Weekend Listen: China vs the US: Kishore Mahbubani on a Zero-Sum Rivalry

About this episode

Kishore Mahbubani discusses the long-standing rivalry between China and the US, emphasizing the West's misunderstanding of China's rise.

Beyond this month's talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, there’s an epic tale that has been unfolding for decades. It’s a battle to be the world’s number one power and a much bigger story than the latest meeting of these two men.  Kishore Mahbubani is a former Singaporean diplomat who served as president of the United Nations Security Council. For two decades, he has argued that the West fundamentally misunderstands the rise of China and its challenge to American supremacy. Mahbubani, who eventually turned to academia, now specializes in governance and public policy. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, he traces the story behind the Xi-Trump talks, the handshakes and the social media posts–and what may lie ahead. Mahbubani also reveals how his own successes were made possible by Singapore’s remarkable growth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Mishal Husain

Guest: Kishore Mahbubani

Topics covered

• China
• US
• geopolitics
• diplomacy
• public policy
• global power dynamics

Keywords

• China
• US
• Kishore Mahbubani
• geopolitics
• diplomacy
• public policy
• global power

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: United Nations Security Council

Places: Singapore, China, US

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