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Geoeconomic Competition

Francesca Ghiretti

Welcome to "Geoeconomic Competition", a thought-provoking podcast diving deep into the intricacies of geoeconomics. In each episode, Francesca Ghiretti engages with other economic security and geoeconomics experts to navigate the intricate and often hidden manoeuvres of economic security and of global economic power plays. From the growing set of policies to the changes in globalisation, we explore how countries leverage their economic strengths, engage in trade wars, and form strategic alliances to gain geopolitical advantages.

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23 episodes
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Avg 30 min
English

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S1 · E59
Wednesday · 21 min
AI series pt 1 - China's AI Strategy with Ngor Luong
In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti sits down with Ngor Luong, Senior Policy Analyst on the Technology and Innovation team at the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, to unpack China's approach to AI: why Chinese labs have embraced open models, how her "Two Loops" framework explains the way China's open AI strategy strengthens its industrial position, and what the global spread of Chinese AI means for U.S. policymakers and businesses. She joined the conversation in her personal capacity, and her views do not represent those of the Commission.
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S1 · E58
September 1 · 48 min
Broken China with Logan Wright
China's economic miracle is over — so what now? Francesca Ghiretti sits down with Logan Wright, author of Broken China: How the Economic Miracle Shattered and What It Means for the World, to unpack why the slowdown runs deeper than most assume, why there is no quick fix, and why betting on tech won't save Beijing. Plus, what a weaker China means for Europe and the world. Find the book here: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=broken-china-how-the-economic-miracle-shattered-and-what-it-means-for-the-world--9781509570676 Logan's related Foreign Affairs article: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas-moment-weakness Francesca's Foreign Affairs article: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/how-china-misperceives-itself
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S1 · E57
August 18 · 41 min
Special Episode - Trade Deficits and Growing EU-China Tensions (repost of CSIS Trade Off)
In this episode of The Trade Off, CSIS Economics Program Director Philip Luck sits down with Francesca Ghiretti, director of the RAND Economic Security and Resilience Initiative and CSIS Economics Program non-resident senior associate, to unpack growing EU–China trade tensions, Europe’s evolving economic security approach, and what recent trade disputes mean for the future of the economic relationship. Full webcast: https://www.csis.org/events/trade-deficits-and-growing-eu-china-tensions
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S1 · E56
July 29 · 30 min
Special Episode - What is Economic Security?
This is a repost by Geoeconomic Competition of Trade-Off, the podcast of DG Trade and Economic Security at the European Commission (https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/trade-podcast_en). So this time, the host is Brian Talty, and your usual host, Francesca Ghiretti, is a guest, together with Denis Redonnet, Deputy Director-General at DG Trade and Economic Security and Rene Summer, Director of Government and policy Advocacy at Ericsson. Trade isn't just about tariffs—it's about trust. This episode of Trade-Off explores how Europe can stay open while reducing vulnerabilities, and why economic security is about resilience, not protectionism.
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S1 · E55
July 17 · 36 min
Beyond Big Tech: Inside the European Quest for the Tech Stack with Cristina Caffarra
What is "EuroStack," and where does Europe actually stand in the global tech race? In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti hosts Cristina Caffarra, prominent competition economist and one of the most influential voices in European tech policy, to call out Europe's real strengths and hard dependencies, and ask what it would take to build more independence and growth. A clear-eyed look at digital sovereignty and whether Europe can pull it off.
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S1 · E54
July 2 · 38 min
Brussels vs Beijing: Inside the Trade Standoff with Finbarr Bermingham
On the 18th of June, EU leaders met to discuss "macroeconomic imbalances" aka China and tasked the Commission to design a new instrument and a solidrity measure. On the 29th of June, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič met with the PRC Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and agreed on a dialogue with four worstreams (trade and investments imbalances, export controls, IP rights, and WTO reform) with an October deadline for results. All of the above on a climate of growing tensions between the EU and China regarding trade imbalances (among other things) and the possibility of a tarde war looming. Finbarr Bermingham, Chief Europe Correspondent for the South China Morning Post, joins Francesca Ghiretti to understand how we got here and what to expect next.
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S1 · E53
June 4 · 19 min
How Technological Progress Happens (and Ends) with Carl Benedikt Frey
In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti speaks with Carl Benedikt Frey, Dieter Schwarz Associate Professor of AI & Work at the Oxford Internet Institute, Fellow of Mansfield College, University of Oxford. The episode explores the role of AI in international competition. The conversation covers how innovation and diffusion play different roles in national competitiveness, and offers a frank assessment of how the US, China, and Europe are each positioning themselves in the race for AI leadership.
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S1 · E52
May 27 · 26 min
What does the Trump-Xi meeting mean for Europe with Noah Barkin
In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti speaks with Noah Barkin, Senior Advisor at Rhodium Group about the outcome of the Trump-Xi summit and especially, the implications for Europe. Is Europe collateral damage or the ongoing (precarious) stabilisation process bring advantages for Europe too? What does it mean for the de-risking agenda?
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S1 · E51
May 13 · 27 min
What Neo-royalism means for Europe and the World with Abe Newman
In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti speaks with Abraham Newman, Professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and co-author together with Stecis Goddard, Betty Freyhof Johnson ‘44 Professor of Political Science and Associate Provost for Wellesley in the World, of Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System. The episode unpacks neo-royalism and its implications for Europe and the world. What is neo-royalism and how is it reshaping global politics? How does this trend affect Europe's strategic positioning? What does the rise of neo-royalism mean for the future of geoeconomic competition and international order? Link to article: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-organization/article/further-back-to-the-future-neoroyalism-the-trump-administration-and-the-emerging-international-system/ABB12906CA345BBCA5049B544363D391
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S1 · E52
May 12 · 10 min
Short - China's Supply Chain Security Law and Anti-Extraterritoriality Law
In this quick 10 minutes episode, Francesca Ghiretti unpacks China's State Council Decree Number 834: the Regulations on Industrial and Supply Chain Security, and Decree Number 835: the Regulations on Countering Foreign Improper Extraterritorial Jurisdiction. Why are these law so important? And what are the main elements we should pay attention to?
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S1 · E51
May 6 · 23 min
What to expect from the Trump-Xi Summit with Wendy Cutler
In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti speaks with Wendy Cutler, Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute, about the upcoming Trump-Xi summit. What are the key issues likely to dominate the agenda? How might the summit reshape the trajectory of US-China trade tensions? What would a successful outcome look like for both sides? And what could be the implications for the rest of the world?
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S1 · E50
April 10 · 30 min
"Buy (with) Europe" and the Industrial Accelerator Act with Sander Tordoir
In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti speaks with Sander Tordoir, Chief Economist at the Centre for European Reform, about the EU Industrial Accelerator Act and "Buy European". What are the key elements of the Industrial Accelerator Act? How does Buy European aim to promote European competitiveness and resilience? What do these initiatives tell us about the EU's shift toward a more assertive industrial policy?
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S1 · E49
March 26 · 30 min
The 15th Five Year Plan with Jost Wuebbeke
In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti speaks with Dr. Jost Wübbeke is Managing Partner at Sinolytics, about the content of China's 15th Five Year Plan (2026-203). What are the new priorities? Does the plan tackles some of China's economic challenges? What about consumption? What does the plan tell us about the trajectory of China's tech self-reliance?
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S1 · E48
February 27 · 21 min
What's next for EU-India? with Garima Mohan
In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti speaks with Garima Mohan, Senior Fellow in the Indo-Pacific Program at GMF, about the future of the EU–India agreement and what it reveals about shifting geoeconomic priorities. The conversation explores the details of the EU-India FTA and the future of the relationship as Brussels and New Delhi deepen engagement amid global economic competition.
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S1 · E47
February 19 · 48 min
The Critical Minerals Game with Cory Combs
In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti speaks with Cory Combs, Associate Director at Trivium, about the intensifying global competition over critical minerals and the strategic responses taking shape in Washington and beyond. The conversation explores how US policy is evolving, how allies are aligning - or diverging - and what this means for China’s central role in global mineral supply chains and the future of economic security.
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S1 · E46
February 12 · 48 min
Redefining European Economic Security with François Chimits
How is the European Union redefining economic security in an era of geopolitical tension? In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti sits down with François Chimits, Head of the Europe Program at Institut Montaigne, to examine the EU’s progress, its strategic direction, and the challenges it still must overcome.
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S1 · E45
February 9 · 28 min
Will the RMB become the next Global Reserve Currency? With Gerard DiPippo
At the end of January 2026, Qiushi published a 2024 speech by Xi Jinping that, among other themes, underscored the strategic importance of having a global reserve currency. In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Gerard DiPippo breaks down China’s evolving ambitions for an internationalised renminbi, and how realistic Beijing’s ambitions are.
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S1 · E44
January 27 · 21 min
Do we need manufacturing? with Chris Miller
Europe and the US are racing to bring manufacturing back home - but should they be? Inspired by an article from The Economist, Chris Miller, Professor of International History at Tufts’ Fletcher School and author of Chip War, digs into the real economic benefits of manufacturing. We unpack why policymakers are so keen on factories, whether manufacturing still delivers meaningful gains in jobs and growth, and what it might mean for advanced economies to fully embrace a service-led future.
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S1 · E43
January 14 · 23 min
Can Chinese investments in European BEV become genuine engines of growth? with Agnes Szunomar
With the EU and China reaching price undertakings on Chinese EV imports, this episode features Ágnes Szunomár, Associate Professor at Corvinus University of Budapest, to unpack the scale, motives, and consequences of Chinese investment in Europe’s BEV sector. The discussion probes whether Chinese investments in the sector can become genuine growth poles for European supply chains or remain technologically self-contained enclaves. We examine what Europe gains in terms of strategic know how, industrial competitiveness, and market share. Finally, we assess how these developments reshape Europe’s economic dependencies and strategic autonomy in the green transition.
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S1 · E42
Dec 30, 2025 · 38 min
What will China's anti-involution campaign (not) solve with Yanmei Xie
In the final 2025 episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Yanmei Xie tackles the big questions behind China’s anti-involution campaign. What distinguishes involution from overcapacity, and why does that distinction matter? Why is China’s overcapacity treated as a problem when similar conditions elsewhere are not? And can the anti-involution drive meaningfully address China’s economic challenges? Finally, could it ease some of the core tensions between China and the EU?
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