Klaus Larres, Distinguished Professor of History & International Affairs at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, the U.S.

Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova, Director of the China Studies Centre at Riga Stradins University, Latvia

Qiang Liu, Secretary-General of Global Forum on Energy Security, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the P.R.C.

Dmytro Yefremov, Board Member, Ukrainian Association of Sinologists, Ukraine

Moderator: Host and co-founder of the Sinica Podcast

As global power dynamics shift, China faces growing uncertainties in navigating its strategic position. This discussion will explore the risks posed by a potential second Trump presidency on smaller states caught between U.S.-China tensions, the evolving impact of the Russo-Ukrainian War on Beijing’s key partnerships, and how the war has reshaped China's economic capacity. Experts will analyze how China adapts its foreign policy and economic strategies amid intensifying geopolitical competition and economic realignments.