In this episode, hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso welcome National Review senior political correspondent & Washington Post columnist Jim Geraghty for a wide-ranging discussion that moves from how intelligence agencies are increasingly convinced that Beijing covered up COVID-19's laboratory origins to China's heavy influence on U.S. and international institutions to America's shifting global media strategy under Donald Trump.

Geraghty, who began investigating COVID's origins in March 2020, discusses recent German intelligence reports confirming an 80-95% likelihood that COVID-19 escaped from a Wuhan laboratory. He explains why this matters beyond the pandemic: "I'm trying to think of anything any government has done that is more harmful than the ultimate effect of the COVID pandemic." The conversation explores how China's cover-up cost the world "a year of our lives" and why real accountability remains elusive.

The discussion examines how the WHO fumbled its COVID response, with China effectively having "veto power" over declaring a global pandemic. Geraghty argues that international health institutions may never recover the trust they lost during the pandemic, creating dangerous vulnerabilities for future health crises.

From Hollywood's Transformers movies featuring heroic Chinese military scenes to NBA censorship of Hong Kong support, Geraghty details how China has successfully influenced American institutions. "We didn't bring our values to China. We're bringing their values here," he explains, describing how American organizations increasingly behave with Chinese-style authoritarianism.

With 90% of Radio Free Asia's staff facing layoffs and Voice of America's future uncertain, the hosts and Geraghty discuss the strategic implications of dismantling America's global media presence. While Russia and China invest billions in propaganda, the US is "disarming" its information warfare capabilities just as authoritarian influence operations intensify.

The conversation turns to how Trump's unpredictable approach affects Indo-Pacific allies, with Australia's recent elections influenced by concerns about potential US abandonment. Geraghty warns that allies watching Trump's treatment of Ukraine and Canada are asking: "That could happen to us."

Geraghty describes the emerging "axis of A-holes" - Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea - working together against Western interests, citing examples like Houthis avoiding attacks on Chinese and Russian vessels in the Red Sea.

This episode provides essential analysis for anyone following US-China relations, pandemic accountability, and America's evolving role in global information warfare.

Follow Jim Geraghty on X, @JimGeraghty, and at the National Review or Washington Post

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In this episode, hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso sit down with Cleo Paskal, a leading Indo-Pacific analyst and non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, to unpack the growing threat of China’s gray zone influence in the Pacific Islands and why it matters for the United States and its allies.

Paskal explains the strategic significance of the Pacific Islands, which include U.S. territories and the three Compact of Free Association states—Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. These islands serve as America’s “gateway to Asia,” enabling military access and power projection across the Pacific to key allies like Japan and Taiwan. Historically, whoever controls these islands can threaten the U.S. mainland and dominate Pacific trade routes—a reality recognized since the days of President McKinley and the Spanish-American War.

Cleo prefers the Filipino term “ICAD” (Illegal, Coercive, Aggressive, and Deceptive) over “gray zone” to describe China’s activities. She details how Beijing uses a “braided” approach that combines commercial investments, strategic infrastructure, and criminal enterprises. Chinese-linked businesses often promise development but end up facilitating elite capture, corruption, and even state capture, while most of the population sees little benefit. Activities include:

• Bribery and elite capture of local officials
• Strategic port and real estate acquisitions near sensitive military sites
• Criminal networks trafficking drugs, gambling, and human trafficking
• Political interference, media manipulation, and lawfare against local opposition

The podcast explores how China’s influx of money and promises of quick infrastructure projects are hard for small island economies to resist—especially when Western aid is slow, bureaucratic, or absent. However, Cleo notes that Chinese economic engagement often benefits only a narrow elite and can leave countries worse off, both economically and environmentally. She argues that the West, especially the U.S., must offer meaningful economic alternatives and support for good governance, not just military or diplomatic engagement.

Despite U.S. political polarization, Cleo notes that support for the Pacific Islands remains bipartisan, especially regarding the renewal of the Compacts of Free Association. She also stresses that Pacific Islanders view the U.S. differently from former colonial powers, seeing America as a beacon of liberty and democracy—an image China is actively trying to undermine through narrative warfare.

This episode makes clear that the Pacific Islands are not just remote dots on the map but are central to U.S. security, the rules-based order, and the future of the Indo-Pacific. China’s gray zone campaign is a sophisticated, multi-layered threat that demands urgent, coordinated action from the U.S. and its allies—combining hard security, economic opportunity, and support for local agency and resilience.

Follow our podcast on X, @IndoPacPodcast; or on LinkedIn or BlueSky

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In this compelling episode, hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso interview Luke de Pulford, founder and executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), who provides an in-depth look at this growing international coalition’s mission of transcending borders and party politics to reform policy on China.

IPAC is a cross-party alliance of lawmakers from democratic countries focused on reforming policy approaches toward China. Founded on June 4, 2020 (the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests), IPAC began with representatives from eight countries and has now expanded to include nearly 300 legislators from 40 countries worldwide.

De Pulford explains that IPAC emerged from growing frustration that many governments weren't taking the necessary steps to defend the rules-based international system, their sovereignty, and human rights in response to China's abuses. The alliance aims to create conditions for collaboration across countries and political ideologies to push governments to reform their China policies.

The conversation highlights several major areas of IPAC's focus:

1. Human Rights in Xinjiang: De Pulford discusses evidence of what he and others consider genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in northwest China, particularly through forced sterilization programs. IPAC has led calls for political action in response to these abuses.
2. Hong Kong's Autonomy: The alliance has been active in responding to China's National Security Law in Hong Kong, which violated promises made in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. De Pulford expresses disappointment that his own country, the United Kingdom, hasn't done more to hold China accountable.
3. Economic Coercion: The interview explores how China uses economic leverage to silence criticism, citing examples like Australia facing 220% tariffs on wine after calling for an investigation into COVID-19's origins.
4. Transnational Repression: De Pulford shares concerning examples of China's efforts to control dissidents abroad, including the recent forced repatriation of Uyghurs from Thailand.

The alliance has seen many of its members progress into influential government positions, including Marco Rubio becoming U.S. Secretary of State and other members taking defense and foreign ministry positions across Europe and Asia. This "maturing of the network" has increased IPAC's ability to influence policy.

De Pulford argues that addressing human rights issues in China requires economic solutions, as "the human rights questions in China are fundamentally economic questions." He points to successes like Volkswagen and BASF withdrawing from Xinjiang under pressure from IPAC politicians.

The interview concludes with De Pulford discussing the personal costs of his advocacy, including cyber attacks, impersonation attempts, and being named as a "co-conspirator" in Jimmy Lai's trial in Hong Kong. Despite these challenges, he remains committed to IPAC's mission of uniting lawmakers to counter China's influence and protect democratic values.

👉 For those interested in following IPAC's work, De Pulford recommends visiting ipac.global or following @IPACglobal on X.

🔥 Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific.