State of Play

President Trump is scheduled to take a multi-stop trip to Asia later this month with big stakes for trade, security, and America’s standing in the region. Dr. Kristi Govella and Amb. Edgard Kagan join Will to discuss what's on the agenda, what opportunities the United States, China, and U.S. allies face, and what could go wrong.

Edgard Kagan, "Xi Jinping’s Return to Washington: A State Visit to Build Stability" CSIS, September 22, 2026.

Yuko Nakano, "Takaichi’s Approval Shield: Prospects for Her Second Year in Office," CSIS, August 27, 2026.

Bonny Lin and Kristi Govella, "Escalating Japan-China Tensions: Insights from the Past and Prospects for the Future," CSIS, December 5, 2025.

U.S. and European leaders have accused Russia of stepping up sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks in Europe, and some warn that Russia will test NATO's article 5 resolve by striking European states with drones or missiles. This week, Max Bergmann and Dan Byman discuss what Russia is trying to achieve, what European states can do in response, and what we should expect from the United States.

Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, Nicholas Fenton, and Max Bergmann, "Rebuilding to Reconquer: Can Russia’s Defense Firms Deliver?" CSIS, July 14, 2026.

Seth G. Jones, Seamus P. Daniels, Riley McCabe, and Daniel Byman, "Wartime Footing: A Two-Front Strategy to Confront China and Russia" CSIS, June 8, 2026.

Max Bergmann and Otto Svendsen, "How Europe Can Defend Itself with Less America," CSIS, October 8, 2025.

Last weekend, the Houthis conducted their deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia for over a decade. Amb. Michael Ratney and new CSIS senior fellow Allison Minor join Will to discuss how we got to this point, whether Saudi Arabia is more likely to escalate the military campaign or try to cut a deal with the Houthis, and what role the United States will play.

Allison Minor, "Avoiding Another Long War in Yemen," CSIS, October 15, 2026.

Allison Minor, "All Out War in Yemen," CSIS, October 15, 2026.

Michael Ratney, "Saudi Arabia Faces the Era of Disequilibrium," CSIS, September 24, 2026.

Michael Ratney, "Is the United States Abandoning Saudi Arabia at Its Moment of Need?" CSIS, September 23, 2026.

Fighting has broken out between the Ethiopian government and an alliance of 7 opposition groups. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Egypt, and Sudan of backing the rebel alliance, though officials from all three governments have denied this. This week, Aaron Stanley and Dr. Yonas Ashine Demisse discuss how we got to this place, how shifting geopolitics are shaping conflict dynamics, and what the most likely trajectory of the war is.

Yonas Ashine Demisse, "Rethinking Pax Africana in Multipolar Disorder: A Genealogical Return to Pan-African Futures," Security Context, August 10, 2026.

Aaron Stanley, "After the Supermajority: Ethiopia’s Trajectory Following the 2026 Election," CSIS, June 18, 2026.

Oge Onubogu, "In the Shadows of the Iran War: The Horn of Africa," CSIS Into Africa, March 26, 2026.

The summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping could cover a range of issues to potentially include trade, investment, AI, the war with Iran, and Taiwan. The morning after the summit, CSIS’s leading China experts will provide a rapid assessment of its outcomes in a live episode of State of Play on Friday, September 25, at 9:00 AM EDT.

Amb. Edgard Kagan, Dr. Thomas Christensen, Dr. Scott Kennedy, and Dr. Bonny Lin will join host Will Todman to discuss how successful the summit was and what it means for the future of U.S.-China relations.

This event is made possible through general support to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.