Robert D. Kaplan is one of our most interesting experts studying the behavior of nations. He combines the normal analysis of leadership, politics, and culture by looking not just at history and journalism, but also at other factors that influence the plight of countries, including the development of a middle class, mineral access, and geography. He has traveled widely as a foreign correspondent for The Atlantic and written twenty-four books, including Waste Land, The Loom of Time, The Tragic Mind, The Revenge of Geography, Asia’s Cauldron, The Coming Anarchy, and Balkan Ghosts. His latest book, to be published in November, is China Whisperers: The Voices That Have Shaped America’s Views of Its Chief Geopolitical Rival. It is the moment to understand the relationship between the United States and China, the forces shaping how the leadership of both countries views the other, and the possibilities of an agreement between them on trade, AI, and territory. We will talk to Robert D. Kaplan about many things, including the possibility of war between the United States and China and the implications for the human race if there is no cooperation on artificial intelligence as the technology speeds forward. We will also discuss Donald Trump and his view of the world; Xi Jinping and his view of China’s place in the world; tariffs and trade between the two countries; Taiwan, Iran, and Ukraine; alliances with China and alliances with the United States; regions of influence; and what happens to the relationship when there is a change in leadership, whether Xi Jinping or Donald Trump is no longer the leader of his country.
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