Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Brigadier General Robert S. Spalding III, USAF (Ret.), is the former U.S. Defense Attaché in Beijing and author of "Stealth War and War Without Rules." He joins Ian Oxnevad and Lilla Nóra Kiss to discuss how Beijing turns American openness into strategic leverage.
Drawing on his military career, which includes extensive experience in China, Spalding argues that the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) competition with the United States reaches far beyond traditional military conflict. He explains how capital markets, supply chains, corporate access, digital infrastructure, university partnerships, AI research, and talent pipelines can become channels of influence, coercion, and technology transfer.
For higher education, the warning is clear. China's students and researchers working and studying in the United States cannot be treated as strategically neutral. Rather, the likelihood is high that they are acting as agents of surveillance, censorship, or military modernization. Academic exchanges and research must be protected from the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
This episode of Cafe Berlin explores whether America can wake up to China’s stealth war, strengthen deterrence over Taiwan's status, and preserve the openness that makes a free society worth defending.
The NAS is a member-supported organization. If you enjoy Cafe Berlin, please consider making a tax-deductable donation so we can continue to provide interesting conversations with interesting guests.
Here is the donation link: nas.org/cafe-berlin-donate
Books by Robert Spalding
Stealth War: How China Took Over While America's Elite Slept
amazon.com/Stealth-War-China-While-Americas-ebook/dp/B07S3PYHH4
War Without Rules: China's Playbook for Global Domination
amazon.com/War-Without-Rules-Playbook-Domination-ebook/dp/B0951N41QY
Brigadier General Robert S. Spalding III, USAF (Ret.), is the former U.S. Defense Attaché in Beijing and author of "Stealth War and War Without Rules." He joins Ian Oxnevad and Lilla Nóra Kiss to discuss how Beijing turns American openness into strategic leverage.
Drawing on his military career, which includes extensive experience in China, Spalding argues that the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) competition with the United States reaches far beyond traditional military conflict. He explains how capital markets, supply chains, corporate access, digital infrastructure, university partnerships, AI research, and talent pipelines can become channels of influence, coercion, and technology transfer.
For higher education, the warning is clear. China's students and researchers working and studying in the United States cannot be treated as strategically neutral. Rather, the likelihood is high that they are acting as agents of surveillance, censorship, or military modernization. Academic exchanges and research must be protected from the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
This episode of Cafe Berlin explores whether America can wake up to China’s stealth war, strengthen deterrence over Taiwan's status, and preserve the openness that makes a free society worth defending.
The NAS is a member-supported organization. If you enjoy Cafe Berlin, please consider making a tax-deductable donation so we can continue to provide interesting conversations with interesting guests.
Here is the donation link: nas.org/cafe-berlin-donate
Books by Robert Spalding
Stealth War: How China Took Over While America's Elite Slept
amazon.com/Stealth-War-China-While-Americas-ebook/dp/B07S3PYHH4
War Without Rules: China's Playbook for Global Domination
amazon.com/War-Without-Rules-Playbook-Domination-ebook/dp/B0951N41QY
