PACS Distinguished Lecture

Dmitri Alperovitch, a leading national security expert, will explain why he believes that China's Xi Jinping is preparing to conquer Taiwan in the coming years—and the dire stakes for the world if he is not deterred. Alperovitch makes the case that we are already in the midst of a second Cold War with Taiwan as the perilous strategic flashpoint of this new conflict. The conflict risks triggering a devastating war between major nuclear powers in a similar role that West Berlin nearly played during the first Cold War.

Laying out a comprehensive strategy to deter war and maintain the United States' status as the world's leading superpower in the face of rising China, Alperovitch breaks down the significant weaknesses that can prevent China from surpassing the U.S. and the key policies that will enable America to maintain primacy even as China ramps up its efforts. As Alperovitch explains, we must play to our strengths and address our weaknesses, using our leverage as the strongest nation on the planet to tactfully navigate the next Cold War.

About the Speaker

Dmitri Alperovitch is an internationally recognized thought leader on geopolitics and national security. He is co-founder and executive chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, a think-tank focused on policy solutions in national security, trade and industrial security, and ecological and economic security. He is also the co-founder of the leading cybersecurity company CrowdStrike Inc.

Alperovitch serves on the Homeland Security Advisory Council of the Department of Homeland Security and as a founding board member of the U.S. government's Cyber Safety Review Board. He has previously served as a special advisor to the Department of Defense. He is the host of Silverado's "Geopolitics Decanted" podcast and author of an upcoming book, World On the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century.

Event Host

Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies