Is China A Threat?
Fri Jul 11 2025
Kishore Mahbubani is a distinguished Singaporean diplomat, academic, and author, renowned for his incisive commentary on global geopolitics and the rise of Asia. He served in the Singapore Foreign Service as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Singapore’s Ambassador to the UN, where he was President of the UN Security Council in 2001 and 2002. He was also the Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy from 2004 to 2017 and his bestselling books include The Great Convergence and Has China Won? Currently a Distinguished Fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Asia Research Institute, Mahbubani is celebrated as a leading voice on Asia’s growing influence, earning accolades like inclusion in Foreign Policy’s Top 100 Global Thinkers.(01:24) The US-China rivalry
(13:44) The Taiwan issue
(17:10) Global hegemony vs. domestic stability
(22:42) Will China ever democratize?
(24:35) Why poverty is a lack of freedom
(25:14) China's political evolution
(26:38) Pros & cons of democracy
(29:34) The future of US-China relations
(32:07) Evaluating Xi Jinping's Leadership
(34:44) The importance of diplomacy
(41:05) Lessons from Lee Kuan Yew
(46:15) Paths to peace & cooperation
(47:36) Advice for American citizens
More
Kishore Mahbubani is a distinguished Singaporean diplomat, academic, and author, renowned for his incisive commentary on global geopolitics and the rise of Asia. He served in the Singapore Foreign Service as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Singapore’s Ambassador to the UN, where he was President of the UN Security Council in 2001 and 2002. He was also the Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy from 2004 to 2017 and his bestselling books include The Great Convergence and Has China Won? Currently a Distinguished Fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Asia Research Institute, Mahbubani is celebrated as a leading voice on Asia’s growing influence, earning accolades like inclusion in Foreign Policy’s Top 100 Global Thinkers.(01:24) The US-China rivalry (13:44) The Taiwan issue (17:10) Global hegemony vs. domestic stability (22:42) Will China ever democratize? (24:35) Why poverty is a lack of freedom (25:14) China's political evolution (26:38) Pros & cons of democracy (29:34) The future of US-China relations (32:07) Evaluating Xi Jinping's Leadership (34:44) The importance of diplomacy (41:05) Lessons from Lee Kuan Yew (46:15) Paths to peace & cooperation (47:36) Advice for American citizens