Patrick Cronin appears on the Defense and Aerospace Podcast to discus political chaos in Washington and its impact on international relations, Chinese and Russian influence operations (minute 17), and Beijing’s sensitivity to soft power—from soccer star Lionel Messi’s snub during a football match in Hong Kong to Taylor Swift’s immense popularity (minute 37).
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A truck drives through the Alataw Pass Comprehensive Bonded Zone in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Located in the Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bortala in Xinjiang, the Alataw Pass borders Kazakhstan. (Getty Images)