Brigadier General Robert S. Spalding III

Adm. Timothy J. Keating, USN (Ret.) and Brig. Gen. Robert S. Spalding III, USAF (Ret.)

Timothy J. Keating, Robert S. Spalding III, Admiral Timothy Keating, Brigadier General Robert S. Spalding III, Norman Nye, Tim Keating, Rob Spalding

Hosted by Goldman Sachs's Norman Nye on April 15, 2020, Admiral Timothy Keating and Brigadier General Rob Spalding assessed how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated U.S.-China geopolitical rivalry, particularly regarding Taiwan, supply chain decoupling, and 5G surveillance infrastructure. The experts concluded that the crisis would permanently shift global alignment toward a "democratic bloc" prioritizing national security over economic integration, forcing a reshoring of critical industries and tighter restrictions on Chinese technology. They further warned that economic strains could provoke China to employ gray zone tactics while the United States pivots toward strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific, India, and Latin America.