On the first episode of The Comparative Connections Podcast @Rob_York_79 and @sweetcarolli discuss recent developments in the triannual journal.

Click here for the full conversation: https://t.co/eADVEn05rc pic.twitter.com/2QgLmXY7FD

— Comparative Connections (@PFComCon) June 10, 2022

Season 1, Episode 1 of the Comparative Connections podcast, featuring Rob York and Carol Li.

Transcript:

York: Aloha. I’m Rob York Director for Regional Affairs at Pacific Forum and Editor of Comparative Connections A Tri Annual Journal of Bilateral Relation in the Indo-Pacific. Welcome to the first ever Comparative Connections Podcast, brought to you thanks to our friends at Conversation Six. This regular podcast will feature as a supplement to our tri-annual journal offering commentary on developing events in the region for those who can’t wait for the next issue of Comparative Connections to come out.

I’m joined today by Pacific Forum Program Manager Carol Li. Hi Carol

Li: Hi Rob So Comparative Connections has been going through a lot of changes lately. Can you tell us about some of those?

York: Yes of course, maybe the most exciting development is our new chapter on US-India relations. Comparative Connections has been offering comprehensive summaries and analysis of key bilateral relations in the Indo-Pacific since 1999. But until recently we didn’t have a chapter devoted to how the US and India were getting along.

Li: Can you tell us a little bit about why this chapter is so important?

York: Of course. Relations between the US . and India are of course complicated. That’s nothing new. Of course even ties between the US and its traditional allies like Japan and South Korea have their ups and downs. But unlike with those two India and the US had a very different view of the Cold War.

And both Washington and Delhi have had close partnerships with countries.

the other considers a rival, namely Russia and Pakistan. A couple of things they have in common, though are growing concern about China and membership in the new Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. U.S. . President Joe Biden has stressed repeatedly the importance of good relations with India so we can expect a lot more interactions between the two in the coming years.

Li: Great. So what else is new for Comparative Connections?

York: Over the last year we’ve launched the Comparative Connections Roundtable, a webinar series that discusses pressing and developing issues in the region and introduces our outstanding stable of authors to a broader audience. In February this year, authors of our Korea-themed chapters previewed the South Korean presidential election of March And this Monday, June 13 our authors on Cross-Straits, inter-Korean and China-Russia relations will discuss regional flashpoints after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

How can they tune in? That brings me to another of our new additions!. Comparative Connections is now on Twitter. You can find us by searching “Comparative Connections” or PFComCon . That’s “P-F-C-O-M-C-O-N” on Twitter there. You’ll find information on how to register for Monday’s event.

What else will you use this twitter account for? For posting Comparative Connections content, of course, links to breaking news and commentary on trends shaping the region, and, of course, this podcast. The Comparative Connections Podcast will offer commentary on ongoing events and developments in the region that our regular readers might have missed.

So please stay tuned!