China’s Role in Southeast Asia’s Scam Centers: A Conversation with Courtney Weatherb

In this second episode of a two-part series on China and biotechnology, Caitlin Frazer joins the ChinaPower Podcast to take a deeper dive into recommendations for how the United States can maintain its leadership in biotechnology as China expands its capabilities in the field. The conversation explores the rising importance of biological data, the intersection of AI and biotechnology, the possibilities of biotech for military logistics, and the growing national security implications the United States.  Caitlin Frazer is Executive Director of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology.   For Part I: https://chinapower.csis.org/podcasts/part-i-biotechnology-in-u-s-china-competition/  For the full report: https://www.biotech.senate.gov/final-report/chapters/ 

In this first episode of a two-part series on China and biotechnology, Senator Todd Young joins the ChinaPower Podcast to discuss why biotechnology is emerging as a critical area of competition between the United States and China. The conversation examines China's biotechnology strategy, U.S. strengths and vulnerabilities, and the opportunities biotechnology presents for economic growth, manufacturing, and national security. Senator Todd Young represents Indiana in the U.S. Senate and serves as Chair of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Ngor Luong joins us to discuss the rapid rise of Chinese startup Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 model, China’s open AI strategy, and the implications for U.S.-China competition. Drawing on her recent paper, Two Loops: How China's Open AI Strategy Reinforces Its Industrial Dominance, she examines China's rapidly expanding open AI ecosystem, unpacks the "two loops" framework behind China's AI development strategy, and assesses the implications of the growing global diffusion of Chinese AI models.  Ngor Luong is Senior Policy Analyst on the Technology and Innovation team at the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. She joined this podcast in her personal capacity and not on behalf of the Commission. 

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Kristi Govella joins us to discuss the latest developments in China-Japan relations amid rising tensions between the two countries following Prime Minister Takaichi's comments on Taiwan last November. Building on a CSIS commentary published late last year, she examines how China has increased economic, diplomatic, and military pressure on Japan, how Tokyo has responded, and what these developments reveal about the future of the relationship. The conversation also explores Japan's growing cooperation with the United States and other partners and the prospects for de-escalation.  Kristi Govella is senior adviser and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She is also associate professor of Japanese politics and international relations at the University of Oxford. 

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Courtney Weatherby joins us to discuss the growing crisis of scam centers in Southeast Asia. She explains how these operations function, the role of Chinese criminal networks, and their impact on the United States. The conversation explores the rise of AI-enabled scams, recent enforcement actions in Cambodia, China's selective crackdowns on scam networks, and opportunities for greater international cooperation to combat transnational cybercrime. Courtney Weatherby is Deputy Director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia program.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Victor Cha joins us to discuss Xi Jinping’s recent visit to North Korea, his first in nearly seven years. He examines what the summit reveals about China’s evolving approach to North Korea, including the absence of any discussion on denuclearization. The conversation also explores North Korea’s growing leverage between China and Russia, the possibility of renewed Trump-Kim diplomacy, and the broader implications for U.S. allies in the region. Victor Cha is President of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Dr. Evan Medeiros join us to unpack President Putin’s visit to Beijing. They discuss what the timing reveals about China’s diplomatic strategy after the Trump–Xi meeting, and how both sides used optics to serve their own interests. The conversation explores Russia’s growing dependence on China, the limits of the partnership including the stalled Power of Siberia II pipeline, and what to watch for in China-Russia security cooperation. Andrea Kendall-Taylor is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Evan Medeiros is the Penner Family Chair in Asia Studies in the School of Foreign Service and the Cling Family Distinguished Fellow in U.S.-China Studies at Georgetown University.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Ambassador Edgard Kagan joins us to unpack President Trump’s recent summit with President Xi Jinping. He discusses the contrasting U.S. and Chinese readouts, Beijing’s push for a “constructive relationship of strategic stability,” and the priorities of each side. The conversation examines China’s role in Iran, Taiwan, and what to watch as Trump and Xi prepare for additional meetings later this year.  Ambassador Edgard Kagan is senior adviser and Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Zhang Chuchu joins us to discuss how China views the war in Iran and what the conflict means for China’s interests and strategy in the Middle East. She explains Chinese concerns about regional spillover, energy security, and the erosion of trust in international negotiations. The conversation also discusses China’s diplomatic approach and what the conflict means for U.S.–China relations and the upcoming Trump–Xi leadership meeting.  Zhang Chuchu is an associate professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs and deputy director at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University.

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Albert Tzeng and Dr. Dennis Weng join us to explore domestic politics in Taiwan, with a particular focus on two key developments related to the Kuomintang (KMT) party, Taiwan’s largest opposition party. We examine the April visit of KMT Chairwomen Cheng Li-wun to China to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and KMT Taichung City Mayor Lu Shiow-yen’s March trip to the United States. We discuss what these trips showcase about Taiwan’s domestic politics, dynamics within the KMT, the KMT’s current stance on Taiwan’s relations with China and the United States, and what implications these trips have ahead of the potential Trump-Xi meeting in May. Dr. Dennis Wang is Associate Professor and Graduate Director of Political Science at Sam Houston State University. Dr. Albert Tzeng is the founder of the strategic consulting service "Discursive Workshop” and previously served as advisor to two former Chairs of the Kuomintang political party in Taiwan.