Asia Abridged
The most memorable moments from Asia Society’s acclaimed programming, delivered in 15 minutes or less. We choose the most enlightening, fascinating, and entertaining events and conversations and turn them in to easy-to-digest podcast episodes. If you have a passion for Asia — including arts, culture, current affairs, policy, Asian-American issues, and more — subscribe today.
Episodes
31 episodes
Why Richard Holbrooke Clashed With Barack Obama
When President Obama appointed Richard Holbrooke to manage the U.S. relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan, the assignment seemed like a perfect challenge for the veteran diplomat. Instead, the two men could not see eye to eye before Holbrook...
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14:24
Iran Foreign Minister's Defiant Message for the U.S.
In a lively appearance at Asia Society, Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Iran would continue to sell its oil to foreign buyers in spite of American pressure, offered to negotiate a prisoner exchange with the U.S, and said that Iran, the U.S., and Sa...
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8:16
Japan's Unheralded Opportunities
Economist Jesper Koll explains his counterintuitive take on the country's growing prospects — particularly for its youth.
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10:01
How Will 'Crazy Rich Asians' Change the Entertainment Industry?
Whether it's on the silver screen, a television screen or your computer screen, Asian and Asian American talent has achieved mainstream status in Hollywood.
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7:21
Why the Trump/Kim Talks Fell Apart
Daniel Russel of the Asia Society Policy Institute discusses the limits of President Trump's "mano a mano" approach to solving the North Korean nuclear crisis.
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10:06
Remembering China's Cultural Revolution
Financier Weijian Shan recounts his experience as a teenager during China's Cultural Revolution and his subsequent arrival in the United States.
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9:59
Is Indian Film Asia's Next Big Cultural Export?
A changing global film industry is giving India's filmmakers and actors a chance to be seen by audiences well beyond its borders. People speaking in this podcast:Visheh Bhatt, filmmaker: https://twitter.com/VishehB7Kabir Khan, filmmaker: https://t...
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9:32
Hearing From America's Undocumented Asians
Two Asian immigrants share their stories of coming to the United States, and coming to terms with their undocumented status. As the United States struggles with the question of immigration, hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants — many o...
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15:07
Why China Could Win a Trade War
In this episode of Asia Abridged, Wendy Cutler and Orville Schell tell us why, contrary to President Trump's assertions, Beijing is well-positioned to compete in a trade conflict with the United States.
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8:57
A 'Bonanza' For Kim Jong Un
Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President for International Diplomacy and Security Daniel Russel and former U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman explain why the Singapore summit was such a disappointment for the Unit...
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11:26
How China Is Winning the Global Artificial Intelligence Race
Defense and security experts discuss how Artificial Intelligence is changing the landscape of warfare and weapons. With China making a big push on A.I. research, how are competitors like the U.S. and India keeping up?
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9:38
The Subtle Forces Shaping Iran's Future
Trita Parsi, founder of the National Iranian American Council and a leading expert on Iran, discusses the changes occurring inside Iran and assesses the economic consequences of President Trump’s threats to pull out of the Iran Nuclear Deal.
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10:13
Hong Kong's Vanishing Autonomy
As chief secretary of Hong Kong during the 1990s, Anson Chan had a front-row seat for the territory’s handover from British to Chinese rule. In a recent conversation held at Asia Society, Chan explains why she’s pessimistic that Hong Kong’s autono...
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7:51
Audiences Are Ready For Diverse Storytelling — Is Hollywood?
Film industry insiders discuss Hollywood’s slow shift toward diversity and what Asian American communities can do to convince studios that their stories are not only worth telling, but also have huge box office potential.
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7:40
Lesley Stahl on China’s Changes
Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl describes her 1974 trip to Cultural Revolution-era China and explains how the recent experiences of real estate developer Zhang Xin epitomize the changes that are occurring in the country.
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8:32
China, North Korea, and the 'Conundrum of Bad Options'
Asia Society Policy Institute Diplomat in Residence Daniel Russel previews the year ahead for U.S-China relations and explains why ties between the two may suffer in 2018. He also explains why the North Korean nuclear problem is so intractable.
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13:25
Can China Handle an Economic Crisis?
Morgan Stanley economist Ruchir Sharma talks about what might happen if China’s government experiences a recession, and explains why India has so many good companies.
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12:12
Assessing President Trump's Asia Policy
Asia Society Policy Institute Diplomat in Residence Daniel Russel looks back on President Trump’s Asia policy during his first nine months in office and tells us what to look for in the months ahead.
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10:07
Afghanistan's President on His Country's Ongoing War
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani discusses his country's ongoing conflict, the Taliban insurgency, and why he's one of the few world leaders who has been happy with Donald Trump.
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14:13
Jackie Chan on Cheating Death
Movie legend Jackie Chan has appeared in more than 150 films dating back to 1962, and he’s performed his own stunts in almost all of them. In this episode, Chan talks candidly about his most famous scene — and other stunts he says he honestly thou...
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14:56
What Will Iran Do if Trump Nixes the Nuclear Deal?
As Donald Trump threatens to withdraw the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif — who was instrumental in negotiating the agreement — discusses what will happen if Trump delivers on his threats.
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14:08
North Korea and the Nuclear Weapon It Can’t Use
Asia Society Policy Institute Diplomat in Residence Daniel Russel explains why, despite President Trump’s rhetoric, U.S. policy toward North Korea hasn’t changed as much as people think. He also explains why North Korea has a nuclear weapon that i...
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12:02
The 'Horrific' Plight of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims
The Rohingya Muslims have long been a stateless persecuted minority in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. But over the past few weeks, their plight has gone from bad to worse as they’ve endured widespread rape and killing, forcing hundreds of thousan...
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14:53