Kurt and Rich sit down with former Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral John Richardson on this Tea Leaves episode. Admiral Richardson shares what it was like being CNO, his thoughts on military discipline and learning from mistakes, and the state of the Navy today. The three also discuss the Pentagon’s reaction to recent events in the Middle East and in Iran, as well as how the United States’ naval capabilities compare with China’s.
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The Asia Group Welcomes Belma Ambrose as Managing Principal
May 29, 2026
Press Releases
Washington, DC | May 27, 2026 — The Asia Group (TAG) is pleased to welcome Belma Ambrose as Managing Principal. ...
Kurt Tong in The New York Times: The idea of Japan investing $550 billion over the next three years was “aspirational”
May 28, 2026
Media Mentions
Kurt Tong, a former U.S. diplomat in Japan and managing partner at the Asia Group, said the idea of Japan ...
George Chen in CNBC on Huawei’s rivalry with Nvidia and Apple as it unveils new smartphone chips this fall
May 25, 2026
Media Mentions
“For Nvidia, this means the window to sell advanced chips such as the H200 into China is narrowing,” said George ...
Ashok Malik in Associated Press on Secretary Rubio’s first official visit to India
May 24, 2026
Media Mentions
“In the past one year, statements and rhetoric coming from Washington on some of India’s most sensitive security concerns and ...