Some of the Analysis Behind RAND’s “Inflection Point” Report
Speaker: David Ochmanek (RAND) Date: 22 May 2024 Speaker Session Summary Modern threats from developed nations like China are beginning to exceed US capabilities, partly because the US military was predominantly focused on regional adversaries such as Iraq during Desert Storm. Mr. Ochmanek categorized the US approach to military power projection during this period as […]
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Deterrence Among Three to Twelve Nuclear Powers: Fundamental Instability and Mitigation Strategy
Author: Dr. Claudio Cioffi-Revilla (George Mason University) This publication was released as part of the SMA project “21st Century Strategic Deterrence Frameworks.” (SDF) For more information regarding this project, please click here. Publication Preview The fundamental instability of bilateral nuclear deterrence (Albert Wohlstetter’s “delicate balanceof terror”) is mitigated, in part, by each adversary deploying and […]
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Critical Minerals Geopolitics and Security
Speakers: Dr. Morgan Bazilian (Colorado School of Mines) & Gregory Wischer (Dei Gratia Minerals) Date: 16 May 2024 Speaker Session Summary Minerals are crucial components of advanced weapons systems, playing a pivotal role in military capability and power projection. They are increasingly integrated into new attack platforms, including Virginia-class attack submarines and long-range missiles. Militaries […]
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Responses Against China’s Coercion in the Indo-Pacific: Developing a Toolkit from the Philippines and Taiwan
Speakers: Thomas J. Shattuck (Perry World House) & Robin Michael U. Garcia (Perry World House, WR Advisory Group) Date: 24 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary China has escalated its aggressive and coercive tactics against smaller and less powerful states as part of its objective to become a regional hegemony. Major targets of Chinese aggression since […]
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The Qualities that Make Nations Competitive: Chinese and Russian Views
Speakers: Dr. Timothy Heath, Dr. Michael Mazarr, Clint Reach (RAND) Date: 23 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary A significant portion of the current literature exploring Great Power Competition (GPC) among the United States, China, and Russia predominantly reflects a Western perspective. However, a research group from RAND is seeking to provide a more comprehensive understanding […]
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The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter
Speaker: Shannon K. O’Neill (Council on Foreign Relations) Date: 16 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary Dr. O’Neil offers a reframed perspective on economic globalization, highlighting the prominence of increased interregional trade rather than international trade. She comments that, with a few notable exceptions like Boeing, the movement of goods and products has predominantly remained regional […]
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Upstart: How China Became a Great Power
Speaker: Dr. Oriana Skylar Mastro (Stanford University) Date: 12 March 2024 Speaker Session Summary China’s ascent as a formidable challenger to the United States, both economically and militarily, represents a significant shift from just a quarter-century ago. In her recent book, “Upstart: How China Became a Great Power,” Dr. Mastro delves into the rapid trajectory […]
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China and the Global South: Big Ambitions, Big Challenges
Speaker: Michael Schuman (Atlantic Council) Date: 27 February 2024 Speaker Session Summary China’s economic slowdown coupled with its ambition to continuously compete with the US both economically and politically is compelling Beijing to intensify its efforts to increase political influence in the Global South. Mr. Schuman, who authored an article on why China will struggle […]
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Chinese Strategic Deterrence Frameworks
Author: Dr. James Sundquist (Yale University) This publication was released as part of the SMA project “21st Century Strategic Deterrence Frameworks.” (SDF) For more information regarding this project, please click here. Publication Preview China does not have an overarching deterrence framework. However, it is possible to identify the primary objects of Chinese deterrence and describe […]
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Great Power Economic Competition, the PRC Economic Challenge, and the Prospects of De-Dollarization
Speaker: Dr. Brandon Kirk Williams (LLNL) Date: 1 February 2024 Speaker Session Summary China aims to de-dollarize the world economy, utilizing BRICS member states—namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates—as a beachhead in the global economic system. According to Dr. Williams, there are two other important strategies employed […]
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