Spheres of Influence: The US, China and Europe in a New Global Order
Event Description
Against the backdrop of fast-moving global events and the debates coming out of Davos, this webinar brings together two outstanding perspectives to make sense of the shifting international order. Ryan Hass (Brookings Institution) joins Gillian Tett (Financial Times) for a wide-ranging discussion on how power is being exercised across pan-Asia and beyond.
Ryan will examine the US administration’s approach to pan-Asia, with particular attention to China and the evolving strategic landscape. Gillian will explore how the UK and EU are responding to Donald Trump’s stance on transatlantic foreign policy and alliance building, and what this means for Europe’s positioning in a more fragmented world.
This webinar will reflect on whether a return to spheres of influence is reshaping strategy in Washington, Beijing and Moscow, and what this could mean for sovereignty, trade leverage and the role of media and Generation Z in accelerating geopolitical change.
- Spheres of influence and great power strategy: US, China and Russia in a more contested order
- Trade tariffs as leverage: economic tools, coercion, and the knock-on effects for allies and markets
- Pan-Asia dynamics: flashpoints, alignment choices, and how regional actors are navigating pressure
- Transatlantic recalibration: UK and EU responses to shifts in US alliance politics and security priorities
- Sovereignty and narratives: why the concept still matters, plus the influence of Gen Z, media and social networks on policy and perception
Speakers
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Ryan HassDirector of the John L. Thornton China Center and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at BrookingsRyan Hass is director of the John L. Thornton China Center and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at Brookings. From 2013 to 2017, Hass served as the director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia at the National Security Council (NSC) staff. In that role, he advised President Obama and senior White House officials on all aspects of U.S. policy toward China, Taiwan, and Mongolia, and coordinated the implementation of U.S. policy toward this region among U.S. government departments and agencies. Prior to joining NSC, Hass served as a Foreign Service Officer in U.S. Embassy Beijing, where he earned the State Department Director General’s award for impact and originality in reporting, an award given annually to the officer whose reporting had the greatest impact on the formulation of U.S. foreign policy. Hass also served in Embassy Seoul and Embassy Ulaanbaatar, and domestically in the State Department Offices of Taiwan Coordination and Korean Affairs. His book about America’s relationship and rivalry with China, Stronger: Adapting America’s China Strategy in an Age of Competitive Interdependence, was published by Yale University Press in March 2021.
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Gillian Tett OBEProvost of King’s CollegeGillian Tett OBE is a British author and journalist who serves as a member of the editorial board for the Financial Times and Provost of King’s College, Cambridge.She writes weekly columns, covering a range of economic, financial, political and social issues. Tett co-founded Moral Money, the paper’s sustainability newsletter.
Her work covering the 2008 financial crisis received extensive media attention for its prescient coverage of the financial instruments that led to the 2008 financial crisis.