Thank you to Dr. Giuseppe Paparella and the King's College London Department of War Studies @warstudieskcl.bsky.social for the opportunity to present my ongoing research into the drivers of Sino-Russian alignment last week! Credit to @jamescrabtree.bsky.social for the pictures.

Some thoughts about the state of U.S.-South Korea relations:

I heard one particular phrase over and over again from our Japanese counterparts while in Tokyo with Stanford's @hooverinstitution.bsky.social this month. My take on what "strategic autonomy and indispensability" means for U.S.-Japan defense ties and Indo-Pacific security: x.com/osmastro/sta...

Spending a week in Tokyo with Stanford's @hooverinstitution.bsky.social pushed me to think about how Japan can play a role in the future of allied industrial production: x.com/osmastro/sta...

I shared some of my predictions about the Trump-Xi summit this week for @carnegieendowment.org's Emissary with @sheenagreitens.bsky.social, @tongzhao.bsky.social, and Yukon Huang. As expected, the meeting was largely a temporary easing of tension—a good outcome for status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

What to Watch When Trump and Xi Meet in Washington

The real test may come after the leaders leave the room.

carnegieendowment.org

After a week in Taiwan, I headed to Japan with Stanford's @hooverinstitution.bsky.social for another round of meetings. My view of Taiwan deterrence from Tokyo:

I spoke with @voachinese.nzcow.com about how I think Taiwan might figure into the upcoming Trump-Xi summit. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/FfB_SO7drrA?...

《聚焦特习会：专家怎么看？》 特习会将如何讨论台湾议题？

特习会进入倒计时，台湾议题预计将成为特朗普与习近平会谈的重要议题之一。北京可能提出什么？对台军售是否会是会谈焦点？台湾又有哪些担忧？美国之音采访多位知名美中问题专家，分析台湾议题可能如何进入这场备受关注的峰会。 相关报道👉 https://www.voachinese.com/a/8200269.html 美中经济与安全审查委员会主席薛瑞福(Randall…

youtu.be

Some final thoughts from my time in Taiwan with Stanford's @hooverinstitution.bsky.social:

At the end of my week in Taiwan with @hooverinstitution.bsky.social, I came away with a few more lessons about the future of deterrence:

I've spent the last week in Taiwan with a delegation from Stanford's @hooverinstitution.bsky.social, discussing questions of deterrence and readiness with counterparts from across Taiwanese industry, gov't, and think tanks. A few takeaways from my trip to Kaohsiung:

As Trump and Xi meet in Beijing, what’s at stake for the future of global order? Join @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social @ChicagoCouncil and I as we discuss Chinese strategy for global dominance and what might materialize from cross-Pacific engagement. brnw.ch/21x2uyk

What China Really Thinks About America Right Now

Trump and Xi are meeting in Beijing to try to reset US-China relations at a moment of growing instability. Oriana Skylar Mastro breaks down China’s ambitions and what could come next.

brnw.ch

Join us for conversations on China-Russia alignment, U.S. strategy, and regional order at the Indo-Pacific Policy Lab launch at Stanford, May 14 and 15. May 15 in-person is full. A few May 14 spots left & virtual is open: www.indopacpolicy.com/ipplablaunch. #IndoPacific #NationalSecurity

North Korean troops deployed to Russia are returning home as instructors. In my new @ForeignAffairs.com piece, I explain why that knowledge transfer is arguably more dangerous than the munitions pipeline. www.foreignaffairs.com/north-korea/...

Kim’s Dangerous Liaisons

Russia, China, and the growing North Korea threat.

foreignaffairs.com

Spoke with @WSJ.com about how China's cyber capabilities now rival the US, yet Europe continues to treat Beijing as an indirect threat while countries like Japan and Australia have spent years hardening their defenses. www.wsj.com/world/chinas...

North Korea is no longer an isolated threat. In my new @foreignaffairs.com piece, I argue that Pyongyang now has two great-power patrons it can play off each other, and that changes everything about how the US and South Korea need to think about deterrence. www.foreignaffairs.com/north-korea/...

Kim’s Dangerous Liaisons

Russia, China, and the growing North Korea threat.

foreignaffairs.com

I'm hiring Stanford undergrads to work with me this spring/summer on China-Russia relations, Taiwan's defense and implications for Japanese security. More details here: www.indopacpolicy.com/funding-oppo... Deadline: Rolling If interested, email your CV & cover letter to hrishita@stanford.edu.

Student Opportunities | Indo-Pacific Policy Lab

Dr. Oriana Skylar Mastro, a Center Fellow with CISAC at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, is seeking a tenacious research assistant with first-rate analytical capabilities and…

indopacpolicy.com

Honored to share that Upstart: How China Became a Great Power has been awarded a Silver Medal at the 2026 Axiom Business Book Awards in the International Business/Globalization category! Grateful for the recognition. 2026 Medalists: axiomawards.com/blog/2026-me.... #AxiomAwards #China #Geopolitics