Global in the Granite State

The relationship between the United States and China remains one of the most critical dynamics shaping our world today, with ripple effects that could lead to either global progress or conflict. Amid political shifts in the U.S., now is the perfect time to take stock of where this high-stakes relationship stands, uncover emerging trends, and hear from experts on fostering understanding between these two global powerhouses. In this month’s episode, we sit down with Sarwar Kashmeri—renowned host of the Polaris Live web series and Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Association. A longtime friend of the Council, Mr. Kashmeri taps into his extensive network of global leaders to offer fresh insights into U.S.-China relations. Together, we explore his latest Telegram Series installment [https://kashmeri.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/The-Telegram-IV.pdf], where he gathers perspectives from top thinkers on how the two nations can maintain stability and avoid potential catastrophe. While tensions remain high, there are glimmers of hope. Discover how these two nations can collaborate on pressing global challenges, avoiding conflict while building a foundation for mutual benefit. Don’t miss this critical conversation on the future of the world’s most consequential relationship. Bonus Content: Curious about the European Parliament’s report on the 2022 Sanctions War between China and the EU, discussed in this episode? Click Here to Read it Now [https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2021/690617/EPRS_ATA(2021)690617_EN.pdf]. Sarwar Kashmeri is an international relations specialist, author, and commentator, noted for his expertise on U.S. global strategy and national security. He speaks frequently before business, foreign policy and military audiences. He is the founder and host of Polaris-Live. com, “United States and China in the world,” [http://www.polaris-live.com/] a live internet video program featuring 30 minute conversations on the business and geopolitical impact of China’s rapid rise to superpower status. Kashmeri is author of the Foreign Policy Association’s report “The Telegram: A China Agenda For President Biden [https://www.fpa.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Printproduction09Jul_red.pdf]“ (2021); “The Telegram II: The Business of America and China is Business [https://www.fpa.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/The%20Telegram2_F-w-links.pdf]“(2022); “China’s Grand Strategy: Weaving a New Silk Road to Global Primacy [https://tinyurl.com/y3egqesx],” (Bloomsbury), his third book, was published in July 2019. It is a centennial book of the Foreign Policy Association where Sarwar is a Senior Fellow. The book was released at a Washington D.C. launch [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L20IxXy58bw] on November 7th, 2019 featuring Kashmeri and former U.S. Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel.

For the past thirteen years, a bloody and terrible civil war has raged through Syria that has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, millions have been displaced, and yet the war still rages on. While many around the world have forgotten about the war in Syria, especially with other global issues taking precedence, we have all seen the fallout from this devastating war. Recently, however, the crisis has come back into focus for the world as the Syrian army collapsed in the face of an armed group attack, seeing the city of Aleppo fall in 24 hours, a stunning feat. In this episode, we speak with Charles Lister, the Director of Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC, highlighting this global issue and reminding audiences of the need for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis. Through these conversations, you will come away with a deeper understanding of the roots of this conflict, a clearer picture of the international implications, and a better vision for the future. As Charles points out in this episode, what happens in Syria doesn't stay in Syria and leaving the situation to fester is in no one's interest. Charles Lister is a senior fellow and the Director of the Syria [https://www.mei.edu/programs/syria-program] and Countering Terrorism & Extremism [https://www.mei.edu/programs/countering-terrorism-extremism] programs at the Middle East Institute. His work focuses on all-things Syria and on issues of terrorism and insurgency across the Levant.  Prior to joining MEI, Lister was a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Qatar and a Senior Consultant to the multinationally-backed Syria Track II Dialogue Initiative, in which he managed nearly three years of intensive face-to-face engagement with the leaderships of over 100 Syrian armed opposition groups. He has previously held other positions at the Brookings Institution and at IHS Jane’s in London, UK. Lister is a Consultant to the United Nations' International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) for Syria and a regular consultant and expert witness in counter-terrorism prosecutions and with law enforcement bodies in the United States, Europe and Australia.

Over the past three years, several seemingly frozen conflicts (Sudan, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, Armenia/Azerbaijan, etc) have broke out into hot conflicts that are challenging the current international order. There is, however, one of the longest standing potential flashpoints that has not entered the fray, but is listed as one issue that could embroil the world. That is the unresolved issue of cross-strait relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC), also known as the island of Taiwan. For more than seventy years, the question of who controls Taiwan has simmered just under the surface of geopolitical tensions, as the PRC continues to claim control of Taiwan, while recognizing that reunification is necessary (the juxtaposition here is insightful). The ROC continues to maintain that the political status of Taiwan can only be decided by the people of Taiwan, who currently support maintaining the status quo (having their own democracy, while not openly trying to claim full independence). In this episode we speak with Director General Charles Liao of the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in Boston. As the US and Taiwan do not maintain official relations, they do not maintain an embassy or series of consulates throughout the US, so these offices act as the representatives of the ROC in the US. Listen to gain insights into the current state of cross-strait relations and how the ROC views their relationship with the PRC. This becomes increasingly important as the PRC continues to ramp up military drills surrounding Taiwan, increasing the chances for a miscalculation or accident that can lead to all out war. In an age where military might has returned to the global stage as a way to resolve conflicts, the question of Taiwan and how to encourage a diplomatic resolution remains one of the most important of the day. As mentioned in the podcast introduction, if you are interested in learning more about what foreign policy might look like as the United States enters a second term for President Trump, please watch our conversation with Dan Negrea of the Atlantic Council and co-Author of "We Win, They Lose: Republican Foreign Policy and the New Cold War [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/We-Win-They-Lose/Matthew-Kroenig/9781645720928]". You can watch the RECORDING HERE [https://www.youtube.com/live/1lPJM36dUc0]. Charles Liao is the Director-General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston. Prior to assuming his current position on August 3rd 2023, Mr. Liao was Deputy Secretary-General of the Taiwan Council for U.S. Affairs, seconded to Foreign Minister’s Office, from 2020 to 2023. From 2014 to 2020, Mr. Liao served in Washington, D.C. as First Secretary and then Deputy Director at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States. He was Section Chief in the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2013. From 2004 to 2010, Mr. Liao served as Senior Consular Officer at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles. Mr. Liao earned a Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy from National Chengchi University in 1999. Mr. Liao is married to Nicole Chang and they have two daughters, Norah and Carice.

For time immemorial, various groups have been taking hostages, political prisoners, and illegally detaining people with impunity. This tried-and-true method of gaining leverage over a rival state or group continues today, despite the fact that is runs contrary to established international law. As of this posting 42 Americans are being illegally detained by foreign governments and the United States, after a long practice of not negotiating, is finally getting serious about bringing its citizens home. As this delicate dance continues to play out on the international stage, the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation continues to lead the way on responses to these illegal and immoral actions taken by foreign governments, rebel groups, and terrorist organizations. In this month's episode, we speak with Diane Foley, mother of slain journalist James Foley, about the work of their family's foundation to help ensure no other family has to endure the pain they did back in 2012 when ISIS killed their son. We dive into what the research tells us about different responses, what is effective, what needs to change, and how we all can work to keep ourselves safe while traveling abroad. This important conversation provides audiences with key information and hope for the future. The more international attention we can bring to this practice, the more we can pressure governments to sign on to the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations [https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/human_rights-droits_homme/arbitrary_detention-detention_arbitraire.aspx?lang=eng], a global initiative started by Canada in 2021, the less likely it is that people will continue to be used as political pawns, simply because of their nationality. 2024 Foley Foundation Hostage Report [https://jamesfoleyfoundation.org/hostage-advocacy/hostage-report/] 10th Annual James W. Foley Freedom Run [https://jamesfoleyfoundation.org/events/the-10th-annual-james-w-foley-freedom-run/] Diane M. Foley is President and Founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which she created in September 2014 less than a month after the public beheading by ISIS in Syria of her son James W. Foley, an American freelance conflict journalist. In 2015, she led JWFLF efforts to fund the start of Hostage US and the International Alliance for a Culture of Safety, ACOS. She actively participated in the National Counterterrorism Center hostage review which culminated in the Presidential Policy Directive-30, which created the current US hostage enterprise to free innocent Americans taken hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. JWFLF was instrumental in the passage of the Robert Levinson Hostage Taking and Accountability Act. She has been a tireless hostage, wrongful detainee and family advocate within the US hostage enterprise, Congress, and every presidential administration since 2014. She has raised awareness of international hostage-taking and wrongful detention using the award-winning documentary, “Jim, the James Foley story”, opinion pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today and media interviews. She co-authored the book “American Mother [https://etruscanpress.org/product/american-mother-by-by-colum-mccann-with-diane-foley/]” which was published in 2024 with writer Colum McCann. Diane is also the author of a chapter called, “Life For A Voice: the Work of Journalist James W. Foley through the Eyes of his Family” in Living with Precariousness [https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/living-with-precariousness-9780755639311/], edited by Christina Lee and Susan Leong, which was published in 2023.

Over the course of the past 170 years, the world has experienced many different forms of terrorism designed to create fear, push for political aims, and recruit followers. Groups of varying political ideologies have used terrorism over the years, making this an issue that never really goes away, it simply morphs and changes. However, one thing remains the same... all of these groups eventually come to an end. It may surprise you that the average lifespan of a terrorist group is 8-10 years, which can seem unbelievable with the staying power of groups like al-Qaeda (founded in the 1980s), the "Provisionals" of the IRA (who used Terrorist attacks in Ireland for over 20 years), and the New People's Army (which has utilized terrorist tactics in the Philippines since 1969). These are the outliers rather than the norm. This episode takes a look at amazing research conducted by Dr. Audrey Kurth Cronin, Director of the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology, who has collated the ways in which terrorist groups come to an end. Spoiler alert, sometimes these groups morph into something worse, so it is important to understand why terrorist groups exist, what their goals are, and how the global community can work to hasten these groups' turn away from targeting civilians. Take a listen to engage in this global conversation on understanding how terrorism ends. Purchase Dr. Kurth Cronin's book How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns [https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691152394/how-terrorism-ends?srsltid=AfmBOooMRjd6QjSmlrHT8cO8OQlXazIz2fcFFA9ODtwNlk1EuWSWFva9] and her second book Power to the People:  How Open Technological Innovation is Arming Tomorrow’s Terrorists to dive even deeper into the topic. Audrey Kurth Cronin is Trustees Professor of Security and Technology and Director of the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology (CMIST).  Cronin’s best-known book is How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns (Princeton, 2009), which the New Yorker called a “landmark study.”  Her latest book, Power to the People:  How Open Technological Innovation is Arming Tomorrow’s Terrorists (Oxford, 2020), analyzes emerging technologies and devises a new framework for analyzing 21st century military innovation. It was short-listed for the Lionel Gelber prize and won the 2020 Neave prize.     Cronin was a Marshall Scholar from Princeton, earned a DPhil from Oxford, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard. Formerly Distinguished Professor at American University, she founded and directed the Center for Security, Innovation and New Technology in Washington, DC.  She also gained accreditation, founded, and ran the International Security graduate program at George Mason University.  She has been director of the core course on War and Statecraft at the National War College, Director of Studies for the Changing Character of War program at Oxford University, and Specialist in Terrorism at the Congressional Research Service. She has also served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy and frequently advises at senior levels. She was Chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Terrorism and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.