NYAIR Episode 50
China: Theft, Subversion & Election Interference
In this timely NY-AIR episode, world-renowned author and geopolitical strategist Gordon Chang delivers a forceful analysis on China’s global ambitions, debt-trap diplomacy, pandemic response, and cyber-enabled subversion. Moderated by Robert Akeson, the conversation reveals what every executive and allocator must understand about the new era of U.S.-China competition, global supply chains, and the investment risks embedded within the world’s most consequential rivalry.
Featured Guests
Gordon Chang
Author, Columnist, and Global Affairs Commentator
Gordon Chang is an internationally recognized China expert, author of The Coming Collapse of China and Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World. With nearly two decades of legal and strategy experience living in China and Hong Kong—serving as Partner at Baker & McKenzie and Counsel at Paul Weiss—Gordon is a go-to source for global media and policy briefings. His analysis appears regularly in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, as well as on CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, and PBS. Gordon is celebrated for his incisive views on China’s political economy, cyber strategies, and international law.
Key Insights From This Episode
China’s Belt & Road: Power Over Profits
Many Belt & Road projects operate as geopolitical leverage and military logistics—not sustainable economics. Expect defaults, rising global skepticism, and U.S. strategic pushback.
Debt Trap Diplomacy Binds Both Sides
“Debt traps” hurt China as the creditor as much as indebted nations—evidence is mounting of overreach and blowback in Africa and South Asia.
Digital Silk Road and Surveillance Risks
China’s digital expansion and tech exports, from TikTok to Huawei, embed surveillance and strategic influence deep into Western markets and societies.
COVID Response: Misinformation and Accountability
Chang argues China hid the true nature of COVID-19’s spread. Political control and global governance weaknesses at the WHO enabled Beijing’s narrative.
The Decoupling Imperative
The U.S. must reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains, accelerate nearshoring, and use alliances to enforce economic and digital boundaries.
Access the Full Conversation
Unlock the full episode and downloadable insights deck for an inside examination of China’s long-term playbook—spanning hard power, technology, capital flows, and the evolving post-pandemic order. This is must-hear content for decision makers in finance, corporate strategy, and public policy.
Soundbites Worth Saving
“Debt-trap diplomacy traps the creditor as well as the debtor—China is now learning that lesson the hard way.”
— Gordon Chang
“Huawei and TikTok are vectors for Beijing’s global ambitions. Digital infrastructure isn’t just about commerce; it’s about influence and control.”
— Gordon Changl
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