Dr. Alan O'Sullivan

Geopolitics has been a common trend so far in this podcast series.

And that reflects the changing dynamic world which we live in.

And we need to have an understanding of international affairs, geopolitics, this new multipolar world.

If we are to profit in relation to our portfolio construction, in relation to our investment ideas.

Hope you enjoy the interview.

And more importantly, I hope you find it useful.

In terms of broadening out the conversation a bit then, Danica, in terms of we hear a lot about these multipolarity now.

We're moving, transitioning away from a bipolar world where we see a decline in the US for a whole range of reasons.

Debt, trade, just societal issues.

And we get into this kind of spheres of influence positioning where it seems that Putin has an ally in terms of that outlook with Donald Trump and perhaps Xi Jinping as well, which is a bit worrying to say the least.

I interviewed Louis Vincent Gave of GaveCal Research a few months back, and it was around the time of that infamous meeting of President Zelensky and Trump in the Oval Office.

And we don't know what happened, but essentially the security blanket that the U.S.

was offering the likes of its European allies has been removed.

And it's all transactional now.

It's like, OK, you want protection.

Well, have you got we want your mineral rights?

It's just blatant, blatant.

Not hiding it, perhaps we see other US administrations, Iraq, it obviously had to do with oil, the black stuff, but Trump is a different character.

In terms then of, I can't let you mention Taiwan, and fascinating again that you were actually on the ground there, Danica, but...

Has the recent US activity in the Middle East, the blatant aggression with Iran and the Israelis as well involved in that, increased the chances of a Chinese move on Taiwan?