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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BYD’s chip Xuanji A3 is displayed during the 2026 World AI Conference on July 17, 2026, in Shanghai, China. (Getty Images)