Zack Cooper@ZackCooper

Tweets on Asian security. Senior Fellow @AEI. Lecturer @PrincetonSPIA. Board Chair @OpenTech. Wrangler of children. Former Pentagon and White House staffer.

aei.org/scholar/zack-cooper/
Joined June 2008
294 Photos and videos
Zack Cooper retweeted
Foreign Policy
@ForeignPolicy
Sep 24
What is the future of U.S.-China relations? Will tensions boil over, or can the world's two biggest economies learn to work together? @jessicacweiss and @ZackCooper go head-to-head on the latest episode of Counterpoint, a podcast from FP in partnership with @DohaForum: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
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Just in time for Xi's visit, @ForeignPolicy asked @jessicacweiss and me to debate whether we can build stable US-China ties. Unfortunately, I don't see any signs that we are addressing the fundamental structural problems in the relationship. Listen here: foreignpolicy.com/podcasts/c…

Can the U.S. and China Build a Stable Relationship?

Jessica Chen Weiss and Zack Cooper on whether the world's two biggest economies can work together.

foreignpolicy.com
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We’re going to hear a lot about “constructive strategic stability” the next few days. I argue here that the current US approach to China is neither constructive nor strategic. Any short-term stability will come at the expense of long-term security. reaganfoundation.org/reagan-…
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Five years of AUKUS. Two experts taking stock. @USSC's @defenceprof and @AEI’s @ZackCooper make their assessment on the partnership's progress — and why Australia, the UK and the US remain invested. Listen ↓ ussc.edu.au/podcasts/ussc-br…
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Zack Cooper retweeted
AEI Foreign Policy
@AEIfdp
Sep 14
When Donald Trump met Xi Jinping in Beijing in May 2026, the two leaders agreed to establish a relationship of “constructive strategic stability.” Unfortunately, the new strategy is neither constructive nor stable. Check out @ZackCooper's full article: aei.org/commentary/a-false-s…

A False Sense of U.S.-China Security

When Donald Trump met Xi Jinping in Beijing in May 2026, the two leaders agreed to establish a relationship of “constructive strategic stability.” Unfortunately, despite this moniker, the new U.S....

aei.org
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Zack Cooper retweeted
Nick Schifrin
@nickschifrin
Aug 19
.@ZackCooper tells @AsiaLens, “The administration is walking more softly in Asia, but they seem to have forgotten to bring along their big stick." ft.com/content/1d713822-e68f…

Donald Trump’s cuts to South Korean military drills stir doubts about US resolve in Asia

Decision comes as Pentagon moves ships from Indo-Pacific to Middle East and as Iran war depletes weapons stockpiles

ft.com
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Zack Cooper retweeted
Ananta Centre
@ananta_centre
Jun 24
Fractured world order, or a world reordering itself? This discussion examined the geopolitics of the changing world order what it means for nations navigating and realigning under the pressures of a world in flux The panel consisted of Aparna Ray, @ashajadeja , Joe Wang, Jason Isaacson, @ZackCooper and @d_jaishankar @scsp_ai @NagNaidu08 #IndiaUSForum #IndiaUSrelations #MultipolarWorld
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NEW REPORT examines extended #deterrence in the Indo-Pacific from the perspectives of leading experts in South Korea, Japan, and Australia. Essays by Zack Cooper (@ZackCooper), Bee Yun Jo (@bjo1987), Satoru Mori, and Lavina Lee: nbr.org/publication/extended…
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"Washington's Asian Allies Need a Backup Plan" - from @MiraRappHooper and me in @ForeignPolicy: foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/11…

Washington’s Asian Allies Need a Backup Plan

A strategic rethink is needed in an era of U.S. unreliability.

foreignpolicy.com
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POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE, SIGNIFYING NOTHING. That's my Trump-Xi take... Few deals. No breakthroughs. But thankfully no US concessions on Taiwan or tech. Hard to call this summit a success, since it didn't really address any US-China structural problems. Yet not a disaster either.
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Big thank you to Sal @mercoglianos for hosting this discussion with @johnkonrad on the (now nuclear!) battleship. I think we'd be better off building subs and smaller ships given the battleship's cost and complexity. But we had a good time, so listen and decide for yourselves:
Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴‍☠️
@mercoglianos
May 12
The Great Battleship Debate | John Konrad of gCaptain and Zach Cooper of AEI 1⃣ Pros and Cons of the New Battleship 2⃣How would the Battleship Fit into the Force Structure? 3⃣Is the Battleship the next Revolution in Naval Affairs? 4⃣Does the Red Sea, Black Sea or Strait of Hormuz need a Battleship? 5⃣Can we even build a Battleship? Video: piped.video/cpgEAef91zM
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The Great Battleship Debate | John Konrad of gCaptain and Zach Cooper of AEI 1⃣ Pros and Cons of the New Battleship 2⃣How would the Battleship Fit into the Force Structure? 3⃣Is the Battleship the next Revolution in Naval Affairs? 4⃣Does the Red Sea, Black Sea or Strait of Hormuz need a Battleship? 5⃣Can we even build a Battleship? Video: piped.video/cpgEAef91zM
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The U.S. is currently experiencing the most significant rethinking of American foreign policy in 80 years. This will have extensive implications for the people of Micronesia who depend on the U.S. to abide by longstanding agreements that ensure regional security and prosperity. @ZackCooper in PCIS' Annual Review. pacificcenterforislandsecuri…
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Zack Cooper retweeted
William Yang
@WilliamYang120
Mar 26
“I think the Iran war just demonstrates how hard it is for the United States to focus on Asia. Even when an administration comes in with a strategy that explicitly downgrades the Middle East in the list of regional priorities, Washington often ends up getting pulled back into conflicts in the region,” said @ZackCooper. nytimes.com/2026/03/25/us/po…

Trump Had His Eye on China, Then Plunged Into a New Mideast War

The Trump administration said the Middle East would “recede” in importance as the China challenge took priority. But the president started the war in Iran.

nytimes.com
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The White House just posted their fact sheet on Japan. Details here: whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2…
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Zack Cooper retweeted
CSIS Korea Chair
@CSISKoreaChair
Mar 18
🟥 LIVE NOW | The Impossible State | Mar. 18, 11 AM ET Moderated by @VictorDCha @CSIS @CSISGeopolitics, this episode features @ZackCooper @AEI and @KristiGovella @JapanChair on Washington’s failed pivot, PM Sanae Takaichi’s DC visit, and what it means for the Indo‑Pacific and the Korean Peninsula. 🔗 csis.org/events/impossible-s…
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🚨 New Black Swan Strategy Paper out now! 🚨 The Strategic Rationale for SRF‑West, by Dr Zack Cooper, Dr Troy Lee‑Brown & Dr Emma Salisbury. defenceuwa.com.au/publicatio…
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Delighted to have a new paper out today for @DefenceUwa with @DrTLeeBrown and @salisbot. We examine the strategic logic of Submarine Rotational Force - West, and discuss the value from Australian, British, and American perspectives. Read it here: defenceuwa.com.au/wp-content…
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Our latest episode is now available. Tune in to hear @ZackCooper, @AUJ_Ang and @kxachen discuss the state of US engagement with Asia (and yes, we talk about Iran, too). YouTube: piped.video/rTPl8HSjD7A Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas… Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1Gj…
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Zack Cooper retweeted
Eric Brewer
@BrewerEricM
Feb 28
The timing of this piece is incredible.
Zack Cooper@ZackCooper
Feb 18
America’s Pivot to Asia has failed. That’s the argument I make in an essay out today in Foreign Affairs. I know this will be controversial, so let me explain why I think we need to take this seriously and reimagine what comes next. A thread… (1/10) foreignaffairs.com/united-st…
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