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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Han Lin in AP News on China’s trade export surge: ‘For China, export competitiveness is paramount’
March 10, 2026
Media Mentions
Han Lin, China Country Director, added that given Middle East developments, “Energy inflation is the last thing Beijing policymakers need.”
George Chen in The New York Times: ‘I think Beijing is more confident than ever in dealing with Trump’
March 9, 2026
Media Mentions
Trump has shown a willingness to defy Washington consensus on China. He has approved some Nvidia chip sales to the ...
George Chen in AP News on China ready to welcome Trump following Wang Yi’s speech
March 8, 2026
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The minister’s speech has set the overall tone for U.S.-China relations for the year, said George Chen of consultancy The ...
George Chen tells the Straits Times he is confident the Trump-Xi summit will proceed as planned
March 8, 2026
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Mr George Chen, partner at Washington-based advisory firm The Asia Group, told ST that he is confident that the Trump-Xi ...