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❝ Faith in dollar-denominated assets has not returned to Trump’s second-term peak.

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❝ I am persuaded that the old maxim, ‘Honesty is the best policy’ applies with as much force to States as to individuals.

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Hi everyone, I’m Eleanor Shiori Hughes, and I’m a Non-Resident Fellow with econVue and the host of the Hughes News podcast. For Episode 5, I’m thrilled to have my friend Latika Bourke on the show. Like me, Latika is a fellow Substacker and has been, well before this platform experienced a deluge of new users and writers in recent months. She also hosts a podcast: Latika Takes, which you can find on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Youtube. We first met through a fellowship that we were both a part of through the Australian Institute of International Affairs and The Japan Foundation in 2023 and 2024.

About My Featured Guest

❝ We have not still had a one-on-one between our prime minister and Donald Trump, and that’s starting to now look concerning. Before the election, it looked liked ‘ok that’s fine, we get to do things on our own terms.’ Now that the Americans have not only imposed tariffs on [Australia] unfairly, unncessarily, and ridiciously some might say, but are now also triggering this review on AUKUS, there is plenty of reason for Anthony Albanese to need to get into Trump’s face and have a personal relationship with him, because we know that is the currency with which Donald Trump conducts international relations.

-Latika Bourke’s assessment on why it is problematic that Albanese has not had any face-time with Trump yet

Latika is the Writer-at-Large for The Nightly, an Australian-based media outlet, where she reports on foreign policy, geopolitics, and national security issues. Earlier this year, she became an Expert Associate at the Australian National University’s National Security College. Based in London, Latika regularly makes media appearances and moderates panels and discussions (she just emceed a conversation featuring Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum!). She spent eight years in the Canberra press gallery and previously worked for The Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and 2UE Radio.

This podcast was recorded on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (US EST and BST).

Here is a list of some of the topics that we talked about:

• How Latika found her calling to become a journalist

• How the two of us first crossed paths through a fellowship on disaster resilience that took us to Japan and a few other countries

• Latika’s experiences reporting on Australia’s recent federal election, trailing both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Albo) and now-former Opposition Leader Petter Dutton for over a month

• The variables that shaped the outcome of the election with Albo and the Labor Party emerging as the victors

• The discourse in Australia regarding AUKUS, upping its defense spending, tariffs, and Australian perceptions of the U.S. under Trump

• The pressure points that are slowly but surely unveiling divergences between Canberra and Washington, particularly regarding the Middle East

You can find the audio version of our podcast recording below:

Closing Thoughts

The global security environment is certainly finding itself in a more precarious - and a more peculiar - situation, and its fluid nature keeps many of us guessing day by day. I oftentimes find myself waking up not knowing what the media cycle will hold for us consumers of the news, and I’m sure that I’m not alone in feeling this way. This is why the work that journalists like Latika does is invaluable. She has a knack for not only churning articles and podcast episodes left and right, but she also has a keen ability to articulate geopolitics and national security in a way that is not too esoteric and is easily digestable for readers.

On a more personal note, it warms my heart to see her thriving in her profession to the extent that she is, and I’m even more grateful to have her as a friend. Below is a photo of the two of us at Shibuya Crossing - one of the busiest intersections of the world in Tokyo. My hope is that the two of us can travel again together sometime soon and share more memorable adventures. Who knows: perhaps we’ll have a Mario Kart rematch? 💫

Best wishes to you all,

💬 Eleanor

Voices

Eleanor Shiori Hughes

March 11, 2020

Eleanor Shiori Hughes is a Non-Resident Fellow at econVue. She frequently writes about geopolitics in Asia; Japan - Taiwan relations; Australia; the Pacific Islands; business and geopolitics; and workforce development issues for critical technologies.

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📍Arlington, VA

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Dear Readers,

Hi everyone, I’m Eleanor Shiori Hughes, and I’m a Non-Resident Fellow with econVue and the host of the Hughes News podcast. For Episode 4, it was a real treat to have such an intellectually stimulating conversation with two people who have been instrumental in shaping my professional trajectory: Dr. Michael Green and Lyric Hughes Hale.

About My Featured Guests

❝I don't think there is any scenario where Japan is not almost immediately entrapped in [a Taiwan] fight. Whether the U.S. asks or not, it's clear the Chinese are planning that. And it's very likely the same with Australia. Very hard to see a scenario where the Chinese don't immediately go at Australia either directly or through threats. And of course for Australia, successful Chinese coercion and swallowing of Taiwan is pretty close to existential because of the sea lanes and Australia's dependence on the sea and Taiwan sitting smack dab in the middle of the first island chain. [Australia has] been in every fight with [the U.S.] since 1918. And this one, more than any fight since certainly World War II, maybe arguably Vietnam, directly threatens Australia's survival.

– Dr. Michael Green’s conclusion that it is hard to imagine Japan and Australia being bystanders of a Taiwan contingency because both countries’ national interests are tethered to Taiwan’s strategic well-being.

Our first guest is Dr. Michael Green, CEO of the United States Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney and the Henry A. Kissinger Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is the host of The Asia Chessboard through his capacity at both CSIS and the USSC. Before he relocated to Sydney in 2022, Dr. Green was the Senior Vice President for Asia at CSIS and concurrently the Director of the Asian Studies Program at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC. From 2001 - 2005, Dr. Green served as Special Assistant to US President George W. Bush and Senior Director for Asian Affairs on National Security Council staff. He has authored a number of books, two of which include Line of Advantage: Japan’s Grand Strategy in the Era of Abe Shinzō and By More Than Providence: Grand Strategy and American Power in the Asia Pacific Since 1783.

I first crossed paths with Dr. Green when he became my faculty adviser at Georgetown’s Asian Studies Program (MASIA), and I’ve learned immensely from him while both at Georgetown and beyond. Over the past few years, I have worked with and for him pertaining to Japanese foreign policy, but more recently on issues relating to Australia.

❝The U.S. federal government was funded by tariffs all the way up to the Civil War. There was no income tax at that time. So tariffs have played a role in [America]’s development. And it was because of that revenue stream of tariffs that we were able to borrow the money from European banks to make the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of our country. So I think we need to look at economic history, the historical context.

– Lyric Hughes Hale’s reflection that it is useful to look back at U.S. history to see that tariffs weren’t always a coercive economic instrument to advance U.S. economic interests.

As for our second guest, if you are an econVue subscriber, then Lyric needs no introduction. For those who are newly acquainted with our platform, Lyric Hughes Hale is the Editor-in-Chief of econVue, and regularly publishes a newsletter on contemporary China; economic and monetary policy; and related topics. Lyric is also the Director of Research at Hale Strategic, a consultancy based in Chicago. She is the host of The Hale Report, where she interviews thought leaders from the world of economics. Lyric has decades of experience advising multinational firms, as well as U.S. companies seeking market opportunities in Asia. Lyric is a board member of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue, and is also a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and the Council on Foreign Relations. I have known Lyric for a long time, and I am extremely thankful for all that I’ve learned and worked with her through econVue and other professional capacities.

This podcast was recorded on Thursday, May 15, 2025 (US EDT) (Friday, May 16 in AEST). Here is a list of some of the topics that the three of us talked about:

• How Dr. Green and Lyric found their calling to become seasoned Asia hands

• A progress report on the Trump administration‘s outreach with its Asian allies and partners so far and how economic considerations are taking center stage

• The Albanese Labor Government’s proposition to tax unrealized capital gains for superannuation funds. I’ve flagged a few pieces and op-eds for those who want to read more about this:

  • Super tax changes the real test of Albanese’s election victory (Sydney Morning Herald)

  • If you think Labor’s $3m super tax won’t hit you, think again (Australian Financial Review)

  • Australian superannuation changes: Farmers, small business face huge tax bills from Govt’s controversial move (The Nightly)

• Australia’s federal elections and the myriad of challenges that the country is facing including the dearth of productivity, the LNG industry’s trajectory, and its relatively lean defense budget.

• Australia’s multifaceted relationship with Indonesia and China

• The extent to which Japan and Australia would get involved in a hypothetical Taiwan contingency

• Words of wisdom and advice for the 🎓Class of 2025 🎓

You can find the audio version of our podcast recording below:

Closing Thoughts

In sum, I felt like I traveled back in time to when the three of us recorded an episode for Lyric’s The Hale Report podcast. At the time, Dr. Green and I had just released two works about a foreign policy giant who played an integral role in shaping the state of Asia today: the late Prime Minister Abe. Looking back, there is no question that strategic circumstances have changed considerably since then - but not all for the worse. There is still reason to be hopeful, and not everything has to be seen in a negative light.

And now I’d like to convey a short message to the Class of 2025, particularly those with a keen interest in Asia. Rest assured, there is only going to be a greater demand for your talents, curiosity, and entrepreneurial spirit. We need it now more than ever, and you are our hope for a more just and prosperous Asia. From my own experiences of being a graduate student taking classes via Zoom during the height of Covid-19, I learned that in the midst of challenging times, there is nothing wrong with surrounding oneself with people in your corner who bring joyful energy. For me, both Dr. Green and Lyric have supported me through thick and thin, and I look forward to many more years of mentorship and friendship.

To the Class of 2025, here’s to beginning a new and exhilarating chapter in your lives.

Best wishes to you all,

💬 Eleanor

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