Competing Left of Bang: Proactive Approaches to Strategic Competition with China

Speaker: Kira Coffey, Research Fellow, International Security Program

After serving the last nine years in the Indo-Pacific theater in various roles at tactical and operational levels of the military, the speaker came to the the International Security Program to study strategic competition with China more holistically.  From her vantage point on the “front lines,” she sensed there were more tools at the United States’ disposal that could be leveraged, optimized, and/or better coordinated to compete more effectively.  But what are those tools?  And more importantly, what has prevented us from effectively employing them?  These questions have guided her research ventures.

The discussion will briefly review the security landscape and the cultural paradigms through which the United States and China view it, which in turn informs each state’s approach to competition.  The speaker will then briefly address her broader portfolio of work conducted over the last nine months before moving into a deeper dive on her current research topic examining the structural and mechanical inefficiencies of the U.S. Government that frustrate comprehensive competition.  

Admittance is on a first come–first served basis.  Tea and Coffee Provided.