- US Foreign Policy
- China
- International Affairs
- Security & Defense
- Confronting and Competing with China
In this episode, Liz Economy sits down with Sarah Beran, a veteran US Foreign Service officer who served across six administrations, most recently as senior director for China and Taiwan at the National Security Council under President Biden. Beran traces her career from post-9/11 stints in the Middle East and South Asia, discussing how working outside of China early in her career gave her a sharper sense of how third countries assess their own interests when caught between Washington and Beijing. With experience across multiple administrations, the two touch on the contrasts between Republican and Democratic approaches to China policy, with Beran arguing that the ideal sits somewhere in between. The two conclude by looking ahead to the Trump-Xi summit and what possible outcomes we may or may not see.
Recorded on May 12, 2026.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Sarah Beran leads the China practice and is a partner at Macro Advisory Partners (MAP), a geopolitical risk and strategic advisory firm. Prior to joining MAP in September 2025, she had a distinguished 23-year career in the US Foreign Service, most recently serving as deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Beijing and as senior director for China and Taiwan affairs at the White House National Security Council under President Biden. During her time at the State Department, Beran also served as deputy executive secretary for the Indo-Pacific, led the office responsible for US engagement in American Economic Pacific Economic Cooperation, and led the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs. She was posted overseas in Beijing, Islamabad, Jerusalem, Tunis, and Quito. She speaks Mandarin, Spanish, and Arabic. Beran is a senior fellow at UC San Diego's 21st Century China Center, a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and a member of the Asia Society’s Task Force on U.S.-China Policy.
Elizabeth Economy is the Hargrove Senior Fellow and co-director of the Program on the US, China, and the World at the Hoover Institution. From 2021-2023, she took leave from Hoover to serve as the senior advisor for China to the US Secretary of Commerce. Before joining Hoover, she was the C.V. Starr Senior Fellow and director, Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is the author of four books on China, including most recently The World According to China (Polity, 2021), and the co-editor of two volumes. She serves on the boards of the National Endowment for Democracy and the National Committee on US-China Relations. She is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group and Council on Foreign Relations and serves as a book reviewer for Foreign Affairs.
ABOUT THE SERIES
China Considered with Elizabeth Economy is a Hoover Institution podcast series that features in-depth conversations with leading political figures, scholars, and activists from around the world. The series explores the ideas, events, and forces shaping China’s future and its global relationships, offering high-level expertise, clear-eyed analysis, and valuable insights to demystify China’s evolving dynamics and what they may mean for ordinary citizens and key decision-makers across societies, governments, and the private sector.
