Shows
Foreign Press PodcastThe Impact of Smartphones on the U.S.-China RivalryOn July 8, the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA) hosted a podcast episode produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. The episode focused on the US-China tech rivalry, specifically on how smartphones have influenced the contentious relationship between the two nations amid global trade tensions.The episode was hosted by Vlad Savov, the Technology Editor for Bloomberg News in Hong Kong. The podcast guest was Michael Enright, the Pierre Choueiri Family Professor in Global Business at Northeastern University, who specializes in international competitiveness and business strategy. He recently published a paper for the...
2025-07-2949 min
Great Power PodcastMoving on...In his final episode as host of GREAT POWER PODCAST, Michael Sobolik says goodbye to AFPC and to the podcast's listeners, and offers a retrospective of recent counter-Chinese Communist Party policy developments in Washington, DC.
2024-12-3146 minGreat Power PodcastWhat does "America First" actually mean?In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik chats with Alex Gray, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff of the White House National Security Council, about "America First," President Trump's foreign policy, and America's relationship with the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Guest biography
Alexander B. Gray is the Chief Executive Officer of American Global Strategies LLC, an international strategic advisory firm that he co-founded with former U.S. National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien. In addition to the day-to-day management of the firm, Mr. Gray’s wide-ranging prac...
2024-08-1437 min
Story in the Public SquareMichael Sobolik on China and the Imminent Cold WarOver the last 25 years, while the United States fought costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the People’s Republic of China has been expanding its influence, its economic relationships, and even the reach of it’s military. Michael Sobolik offers a sober look at the challenge China poses to the West and offers a strategy to guide America’s response. Sobolik is an expert in the American and Chinese grand strategy, regional economic and security trends, America’s alliance architecture in Asia and human rights. He served as a Legislative Assistant in the United States Senate, drafting legislation...
2024-08-0627 min
The DynamistHow to Win the New Cold War w/ Michael SobolikIs America in a new Cold War with China? If so, who is winning? One of the defining features of the 21st century has been the intensifying competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. As the two superpowers jockey for global influence, China threatens to dislodge America’s longstanding role atop the international order.At the heart of this struggle lies the Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, a massive infrastructure and investment project that has become the centerpiece of China's foreign policy. The BRI is often portrayed as an economic venture—China is seek...
2024-05-1457 min
China DeskEp. 39 - Michael SobolikMichael Sobolik joined AFPC as a Senior Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies in September 2019. His work covers American and Chinese grand strategy, regional economic and security trends, America’s alliance architecture in Asia, and human rights. Michael also hosts Great Power Podcast, AFPC’s show about great power competition and U.S.-China relations. He is also the author of Countering China's Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance (Naval Institute Press, 2024). Michael's analysis has appeared in the Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Politico, Newsweek, National Review, Jane's Defence Weekly, and RealClearDefense.
Prior to joining AFPC, Michael served as a Legislative Assistant in t...
2024-05-1444 minThe DynamistDebate: Should TikTok Divest or Face a Ban?This week, President Biden signed into law a bill that would require TikTok to divest itself from Chinese parent company ByteDance or else face a ban in the United States. The legislation was part of a package of bills that included foreign aid to Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. Over the past few years, TikTok has exploded in popularity. Today over 170 million Americans are monthly users of the platform, and seven million businesses rely on it for either part or all their income. With that growth in users has come growing concern about its parent company ByteDance, and its capacity...
2024-04-261h 02
The Institute of World PoliticsCountering the Dragon: Preparing for Potential Chinese AggressionAn Alexander Hamilton Society student roundtable discussion focusing on current affairs in East Asia, what would happen leading up to an invasion of Taiwan or conflict breaking out in the South China Sea, the policy implications behind it for the region, the United States, and the rest of the world, and then identify unique policy responses outside of what the current thinkers are considering.
About Michael Sobolik
Michael Sobolik is a Senior Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies for the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC). His work covers American and Chinese grand strategy, regional economic and security trends, America’s Asian alliance ar...
2024-04-131h 09Great Power PodcastThe Road Ahead for TikTokIn this episode of GREAT POWER POCAST, Michael Sobolik cedes the host chair to his colleague Ilan Berman. The episode is a re-airing of Ilan's conversation with Michael on DISINFORMATION WARS, another AFPC product.
In the conversation, Ilan and Michael unpack H.R.7521, the TikTok bill making its way through Congress. Michael unpacks the legislation, maps out the policy and political terrain in the House and Senate, and previews what to expect over the next few weeks.
Resources from the conversation:
Pre-order Michael's book, Countering China's Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance
Subscribe...
2024-03-1631 min
Disinformation WarsEPISODE 42: The new fight over the future of TikTokIn this episode of DISINFORMATION WARS, host Ilan Berman speaks with AFPC Senior Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies Michael Sobolik about the new push in the U.S. Congress to limit the reach of TikTok, China’s wildly-popular social media app.
Bio:
Michael Sobolik is Senior Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC, where his work covers American and Chinese grand strategy, regional economic and security trends, America’s alliance architecture in Asia, and human rights. Michael also serves as editor of AFPC’s Indo-Pacific Monitor e-bulletin, AFPC’s re...
2024-03-1528 min
Foreign Press PodcastA Foreign Gaze in Our Daily Coverage"We are all foreigners somewhere", said Michael Phillips, Foreign Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and guest of this 'Foreign Press Podcast' episode. In a talk with journalist Patricia Vasconcellos, White House Correspondent for SBT and Board Member of the Club of Foreign Correspondents in the USA (AFPC-USA), Michael Phillips gives some insights about topics which are points of convergence among journalists working abroad.
An experienced war correspondent and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, Michael Phillips is now based in Nairobi, Kenya. Phillips joined the WSJ as an economics reporter in Washington D.C. in 1996. After Sept. 11, 2001, he began nearl...
2024-02-2551 minGreat Power PodcastWhat If America Can't Deter China?In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik interviews Iskander Rehman about protracted warfare throughout history, what a war between America and China could look like, and what the United States should do to strengthen its resiliency.
Guest biography
Iskander Rehman joined AFPC as a Senior Fellow for Strategic Studies in July 2020. His work focuses on applied history, grand strategy, and US defense strategy in Asia.
2024-02-1454 minGreat Power PodcastUkraine, After One YearIn this special edition episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik turns the conversation over to AFPC President Herman Pirchner and AFPC Advisory Board Member Manisha Singh for a discussion on the past year of warfare in Ukraine, what the coming months could look like, and what it means for the United States and global security.
Guest biographies
Herman Pirchner, Jr. is the founding President of AFPC. Under his leadership, AFPC has hosted Washington events for hundreds of foreign officials ranging from the Prime Minister of Malta to the Prime Minister of Russia; conducted...
2023-03-1725 minGreat Power PodcastThe Debate Over TikTokIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik chats with Rick Lane about the controversy surrounding TikTok, what it means for national security, and what we should do about it.
Guest biography
Rick Lane is a tech policy expert, child safety advocate, and the founder and CEO of Iggy Ventures. Iggy advises and invests in companies, projects, and public policy intitiatives that can have a positive social impact. Prior to starting Iggy, Rick served for 15 years as the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for 21st Century Fox. Until its purchase by Disney, 21...
2023-02-1635 min
Ian SwansonWhy the CCP spy balloon saga matters with AFPC's Michael Sobolik@2:36 PM on News Radio 1110 KFAB
2023-02-0610 minGreat Power PodcastTraveling to TaiwanIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik caught Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) between votes for a conversation about the Senator's recent trip to Taiwan and Japan, as well as his legislative efforts to counter Beijing's economic coercion and insulate America's supply chain vulnerabilities.
Guest Biography
Senator Todd Young represents the state of Indiana. He currently serves on the U.S. Senate Committees on Finance; Foreign Relations; Commerce, Science & Transportation; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Previously, in the House, he served on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Budget Committee, and most re...
2023-02-0233 minGreat Power PodcastBeijing's Charm OffensiveIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik interviews Josh Kurlantzick about the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) public diplomacy, its malign activities around the world, and what it means for the United States.
Guest Biography
Joshua Kurlantzick is senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is the author, most recently, of Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China's Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World. Kurlantzick was previously a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he studied Southeast Asian politics and economics and China's...
2023-01-2045 minGreat Power PodcastTearing Down the Great FirewallIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik interviews Matt Pottinger about the Chinese Communist Party's censorship and propaganda, its impact on America, and how the United States can counter it.
Guest Biography
Matt Pottinger is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and Chair of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Pottinger served the White House for four years in senior roles on the National Security Council staff, including as deputy national security advisor from 2019 to 2021. In that role, he coordinated the full spectrum of national security p...
2023-01-0440 minGreat Power PodcastDisinformation, Misinformation, and "Fake News"In this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks once again with Ilan Berman, Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council, about disinformation, public diplomacy, and media narratives — specifically in the context of U.S.-China relations.
Guest Biography
Ilan Berman is Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC. An expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation, he has consulted for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency as well as the U.S. Departments of State and Defense, and has...
2022-12-2139 minIan SwansonWhy no patriotic Americans should have TikTok with AFPC's Michael Sobolik@4:36 PM on News Radio 1110 KFAB
2022-10-2610 min
Normalize PTSD22_Check a Vet with Steph Page (Veteran)Mission Statement:Check A Vet is preventing Veteran suicide by raising public awareness and calling upon American citizens to meaningfully and routinely engage with VeteransSteph Page “Chief” shares his perspective. His perspective is that of a leader. Steph became a Chief Master Sergeant in 2003 because he wanted to positively impact the life of his airmen. He was the senior enlisted leader of Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC), then the 12th Flying Training Wing Command Chief until his retirement in 2009. Shortly thereafter he was selected to start up a new program called Air Forc...
2022-09-2647 min2022-07-0909 min2022-05-2410 min
Great Power PodcastChina and AfricaIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Dr. Joshua Eisenman about China-Africa relations, Beijing's strategic interests in the continent, and what it means for the United States.
Author Biography
Joshua Eisenman is an Associate Professor of Politics at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Eisenman has been a visiting faculty member at Fudan University (summer 2017), Peking University (summer 2016), and NYU–Shanghai (2011–12). He was a policy analyst on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (2003–05) and has been senior fellow for China studies at the Americ...
2022-04-2243 min2022-03-2209 minGreat Power PodcastThe Russia-China AxisIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Dr. Jonathan Ward about the strategic alignment between Russia and China, what it means for our allies and partners across Eurasia, and how Washington should respond.
Resources from the Episode
Read Jonathan’s book, China’s Vision of Victory
Check out Jonathan’s consulting company, Atlas Organization
Watch Jonathan’s media hits
Read the latest issue of AFPC’s Indo-Pacific Monitor
Guest Biography
Jonathan Ward has been studying Russia, China, and India for nearly twenty years since his undergraduate days in Russian an...
2022-03-1034 minGreat Power PodcastRussia on Ukraine's Doorstep - AgainIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Victoria Coates, Distinguished Fellow in Strategic Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC), about Russia's war threats against Ukraine, the related energy politics of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and what the road ahead could look like.
Guest Biography
Victoria Coates joined the American Foreign Policy Council as a Distinguished Fellow in Strategic Studies in January 2022. Coates works on regional issues such as energy policy, countering predatory Chinese activity, expanding the historic Abraham Accords between Israel and Muslim-majority nations, and establishing a U...
2022-02-1151 minIan SwansonMichael Sobolik of AFPC on China, the Olympics, and Human RightsMike Sobolik from the American Foreign Policy Council is our expert on all things China. There was plenty to talk about with the Olympics starting over the weekend.
2022-02-0829 minGreat Power PodcastChina and the Middle EastIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Ilan Berman, Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council, about America's and China's competing interests in the Middle East, the fallout of America's withdrawal from Afghanistan, and how the broader region views the burgeoning competition between Washington and Beijing.
Guest Biography
Ilan Berman is Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC. An expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation, he has consulted for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency as well...
2022-01-1348 minGreat Power PodcastPeace Through StrengthIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) about the Biden administration's foreign policy with China (as well as Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan), and what a "peace through strength" approach would look like instead.
Guest Biography
Ted Cruz has served as the junior United States senator for Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008. He is currently a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and was previously on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Resou...
2021-12-1332 minGreat Power PodcastChina's Strategic CultureIn this episode of AFPC's GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Michael Schuman, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, about the evolution of China's strategic culture throughout its dynastic era - and how it shapes the Chinese Communist Party's practice of foreign policy today.
Guest biography
Michael Schuman the author of "Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of the World." He is also a contributor to The Atlantic and a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, and, most recently, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub. Previously, he was a c...
2021-11-2934 minGreat Power PodcastThe Past, Present, and Future of TaiwanIn this episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host AFPC fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies Michael Sobolik speaks with Russell Hsiao, Executive Director of the Global Taiwan Institute, about the history of America's complex relationship with Taiwan, China's ambitions to conquer the island, and the political fate of Taiwan in the coming years.
Guest Biography
Russell Hsiao is the executive director of GTI, senior fellow at The Jamestown Foundation, and adjunct fellow at Pacific Forum. He previously served as a senior research fellow at The Project 2049 Institute and national security fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democrac...
2021-11-1739 min
Great Power PodcastUS-China CompetitionIn this inaugural episode of GREAT POWER PODCAST, host Michael Sobolik speaks with Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian of Axios about the way Washington thinks about competition with Beijing, how China views the contest, and where the bilateral relationship is heading in the next few years.
Guest Biography:
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian is the China reporter at Axios. Before joining Axios, Bethany served as the lead reporter for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists' China Cables project, a major leak of classified Chinese government documents revealing the inner workings of mass internment camps in Xinjiang. Previously, Bethany was an editor and co...
2021-11-0128 min
ERLC PodcastConspiracy theories, Uyghur Muslims, and a conversation with the Michael SobolikIn this episode, Josh, Lindsay, and Brent discuss Hong Kong, Uyghur Muslims, IVG, colleges opening and closing their doors, the Democratic Convention, conspiracy theories, California fires, and a Blockbuster Airbnb. Lindsay also gives a rundown of this week’s ERLC content including a piece by Travis Wussow with "What Hong Kong reveals about the future of China," Michael and Chelsea Sobolik with "How the Chinese Communist Party is persecuting Uyghur Muslims," and Alex Ward with and "Explainer: IVG is the newest technological threat to the family structure." Also in this episode, the hosts are joined by Michael Sobolik for a c...
2020-08-2157 min
Foreign Policy ProvCastEpisode #51: Confrontations with China — on Huawei, COVID-19, and More (Michael Sobolik)Michael Sobolik, a fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC, speaks with Mark Melton about recent developments in China. In particular, Sobolik explains new revelations that the Chinese Communist Party is forcing Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang to have sterilizations and abortions, which he wrote about in Newsweek. They also talk about the United Kingdom banning Huawei from building Britain’s 5G network. Sobolik lays out why the United States opposes Huawei on this and what other countries may ban the company from their networks. He wrote about this issue in a report for the Am...
2020-07-1640 min
AFPC InsightsAFPC INSIGHTS Episode 2 - China's Coronavirus Disinformation CampaignAFPC Fellow for for Indo-Pacific Studies Michael Sobolik discusses China's coronavirus disinformation campaign and the subsequent implications for U.S. foreign policy with AFPC Director for External Relations Annie Swingen.
Further reading: To Hold China Accountable for Delayed COVID-19 Action, Target the ‘Great Firewall,’ by Michael Sobolik, The Diplomat, April 28, 2020 - https://bit.ly/3dkJHbj
"How China is ruthlessly exploiting the coronavirus pandemic it helped cause," by Alex Ward, Vox News, April 28, 2020 - https://bit.ly/2xy4Kb5
"Don’t Let the Chinese Communist Party Use the Corona...
2020-05-0417 min
I Don't Speak GermanEpisode 45: Nazis for BloombergA lovely news-roundup episode for you, including some stuff at the end that justifies the title. Content Warnings. Links/Notes: Rachel Sheffield and Robert Rector, "The War on Poverty After 50 Years." The source of Episode 44's "22 trillion dollars" claim. https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/report/the-war-poverty-after-50-years Christopher Cantwell Trial Docket: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/16743597/united-states-v-cantwell/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc Christopher Cantwell Order of Detention Pending Trial: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nhd.53269/gov.uscourts.nhd.53269.20.0.pdf "...
2020-03-031h 14