters-victory-over-cancer/ Mom Wins Lottery with Ticket She Bought Celebrating Daughter’s Victory Over Cancer After shelling out her life savings to pay for her daughter’s breast cancer treatment, a Florida grandmother got a nod from the universe. Buying the last available scratch-off from her preferred lottery game at the store, she landed a $2 million jackpot. Geraldine Gimblet of Lakeland was celebrating the moment that her daughter, Lawrencia Jackson, rang a bell at the local hospital signifying she had finished her breast cancer treatment. A long-time lottery player, Gimblet, 74, spent $10 on the last scratch-off card at the store, and it happened to be a winner. “I just didn’t know,” Gimblet told Good Morning America regarding her reaction,, ‘Are you sure, would you check this on your phone?’ And, I won!” Daughter Jackson, who accompanied Gimblet to the Tallahassee lottery offices to accept a lump sum of $1.6 million, described it as a “blessing.” Gimblet didn’t hesitate to finance the cancer treatment, saying she just “did what I had to do,” with Jackson adding that she would “just have to keep loving her,” as a means to try and repay the kindness. +-

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, April 28th, 2023. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/04/27/argentina-shuns-u-s-dollar-will-pay-for-china-imports-in-yuan/ Argentina Shuns U.S. Dollar: Will Pay for China Imports in Yuan Argentina struck a deal with Beijing on Wednesday to stop using U.S. dollars to pay for Chinese imports and embrace the yuan instead. The measure, driven by Argentina’s leftist President Alberto Fernández, is designed to relieve the South American country’s dwindling dollar reserves, AP reports. The deal further enhances China’s rise on the world stage and the diminished role of the U.S. on a host of fronts under President Joe Biden. After reaching the agreement with various companies, Argentina will use the yuan for imports from China worth about U.S.$1.04 billion from next month, accelerating trade with China as Beijing seeks to gain a further foothold in South America. In November last year Argentina expanded a currency swap with China by $5 billion in an effort to increase its yuan reserves. That agreement allowed Argentina “to work on the possibility” of advancing the rate of imports with yuan-denominated import orders being authorized in 90 days rather than the standard 180 days. The decision comes as Argentina battles critical levels in its dollar reserves amid a sharp drop in agricultural exports caused by a historic drought, as well as political uncertainty ahead of elections this year. It has also been working hard to build a relationship with Beijing after having officially joined China’s infrastructure-building Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last year. Argentina’s government finalized a deal with Beijing soon after to construct a nuclear plant based on Chinese technology near Buenos Aires, Argentina’s national capital, in the near future. The Chinese Communist Party will reportedly provide $8 billion in financing toward the project’s $12 billion total budget. As Breitbart News reported, Argentina currently owes the International Monetary Fund (IMF) $44 billion. The international organization is in talks with Argentine authorities to finalize a fourth review of its program that includes a flexibilization of the proposed foreign exchange reserve accumulation as Argentina, whose foreign reserves are now at a $5 billion deficit, cannot comply with the current goals. https://www.foxnews.com/world/singapore-executes-man-conspired-traffic-2-pounds-cannabis Singapore executes man who allegedly conspired to traffic 2 pounds of cannabis Singapore on Wednesday executed a man accused of coordinating a cannabis delivery, despite pleas for clemency from his family and protests from activists that he was convicted on weak evidence. Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in 2018 for abetting the trafficking of 2.2 pounds of cannabis. Under Singapore laws, trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis may result in the death penalty. Tangaraju was hanged Wednesday morning and his family was given the death certificate, according to a tweet from activist Kirsten Han of the Transformative Justice Collective, which advocates for abolishing the death penalty in Singapore. Although Tangaraju was not caught with the cannabis, prosecutors said phone numbers traced him as the person responsible for coordinating the delivery of the drugs. Tangaraju had maintained that he was not the one communicating with the others connected to the case. At a United Nations Human Rights briefing Tuesday, a spokesperson called on the Singapore government to adopt a "formal moratorium" on executions for drug-related offenses. "Imposing the death penalty for drug offences is incompatible with international norms and standards," said the spokesperson, who added that increasing evidence shows the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent. Singapore authorities say there is a deterrent effect, citing studies that traffickers carry amounts below the threshold that would bring a death penalty. The island-state's imposition of the death penalty for drugs is in contrast with its neighbors. In Thailand, cannabis has essentially been legalized, and Malaysia has ended the mandatory death penalty for serious crimes. Singapore executed 11 people last year for drug offenses. One case that spurred international concern involved a Malaysian man whose lawyers said he was mentally disabled. https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/26/red-state-bill-religious-institutions-state-funding/ Red State Passes Bill Allowing Religious Institutions Access To State Funding The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday protecting religious institutions from being denied access to state funding. The Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act was introduced by Republican state Sen. Shane Jett and Republican state Sen. Julie Daniels to further reinforce the First Amendment by preventing the state from denying faith-based groups access to taxpayer dollars, according to the bill. The legislature passed the act Tuesday by a 64 to 27 vote, officially sending the act to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk to be signed into law. The bill makes way for religious institutions to access state funding by barring the state from denying applications for funding “based solely on the religious character or affiliation of the person or entity.” The act adds to religious protections the state passed in 2021 preventing the government from declaring church activities non-essential, as was often the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some Democrats argued that the bill was an unnecessary addition to the First Amendment, according to KFOR.com, a local media outlet. One Democratic state representative warned that the bill could lead to government funding of religious activities at religious schools. Republican state Rep. John Echols, who co-authored the bill, disagreed with his colleague’s assessment, according to KFOR.com. Oklahoma has been at the center of this discussion for some time. Earlier this month, Gov. Stitt and state Attorney General Gentner Drummond clashed over a Catholic charter school application that would have created the first state-funded religious charter school in the nation. The application was temporarily denied by the state’s virtual charter board but will be voted on again in the coming weeks. Stitt told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he was disappointed by the the attorney general’s response to the charter and continued to hope that Oklahoma would host the nation’s first state-funded religious charter school, providing more options for parents. Stitt, Jett, Daniels and Echols did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-ex-producer-suing-tucker-carlson-has-never-even-met-him?utm_campaign=64487 Ex-producer suing Tucker Carlson has never even met him Tucker Carlson Tonight producer Abby Grossberg is suing Carlson and the Fox Network over sexual behavior in the workplace, despite never having met Carlson in person. The Spectator reports that lawyers for Grossberg have confirmed that she never actually met Carlson. "Like many on the [Tucker Carlson Tonight] staff, Abby never met Tucker Carlson in person because he taped the show from his personal studios in Maine and Florida, and he did not visit Fox's NY HQ during her time there," said one of Grossberg's attorneys Kimberly A. Catala. Grossberg was the head of booking from July 2022 until she was recently placed on leave in March. She "alleges that Carlson encouraged a hostile and sexist workplace environment among his employees. Grossberg says she was subjected to bullying, antisemitic comments and sexism by staff while working out of Fox’s Manhattan office," Spectator reports. Despite never having met Carlson, Grossberg told rival network MSNBC that "Tucker and his executive producer Justin Wells, who was also fired, really were responsible for breaking me and making my life a living hell." "Since Tucker did not come to the Fox office, he relied on Justin Wells, his executive producer, and others like Alexander McCaskill, senior producer, who were present in the office every day to be his eyes, ears and mouthpiece, and to convey his ‘tone,’ as they threateningly reminded Ms. Grossberg," Catala said. The allegation per Grossberg's attorneys is that Carlson directed the "sexist" environment from afar. Apparently, the attorneys posited that Carlson had staff work as his "eyes" and "ears" in the New York office while he worked away in Maine. Carlson and Fox parted ways on Monday morning, though promos for the evening's show were already airing as the press release from Fox went out. It is unclear as to why Fox dismissed the insanely popular news anchor, though speculation abounds, including that Fox owner Rupert Murdoch took issue with Carlson's Christian beliefs. Carlson has been seen in Florida enjoying time with his wife, and laughing about finally being able to dine together on weeknights. His show has been on the air for 7 years, and in that time he amassed a loyal following. In the hours following his departure from the network, "RIP Fox News" was trending on Twitter as many viewers found they had no reason to tune in once Carlson was no longer on the air. The end of the Tucker Carlson Tonight era was celebrated by AOC, who had called for federal regulation of Fox and Carlson, which routinely took aim at her and her shenanigans. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/26/us/colorado-rock-throwing-arrests.html 3 Teens Charged With Murder in Rock-Throwing Spree That Killed Colorado Driver Three teenagers have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a rock-throwing spree on Colorado roads last week that led to the death of one driver, the authorities said. The three suspects, all 18 and identified as Joseph Koenig, Nicholas Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, were arrested on Tuesday evening at their homes in Arvada, Colo., for taking part in a series of rock-throwing episodes on April 19 that fatally wounded Alexa Bartell, 20, who was killed when one of the rocks smashed through her windshield and struck her, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday. In addition to murder, the three men are charged with extreme indifference; other charges to be determined by the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office are expected. It was not immediately clear if the three, who are seniors from different high schools, had lawyers on Wednesday. The rock-throwing spree began shortly after 10 p.m. on April 19 in Westminster, Colo., which is a city of about 114,000 residents north of Denver, the authorities said. During that hour, the authorities said, the three drove a pickup truck around the county and threw large landscaping rocks at six vehicles, including a minivan and an S.U.V., hitting their windshields and driver’s side windows. Those drivers had minor or no injuries. Around 10:45 p.m., Ms. Bartell was driving north on Indiana Street when her Chevrolet Spark, a subcompact, became the last vehicle struck during the spree, the authorities said. Moments before she was killed, Ms. Bartell was on her phone talking to a friend “when the phone went silent,” according to the sheriff’s office. Her friend tracked her phone and drove to the location on Indiana Street where she found Ms. Bartell “fatally wounded inside her car, which was off the roadway in a field.” It was unclear which of the men were driving but “all three are suspected of throwing rocks,” the sheriff’s office said. They were believed to be in a black 2016 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. “Ultimately, mobile device forensics and supporting information from the public helped lead to the identification and arrest of the suspects,” according to the sheriff’s office, which did not release additional details. The men, who were booked into the jail at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. Before we end today… how about some good news?! https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/mom-wins-lottery-with-ticket-she-bought-celebrating-daughters-victory-over-cancer/ Mom Wins Lottery with Ticket She Bought Celebrating Daughter’s Victory Over Cancer After shelling out her life savings to pay for her daughter’s breast cancer treatment, a Florida grandmother got a nod from the universe. Buying the last available scratch-off from her preferred lottery game at the store, she landed a $2 million jackpot. Geraldine Gimblet of Lakeland was celebrating the moment that her daughter, Lawrencia Jackson, rang a bell at the local hospital signifying she had finished her breast cancer treatment. A long-time lottery player, Gimblet, 74, spent $10 on the last scratch-off card at the store, and it happened to be a winner. “I just didn’t know,” Gimblet told Good Morning America regarding her reaction,, ‘Are you sure, would you check this on your phone?’ And, I won!” Daughter Jackson, who accompanied Gimblet to the Tallahassee lottery offices to accept a lump sum of $1.6 million, described it as a “blessing.” Gimblet didn’t hesitate to finance the cancer treatment, saying she just “did what I had to do,” with Jackson adding that she would “just have to keep loving her,” as a means to try and repay the kindness. +-

Danny and Derek are joined by Juliet Lu, assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and co-host of The Belt and Road Podcast, to discuss, you guessed it: China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)! They get into China's ideological vision for the project, the Sinophobia around it, how the project compares with non-Chinese institutions' infrastructure development, the soft power angle, different populations' reactions to Chinese-branded projects, the debt discourse, and more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.americanprestigepod.com/subscribe

Episode Summary: In Episode 121 of the Aerospace Advantage, China's Diplomatic Ascent: Key Observations, John “Slick” Baum talks with China expert Daniel Rice about how the Asian superpower is gaining increased influence around the globe. Much of this ties to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),  a large-scale infrastructure and investment project first put forward by Xi Jinping in 2013. Since then, it has served as a center piece of Chinese foreign policy. This episode explores how China is using BRI to spread its influence abroad and how BRI has evolved over time. We also discuss China's strategic partnership and support of Russia, including how China is leveraging BRI to further this engagement. Credits: Host: Lt Col (Ret.) John “Slick” Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Dan Rice, China Expert, Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Future Warfare, Marine Corps University Links: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/ #MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #china  Thank you for your continued support!

從習近平上任中國國家主席後，「一帶一路」計畫至今已佔中國GDP百分之八，超越了二戰後美國「馬歇爾計畫」的規模。2022年，全球已有147個國家與中國簽訂「一帶一路」備忘錄，27個歐盟國家中，有18個是中國「一帶一路」的合作夥伴。本集逐字稿：https://gimpod.me/china-belt-road-transcript歐洲國家是如何看待與中國在「一帶一路」上的合作關係？是雙臂歡迎金主投資國家重大建設開發，還是擔憂債務陷阱或甚政治干預？中國在俄烏戰爭中的尷尬角色，是否也讓許多歐洲國家，重新思考與中國的關係？A conversation on China's Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) with Dr. Chienwu (Alex) Hsueh, associate professor at National Chengchi University in Taiwan.本集邀請到台灣政治大學東亞研究所的薛健吾教授，他從2013年，中國「一帶一路」開始那一年，研究此計畫在世界各國的影響。他談及如何從中國對各國的投資額度、債務狀況到民主惡化等指標來分析，也向我們解釋歐洲如何透過相對熟悉的俄羅斯，來了解中國。 - 鬼島之音最「紅」的節目《來自五星的你》，第二季將麥克風轉向歐洲，官網：https://chinainfluencepod.com本季探討在歐洲的中國人，以及曾經生活在中國的歐洲與中亞人；有學者對中國在全球影響力的研究與解析，也有在歐洲的中國人在海外生活的故事。中國作為世界局勢變動的重大因素之一，鬼島之音也持續追蹤與訪談各界人士，小至如何影響他們的生活，大至他們所處的產業，藉由各方觀點來探討何謂「中國影響力」。希望能帶給全球華人及華語聽眾，最赤裸沒有包袱的內容。本季邀請諸多華語流利的歐亞學者，來自烏茲別克、拉脫維亞、烏克蘭、波蘭等國，分享其中國研究內容，剖析中國外交手段；並專訪在歐洲的華語人士，有匿名留學生、流亡作家貝嶺、香港社運人士鄺頌晴，深度挖掘他們的人生故事，以及踩到中國政治紅線的親身觀察。節目按下訂閱＋分享，有任何想法歡迎在 Apple Podcasts 五星評分＋留言，跟我們說，你是在世界上的哪個地方收聽。鬼島之音 Ghost Island Media 製作出品 Facebook｜https://fb.com/ghostislandme/IG｜https://instagram.com/ghostislandme/Twitter｜https://twitter.com/ghostislandme 製作團隊 主持 陳映妤 Alicia Chen - https://twitter.com/yingyuchen9製作 吳怡慈 Emily Y. Wu - https://twitter.com/emilyywu資料收集 趙敏 Min Chao - https://twitter.com/wordsfromtaiwan剪接 林仁彬執行 顏廷芸逐字稿 陳奕文行銷 萬巧蓉支持鬼島之音：: https://patreon.com/TaiwanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Vic Garcia and Mike Berger of Peraton give a deep dive into IO-related challenges facing the United States and allied nations, plus dynamics between the intelligence and the operations communities, and the importance and current state of IO assessments. Research Question:  Vic Garcia suggests: How are the Chinese leveraging the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in order to build influence across the globe? What are the implications on US foreign policy? [Expanding off of the question above] Mike Berger asserts: What are examples of strategic competitor (Chinese and Russian) efforts to build influence* in different information environments across the globe? How successful have they been in these efforts, and what challenges do they present to US national interests? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #82 John DeRosa and Alex del Castillo on Measuring Effectiveness of Operations in the Information Environment #81 Cassandra Brooker on the Effectiveness of Influence Activities #115 Russ Burgos on Information Supply, Demand, and Effect #129 Eliot Jardines on Open Source Intelligence Axis of Disinformation: Propaganda from Iran, Russia, and China on COVID-19 by Andrew Whiskeyman, Michael Berger The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower by Michael Pillsbury and Malcolm Hillgartner Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences by Alexander George and Andrew Bennett (2004). Like War: The Weaponization of Social Media by P.W. Singer and Emerson Brooking (2018). Intelligence Support for Operations in the Information Environment, by RAND—authors include Michael Schwille, Anthony Atler, Jonathan, Welch, Christopher Paul, Richard C. Baffa (2020). Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-137 Guest Bio:  Colonel (Ret) Vic Garcia culminated his 30-year Army career after having served as the J39 Information Operations Division Chief at two separate combatant commands: U.S. Special Operations Command (2016-20) and U.S. Central Command (2013-16). During his tenure at SOCOM he oversaw the creation of the Joint MISO Web-operations Center (JMWC), and helped lead organizational change for the PSYOP, Civil Affairs, Cyber and Space communities within the SOF enterprise. Prior to this, while at CENTCOM, Vic led the command's IO efforts against ISIS/Daesh propaganda, leading to improved web operations including development of a team directly supporting JSOC. Vic served in a variety of infantry and PSYOP assignments, including command of information warfare task forces in Iraq for Multi-National Forces -Iraq, and in Qatar for Special Operations Command – Central. He also saw service in Kandahar, Afghanistan as an infantry deputy Brigade commander; and as a MIST Team leader supporting Joint Task Force Liberia, created to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in that country. His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (2 awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), the Expert Infantryman's Badge, Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and others. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point; a Master of Science in International Relations from Troy University; and a Master's of Science in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. Vic currently works for Peraton supporting information warfighting capability development. Dr. Mike Berger is Chief of Research for the Information Warfare organizational unit (OU) in Peraton's Cyber Mission Sector. In this capacity, he serves as the lead for analysis and assessments for the Operational Planning, Implementation, and Assessment Services (OPIAS) contract—the largest information warfare support contract in the US Government (USG). Dr. Berger oversees primary source research, personnel, and operational assessments supporting information operations (IO) / irregular warfare (IW) activities across OPIAS's supported Geographic Combatant Commands (GCCs) and USG agencies. Through the course of his work, Dr. Berger has established and successfully managed the most expansive foreign audience opinion research portfolio in the Department of Defense, including over 700,000 survey interviews, 600 focus groups, and 2,000 elite interviews in a variety of sensitive locations across the globe. A central focus of his research includes illuminating the current challenges faced by America and its partners in the information environment. Dr. Berger holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland, United Kingdom). He enjoys establishing new research projects, leveraging new technologies to enhance data analysis, and developing operational assessment teams in support of forward deployed warfighters. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

The annual war authorization (NDAA) is an excellent opportunity to examine our military's roles and goals in the world. In this episode, learn about how much of our tax money Congress provided the Defense Department, including how much of that money is classified, how much more money was dedicated to war than was requested, and what they are authorized to use the money for. This episode also examines our Foreign Military Financing programs with a deep dive into a new partner country: Ecuador. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the shownotes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd269-ndaa-2023-plan-ecuador Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD244: Keeping Ukraine CD243: Target Nicaragua CD230: Pacific Deterrence Initiative CD229: Target Belarus CD218: Minerals are the New Oil CD191: The “Democracies” Of Elliott Abrams CD187: Combating China CD176: Target Venezuela: Regime Change in Progress CD172: The Illegal Bombing of Syria CD147: Controlling Puerto Rico CD128: Crisis in Puerto Rico CD108: Regime Change CD102: The World Trade Organization: COOL? World Trade System “IMF vs. WTO vs. World Bank: What's the Difference?” James McWhinney. Oct 10, 2021. Investopedia. The Profiteers: Bechtel and the Men Who Built the World. Sally Denton. Simon and Schuster: 2017. Littoral Combat Ships “The Pentagon Saw a Warship Boondoggle. Congress Saw Jobs.” Eric Lipton. Feb 4, 2023. 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Americas Quarterly. “U.S. Government Must Take Urgent Action on Colombia's Tax Reform Bill.” Cesar Vence and Megan Bridges. Oct 26, 2022. U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Letter from ACT et. al. to Sec. Janet Yellen, Sec. Gina Raimondo, and Hon. Katherine Tai.” U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Relationship with U.S. “Does glyphosate cause cancer?” Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Jul 8, 2021. City of Hope. “Colombian Intelligence Unit Used U.S. Equipment to Spy on Politicians, Journalists.” Kejal Vyas. May 4, 2020. The Wall Street Journal. “Exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides and risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma: A meta-analysis and supporting evidence.” Luoping Zhang et al. Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research Vol. 781, July–September 2019, pp. 186-206. “Colombia to use drones to fumigate coca leaf with herbicide.” Jun 26, 2018. Syria “Everyone Is Denouncing the Syrian Rebels Now Slaughtering Kurds. But Didn't the U.S. Once Support Some of Them?” Mehdi Hasan. Oct 26, 2019. The Intercept. “U.S. Relations With Syria: Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet.” Jan 20, 2021. U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. “Behind the Sudden Death of a $1 Billion Secret C.I.A. War in Syria.” Mark Mazzetti et al. Aug 2, 2017. The New York Times. “Arms Airlift to Syria Rebels Expands, With Aid From C.I.A.” C. J. Chivers and Eric Schmitt. Mar 24, 2013. The New York Times. Government Funding “House Passes 2023 Government Funding Legislation.” Dec 23, 2022. House Appropriations Committee Democrats. “Division C - Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2023.” Senate Appropriations Committee. Jen's highlighted version “Division K - Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023.” Senate Appropriations Committee. Laws H.R.2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 H.R.7776 - James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 Jen's highlighted version Bills H.R. 8711 - United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022 S. 3591 - United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022 Audio Sources A conversation with General Laura J. Richardson on security across the Americas January 19, 2023 The Atlantic Council Clips 17:51 Gen. Laura Richardson: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that has been ongoing for the last over a decade in this region, 21 of 31 countries have signed on to this Belt and Road Initiative. I could take Argentina last January, the most recent signatory on to the Belt and Road Initiative, and $23 billion in infrastructure projects that signatory and signing on to that. But again, 21 of 31 countries. There are 25 countries that actually have infrastructure projects by the PRC. Four that aren't signatories of the BRI, but they do actually have projects within their countries. But not just that. Deepwater ports in 17 countries. I mean, this is critical infrastructure that's being invested in. I have the most space enabling infrastructure in the Western Hemisphere in Latin America and the Caribbean. And I just caused question, you know, why? Why is all of this critical infrastructure being invested in so heavily? In terms of telecommunications, 5G, I've got five countries with the 5G backbone in this region. I've got 24 countries with the PRC Huawei 3G-4G. Five countries have the Huawei backbone infrastructure. If I had to guess, they'll probably be offered a discount to upgrade and stay within the same PRC network. And so very, very concerning as we work with our countries. 20:00 Gen. Laura Richardson: What I'm starting to see as well is that this economy...the economy impacts to these partner nations is affecting their ability to buy equipment. And you know, as I work with our partner nations, and they invest in U.S. equipment, which is the best equipment, I must say I am a little biased, but it is the best equipment, they also buy into the supply chain of spare parts, and all those kinds of things that help to sustain this piece of equipment over many, many years. So in terms of the investment that they're getting, and that equipment to be able to stay operational, and the readiness of it, is very, very important. But now these partner nations, due to the impacts of their economy, are starting to look at the financing that goes along with it. Not necessarily the quality of the equipment, but who has the best finance deal because they can't afford it so much up front. 24:15 Gen. Laura Richardson: This region, why this region matters, with all of its rich resources and rare earth elements. You've got the lithium triangle which is needed for technology today. 60% of the world's lithium is in the lithium triangle: Argentina Bolivia, Chile. You just have the largest oil reserves -- light, sweet, crude -- discovered off of Guyana over a year ago. You have Venezuela's resources as well with oil, copper, gold. China gets 36% of its food source from this region. We have the Amazon, lungs of the world. We have 31% of the world's freshwater in this region too. I mean, it's just off the chart. 28:10 Gen. Laura Richardson: You know, you gotta question, why are they investing so heavily everywhere else across the planet? I worry about these dual-use state-owned enterprises that pop up from the PRC, and I worry about the dual use capability being able to flip them around and use them for military use. 33:30 Interviewer: Russia can't have the ability to provide many of these countries with resupply or new weapons. I mean, they're struggling to supply themselves, in many cases, for Ukraine. So is that presenting an opportunity for maybe the US to slide in? Gen. Laura Richardson: It is, absolutely and we're taking advantage of that, I'd like to say. So, we are working with those countries that have the Russian equipment to either donate or switch it out for United States equipment. or you Interviewer: Are countries taking the....? Gen. Laura Richardson: They are, yeah. 45:25 Gen. Laura Richardson: National Guard State Partnership Program is huge. We have the largest National Guard State Partnership Program. It has come up a couple of times with Ukraine. Ukraine has the State Partnership Program with California. How do we initially start our great coordination with Ukraine? It was leveraged to the National Guard State Partnership Program that California had. But I have the largest out of any of the CoCOMMs. I have 24 state partnership programs utilize those to the nth degree in terms of another lever. 48:25 Gen. Laura Richardson: Just yesterday I had a zoom call with the U.S. Ambassadors from Argentina and Chile and then also the strategy officer from Levant and then also the VP for Global Operations from Albermarle for lithium, to talk about the lithium triangle in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile and the companies, how they're doing and what they see in terms of challenges and things like that in the lithium business and then the aggressiveness or the influence and coercion from the PRC. House Session June 15, 2022 Clips Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA): The GAO found that the LCS had experienced engine failure in 10 of the 11 deployments reviewed. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA): One major reason for the excessive costs of LCS: contractors. Unlike other ships where sailors do the maintenance, LCS relies almost exclusively on contractors who own and control the technical data needed to maintain and repair. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA): Our top priority and national defense strategy is China and Russia. We can't waste scarce funds on costly LCS when there are more capable platforms like destroyers, attack submarines, and the new constellation class frigate. A review of the President's Fiscal Year 2023 funding request and budget justification for the Navy and Marine Corps May 25, 2022 Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Defense Watch full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Carlos Del Toro, Secretary, United States Navy Admiral Michael M. Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations General David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps Clips Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS): I think the christening was just a few years ago...maybe three or so. So the fact that we christened the ship one year and a few years later we're decommissioning troubles me. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS): Are there not other uses, if there's something missing from this class of ships, that we would avoid decommissioning? Adm. Michael Gilday: We need a capable, lethal, ready Navy more than we need a larger Navy that's less capable, less lethal, and less ready. And so, unfortunately the Littoral combat ships that we have, while the mechanical issues were a factor, a bigger factor was was the lack of sufficient warfighting capability against a peer competitor in China. Adm. Michael Gilday: And so we refuse to put an additional dollar against that system that wouldn't match the Chinese undersea threat. Adm. Michael Gilday: In terms of what are the options going forward with these ships, I would offer to the subcommittee that we should consider offering these ships to other countries that would be able to use them effectively. There are countries in South America, as an example, as you pointed out, that would be able to use these ships that have small crews. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary ofDefense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks to Traveling Press April 25, 2022 China's Role in Latin America and the Caribbean March 31, 2022 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Watch full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Kerri Hannan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Policy, Planning, and Coordination, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State Peter Natiello, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, U.S. Agency for International Development Andrew M. Herscowitz, Chief Development Officer, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Margaret Myers, Director of the Asia & Latin America Program, Inter-American Dialogue Evan Ellis, Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies Clips 24:20 Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA): Ecuador for example, nearly 20 years ago, former President Rafael Correa promised modernization for Ecuador, embracing Chinese loans and infrastructure projects in exchange for its oil. Fast forward to today. Ecuador now lives with the Chinese financed and built dam that's not fully operational despite being opened in 2016. The Coca Codo Sinclair Dam required over 7000 repairs, it sits right next to an active volcano, and erosion continues to damage the dam. The dam also caused an oil spill in 2020 that has impacted indigenous communities living downstream. And all that's on top of the billions of dollars that Ecuador still owes China. 56:40 Peter Natiello: One example that I could provide is work that we've done in Ecuador, with Ecuadorian journalists, to investigate, to analyze and to report on the issue of illegal and unregulated fishing off Ecuador's coast. And we do that because we want to ensure that Ecuadorian citizens have fact-based information upon which they can make decisions about China and countries like China, and whether they want their country working with them. 1:23:45 Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): There are 86 million tons of identified lithium resources on the planet. On the planet. 49 million of the 86 million are in the Golden Triangle. That's Argentina, Bolivia, Chile. So what's our plan? 1:54:10 Evan Ellis: In security engagement, the PRC is a significant provider of military goods to the region including fighters, transport aircraft, and radars for Venezuela; helicopters and armored vehicles for Bolivia; and military trucks for Ecuador. 2:00:00 Margaret Myers: Ecuador is perhaps the best example here of a country that has begun to come to terms with the challenges associated with doing business with or interacting from a financial or investment perspective with China. And one need only travel the road from the airport to Quito where every day there are a lot of accidents because of challenges with the actual engineering of that road to know why many Ecuadorians feel this way. Examining U.S. Security Cooperation and Assistance March 10, 2022 Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Watch Full Hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Jessica Lewis, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State Mara Elizabeth Karlin, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities, U.S. Department of Defense Clips 1:23:17 Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): According to one study, the DoD manages 48 of the 50 new security assistance programs that were created after the 9/11 attacks and out of the 170 existing security assistance programs today, DOD manages 87, a whopping 81% of those programs. That is a fundamental transition from the way in which we used to manage security assistance. And my worry is that it takes out of the equation the people who have the clearest and most important visibility on the ground as to the impact of that security assistance and those transfers. Sen. Chris Murphy: We just spent $87 billion in military assistance over 20 years in Afghanistan. And the army that we supported went up in smoke overnight. That is an extraordinary waste of U.S. taxpayer dollars, and it mirrors a smaller but similar investment we made from 2003 to 2014 in the Iraqi military, who disintegrated when they faced the prospect of a fight against ISIS. Clearly, there is something very wrong with the way in which we are flowing military assistance to partner countries, especially in complicated war zones. You've got a minute and 10 seconds, so maybe you can just preview some lessons that we have learned, or the process by which we are going to learn lessons from all of the money that we have wasted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jessica Lewis: Senator, I'll be brief so that Dr. Karlin can jump in as well. I think we do need to learn lessons. We need to make sure, as I was just saying to Senator Cardin, that when we provide security assistance, we also look not just at train and equip, but we look at other things like how the Ministries of Defense operate? Is their security sector governant? Are we creating an infrastructure that's going to actually work? Mara Elizabeth Karlin: Thank you for raising this issue, Senator. And I can assure you that the Department of Defense is in the process of commissioning a study on this exact issue. I will just say in line with Assistant Secretary Lewis, it is really important that when we look at these efforts, we spend time assessing political will and we do not take an Excel spreadsheet approach to building partner militaries that misses the higher order issues that are deeply relevant to security sector governance, that will fundamentally show us the extent to which we can ultimately be successful or not with a partner. Thank you. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): You know, in Iraq, last time I was there, we were spending four times as much money on security assistance as we were on non-security assistance. And what Afghanistan taught us amongst many things, is that if you have a fundamentally corrupt government, then all the money you're flowing into the military is likely wasted in the end because that government can't stand and thus the military can't stand. So it also speaks to rebalancing the way in which we put money into conflict zones, to not think that military assistance alone does the job. You got to be building sustainable governments that serve the public interests in order to make your security assistance matter and be effective. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. National Security Challenges and U.S. Military Activity in North and South America March 8, 2022 House Armed Services Committee Watch full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Melissa G. Dalton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs Office of the Secretary of Defense General Laura Richardson, USA, Commander, U.S. Southern Command General Glen D. VanHerck, USAF, Commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command Clips 17:30 General Laura Richardson: Colombia, for example, our strongest partner in the region, exports security by training other Latin American militaries to counter transnational threats. 1:20:00 General Laura Richardson: If I look at what PRC (People's Republic of China) is investing in the [SOUTHCOM] AOR (Area of Responsibility), over a five year period of 2017 to 2021: $72 billion. It's off the charts. And I can read a couple of the projects. The most concerning projects that I have are the $6 billion in projects specifically near the Panama Canal. And I look at the strategic lines of communication: Panama Canal and the Strait of Magellan. But just to highlight a couple of the projects. The nuclear power plant in Argentina: $7.9 billion. The highway in Jamaica: $5.6 billion. The energy refinery in Cuba, $5 billion. The highway in Peru: $4 billion. Energy dam in Argentina: $4 billion, the Metro in Colombia: $3.9 billion. The freight railway in Argentina: $3 billion. These are not small projects that they're putting in this region. This region is rich in resources, and the Chinese don't go there to invest, they go there to extract. All of these projects are done with Chinese labor with host nation countries'. U.S. Policy on Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean November 30, 2021 Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Watch full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State Todd D. Robinson, Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. Department of State Clips 1:47:15 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): I'd like to start with Mexico. I am increasingly concerned that the Mexican government is engaged in a systematic campaign to undermine American companies, and especially American energy companies that have invested in our shared prosperity and in the future of the Mexican people and economy. Over the past five months, Mexican regulators have shut down three privately owned fuel storage terminals. Among those they shut down a fuel terminal and Tuxpan, which is run by an American company based in Texas, and which transports fuel on ships owned by American companies. This is a pattern of sustained discrimination against American companies. And I worry that the Mexican government's ultimate aim is to roll back the country's historic 2013 energy sector liberalisation reforms in favor of Mexico's mismanaged and failing state-owned energy companies. The only way the Mexican government is going to slow and reverse their campaign is if the United States Government conveys clearly and candidly that their efforts pose a serious threat to our relationship and to our shared economic interests. 2:01:50 Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ): Mr. Nichols, can you can you just be a little more specific about the tactics of the GEC? What are some of the specific activities they're doing? And what more would you like to see them do? Brian A. Nichols: The Global Engagement Center both measures public opinion and social media trends throughout the world. They actively work to counter false messages from our strategic competitors. And they prepare media products or talking points that our embassies and consulates around the hemisphere can use to combat disinformation. I think they do a great job. Obviously, it's a huge task. So the the resources that they have to bring to bear to this limit, somewhat, the ability to accomplish those goals, but I think they're doing vital, vital work. 2:13:30 Todd D. Robinson: We are, INL (International Narcotics and Law Enforcement) are working very closely with the Haitian National Police, the new Director General, we are going to send in advisors. When I was there two weeks ago, I arrived with -- they'd asked for greater ability to get police around the city -- I showed up with 19 new vehicles, 200 new protective vests for the police. The 19 was the first installment of a total of 60 that we're going to deliver to the Haitian National Police. We're gonna get advisors down there to work with the new SWAT team to start taking back the areas that have been taken from ordinary Haitians. But it's going to be a process and it's going to take some time. Sen. Bob Menendez: Well, first of all, is the Haitian National Police actually an institution capable of delivering the type of security that Hatians deserve? Todd D. Robinson: We believe it is. It's an institution that we have worked with in the past. There was a small brief moment where Haitians actually acknowledged that the Haitian National Police had gotten better and was more professional. Our goal, our long term goal is to try to bring it back to that Sen. Bob Menendez: How much time before we get security on the ground? Todd D. Robinson: I can't say exactly but we are working as fast as we can. Sen. Bob Menendez: Months, years? Todd D. Robinson: Well, I would hope we could do it in less than months. But we're working as fast as we can. Global Challenges and U.S. National Security Strategy January 25, 2018 Senate Committee on Armed Services Watch the full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Chairman of Kissinger Associates and Former Secretary of State Dr. George P. Shultz, Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Distinguished Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University and Former Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage, President, Armitage International and Former Deputy Secretary of State Clips Dr. George Shultz: Small platforms will carry a very destructive power. Then you can put these small platforms on drones. And drones can be manufactured easily, and you can have a great many of them inexpensively. So then you can have a swarm armed with lethal equipment. Any fixed target is a real target. So an airfield where our Air Force stores planes is a very vulnerable target. A ship at anchor is a vulnerable target. So you've got to think about that in terms of how you deploy. And in terms of the drones, while such a system cannot be jammed, it would only serve to get a drone—talking about getting a drone to the area of where its target is, but that sure could hit a specific target. At that point, the optical systems guided by artificial intelligence could use on-board, multi-spectral imaging to find a target and guide the weapons. It is exactly that autonomy that makes the technologic convergence a threat today. Because such drones will require no external input other than the signature of the designed target, they will not be vulnerable to jamming. Not requiring human intervention, the autonomous platforms will also be able to operate in very large numbers. Dr. George Shultz: I think there's a great lesson here for what we do in NATO to contain Russia because you can deploy these things in boxes so you don't even know what they are and on trucks and train people to unload quickly and fire. So it's a huge deterrent capability that is available, and it's inexpensive enough so that we can expect our allies to pitch in and get them for themselves. Dr. George Shultz: The creative use of swarms of autonomous drones to augment current forces would strongly and relatively cheaply reinforce NATO, as I said, that deterrence. If NATO assists frontline states in fielding large numbers of inexpensive autonomous drones that are pre-packaged in standard 20-foot containers, the weapons can be stored in sites across the countries under the control of reserve forces. If the weapons are pre-packaged and stored, the national forces can quickly deploy the weapons to delay a Russian advance. So what's happening is you have small, cheap, and highly lethal replacing large, expensive platforms. And this change is coming about with great rapidity, and it is massively important to take it into account in anything that you are thinking about doing. Foreign Military Sales: Process and Policy June 15, 2017 House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Watch the full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Tina Kaidanow, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State Vice Admiral Joseph Rixey, Director, U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency Clips 14:40 Tina Kaidanow: Arms Transfers constitute an element of foreign policy. We therefore take into account foreign policy considerations as we contemplate each arms transfer or sale, including specifically, the appropriateness of the transfer in responding to U.S and recipient security needs; the degree to which the transfer supports U.S. strategic foreign policy and defense interests through increased access and influence; allied burden sharing and interoperability; consistency with U.S. interests regarding regional stability; the degree of protection afforded by the recipient company to our sensitive technology; the risk that significant change in the political or security situation of the recipient country could lead to inappropriate end use or transfer; and the likelihood that the recipient would use the arms to commit human rights abuses or serious violations of international humanitarian law, or retransfer the arms to those who would commit such abuses. As a second key point, arms transfers support the U.S. Defense industrial base and they reduce the cost of procurement for our own U.S. military. Purchases made through the Foreign Military Sales, known as the FMS, system often can be combined with our Defense Department orders to reduce unit costs. Beyond this, the US defense industry directly employs over 1.7 million people across our nation. 20:20 Vice Admiral Joseph Rixey: FMS is the government-to-government process through which the U.S. government purchases defense articles, training, and services on behalf of foreign governments, authorized in the Arms Export Control Act. FMS is a long standing security cooperation program that supports partner and regional security, enhances military-to-military cooperation, enables interoperability and develops and maintains international relationships. Through the FMS process, the US government determines whether or not the sale is of mutual benefit to us and the partner, whether the technology can and will be protected, and whether the transfer is consistent with U.S. conventional arms transfer policy. The FMS system is actually a set of systems in which the Department of State, Department of Defense, and Congress play critical roles. The Department of Defense in particular executes a number of different processes including the management of the FMS case lifecycle which is overseen by DSCA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency). Technology transfer reviews, overseen by the Defense Technology Security Administration, and the management of the Defense Acquisition and Logistics Systems, overseen by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, and the military departments. This process, or a version of it, also serves us well, in the DoD Title X Building Partnership Capacity arena, where the process of building a case, validating a requirement and exercising our U.S. acquisition system to deliver capability is modeled on the FMS system. I want to say clearly that overall the system is performing very well. The United States continues to remain the provider of choice for our international partners, with 1,700 new cases implemented in Fiscal Year 2016 alone. These new cases, combined with adjustments to existing programs, equated to more than $33 billion in sales last year. This included over $25 billion in cases funded by our partner nations' own funds and approximately $8 billion in cases funded by DOD Title X program or Department of State's Appropriations. Most FMS cases move through the process relatively quickly. But some may move more slowly as we engage in deliberate review to ensure that the necessary arms transfer criteria are met. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)