Ray and Jim talk to Elbridge Colby, author and former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, about his provocative views concerning America's need to urgently address the China threat by prioritizing the Indo-Pacific theater. They discuss and debate the interaction between sharp honesty and assurance when dealing with America's allies, their concerns about U.S. staying power, and whether accepting risks in other theaters might actually undermine deterrence with respect to Taiwan and East Asia. The wide-ranging conversation covers a range of topics related to U.S. foreign policy and defense strategy, including China's gray-zone coercion and America's defense industrial base.

Ray and Jim talk to Ian Urbina, Director of the Outlaw Ocean Project about the vast, lawless areas of the sea where dark, extra-legal, often destructive and inhumane activities take place. Ian highlights the ethical concern for the well-being of the 50 million people who work at sea, the environmental impact of the oceans as the earth's climate stabilizer and source of biodiversity, and the fascinating stories that unfold in this hidden world. He also delves into the issues of overfishing--especially China's immense distant-water fishing fleet--and human rights abuses in the fishing industry.

Ray & Jim talk about an Asian civil war and human rights disaster that many have never heard of with former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar, Scot Marciel.

Myanmar is a southeast Asian country of 55 million people strategically located between Thailand, China, India, and Bangladesh, which experienced a military coup in 2021. The ruling junta has been responsible for massive human rights violations and a humanitarian crisis, while a growing resistance has recently gained significant ground.

China has strategic interests in Myanmar, and has supported both the military and some ethnic armed groups. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has struggled to address the crisis. The best hope for Myanmar's is for the resistance to prevail and negotiate a new federal system, but there are risks of balkanization among the ethnic groups.

At the end, special guest Biak Tha Hlawn--now a student at Stanford University--shares her personal experience as a member of the persecuted Chin ethnic group, and the losses her family has suffered due to the conflict. Those who wish to support her relief efforts can contact Hlawn at bhlawn@stanford.edu.

Ray and Jim welcome retired Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., former commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and former Ambassador to South Korea, to discuss how alliances are crucial to U.S. national security. They touch on each of the five Indo-Pacific treaty alliances--Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand--and discuss why some are coming together in a new "latticework", replacing the "hub-and-spoke" model of the past. Admiral Harris explains why he has come to advocate for replacing the decades-long U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" toward Taiwan and replacing it with one of "strategic clarity". He also discusses the roles of several new Indo-Pacific groupings such as the Quad--U.S., Japan, Australia and India.

Jim and Ray welcome retired Major General Mick Ryan, Royal Australian Army and retired Rear Admiral Mike Studeman, U.S. Navy to discuss the importance of defending Taiwan. They highlight the profound consequences of a Chinese takeover of Taiwan and its implications for the United States, Australia and the region. They emphasize the need to communicate the significance of Taiwan to the public, and to strengthen deterrence against China's aggression. The conversation explores the challenges of deterrence in the modern age and the need for a comprehensive approach that goes beyond military capabilities. Mick discusses his recent book about a hypothetical war over Taiwan and the importance of land operations in the defense of Taiwan.

Jim & Ray interview former U.S.Ambassador Ted Osius--now the President and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council--about the importance of Southeast Asia's rapidly growing economies, especially as companies seek to de-risk away from China's deteriorating business environment. They discuss the growth and potential of Southeast Asia, the opportunities for US investment in the region, and the continuing challenges faced by American companies who want to operate there. They also touch on America's failed involvement with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and how that has negatively affected its economic opportunities and strategic position in Asia. They further discuss ASEAN's role in regional politics--what it can and can't do in the economic, diplomatic and security arenas.

In this episode's "There I was..." segment, Jim recalls how as diplomats in Jakarta he and Ted would meet regularly with a wealthy Indonesian businessman who often had an axe to grind.

Jim and Ray interview the Philippine Coast Guard's spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, about China's continuing harassment of Philippine ships at a time when the mist of the previous day's water-cannoning near Scarborough Shoal was still dissipating. They discuss the importance of countering Chinese aggression and protecting the international rules-based order. They ask Jay to weigh the benefits of the Philippines' transparency campaign against its risks, and to comment on ASEAN's reluctance to publicly back Manila in its maritime struggles and its inability to produce a South China Sea Code of Conduct.

They also laugh and lament over the accusations by Beijing's propagandists about Ray's supposed manipulation of Jay and the Philippine government.

Finally in "There I was...", Ray tells the story of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, when he and his new bride were evacuated from the Philippines.

Ray and Jim are joined by retired Lieutenant General Lori Reynolds, former U.S. Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Information, who provides insights into China's recently uncovered "Volt Typhoon" cyber operation and its implications for national security, both within the U.S. and across the free world. They discuss Beijing's shift from simple snatch-and-grab intellectual property theft to now conducting high-level cyber espionage and embedding its operatives within a nation's critical infrastructure. They also talk about the data security and cognitive threats posed by TikTok and the need for free countries to become more resilient, and to leverage their own asymmetric advantages by exposing the Chinese Communist Party's cyber aggressions.

00:00 Introduction and Background

05:12 China's Shifting Cyber Strategy: From Intellectual Property Theft to Critical Infrastructure Embedding

11:58 The Threat of TikTok: Data Access and Manipulation

22:23 The Threat of TikTok and the Need for Divestment

28:04 Leveraging Asymmetric Advantage: The Power of Truth and Strategic Narratives

32:44 Contesting Chinese Influence: Exposing and Countering Manipulation in Various Industries