• The Russia-Iran-Assad ‘Axis of the Vulnerable’ Is Cracking in Syria

    Starting in 2016, Russia and Iran, propping up the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Since 2020, Assad has presided in name over part of a fractured country. Now Assad does not even preside over his share of the partition. And his Russian and Iranian enablers, overstretched and isolated by much of the world, are not in a position to restore his paper rule.

  • Back to Which Future? Putin and the Nationalist Playbook

    What explains Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine in 2022? An argument can be made that nationalism – rather than realist geopolitics – lies at the heart of the conflict. Instead of revealing the primacy of security-related grand strategizing and hard national interests over naïve idealism and soft ideas, Russia’s actions pit old-fashioned ethnic nationalism against the norms and institutions devised to contain this quintessentially European ideology.

  • China’s Critical Mineral Strategy Goes Beyond Geopolitics

    China dominates critical mineral refining but faces its own supply vulnerabilities, highlighting the complexity of global dependencies. A national strategy seeks to balance a focus of robust industrial policy on critical minerals while fostering international cooperation. A balanced approach involving China in global frameworks can reduce geopolitical tensions and foster sustainable supply chain solutions.

  • An Immigration Debate Worth Having

    The best immigration policy is one that helps developing countries hold on to their best.

  • Philippines Bolsters Maritime Claims Despite China Pressure

    Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed two new maritime laws to protect Manila’s disputed territory: the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.

  • The Effectiveness of U.S. Economic Policies Regarding China Pursued from 2017 to 2024

    Although U.S.-China trade tensions have waxed and waned for decades, they have remained persistently high since 2017. A new report assesses the effectiveness of more-restrictive U.S. economic policies adopted toward China and pursued between 2017 and 2024.

  • Scientists Address Risks to Supply Chain in a Connected World

    In a world where billions of lines of computer code are intertwined with critical physical systems whose electronic components come from suppliers across the globe, there is a new kind of risk. The combination of a connected world and a complex supply chain creates opportunities—and vulnerabilities.

  • Getting Economic Security Right

    National security policymakers are understandably worried about economic risks, but they shouldn’t lose sight of other national interests.

  • America’s Iran Policy Is a Failure − Piecemeal Deterrence and Sanctions Can Go Only So Far

    A decade of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East has failed to contain Iran’s ambitions and has instead substantially contributed to the current escalation of hostilities in the region. Washington’s ability to project power and manage American interests in the Mideast has eroded dramatically since 2010, and, as a result of Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran’s military nuclear program has reached its most advanced stage. The failed policies have culminated in the collapse of American deterrence in the Middle East. Simply put, the U.S. no longer projects enough power there to stop Iranian hostilities.

  • China’s Overseas Police Stations: Global Concerns

    As China has emerged as a great power, it has sought to augment its overseas presence through measures like the establishment of Confucius Institutes and military bases and access points worldwide. The setting up of overseas police stations is a recent development that has invited international scrutiny, sparking serious concerns regarding the breach of international norms and the erosion of host countries’ sovereignty.

  • Colombia Isn’t Ready for a New Venezuelan Migration Wave, Plus Bukele’s Mano Dura Threats Won’t Fix the Economy

    Petro has eroded Colombia’s institutions for managing migration since taking office in 2022, leaving Colombia ill-equipped to handle a new Venezuelan migration wave; Bukele’s mano dura tactics got results on crime, but won’t fix the economy.

  • New U.S. Arctic Strategy Focused on Russian, Chinese Inroads

    The United States is looking to boost intelligence collection in the Arctic and enhance cooperation with allies in the region, to prevent Russia and China from exploiting the cold and icy northern region at America’s expense.

  • Not Just Beijing’s Doing: Market Factors Are Also Hitting Rare Earths Prices

    Have depressed rare earths prices been engineered by the Chinese state to snuff out non-Chinese rivals before they get going? Or do they simply reflect a weak market, with demand rising more slowly than was expected by the promotors of a slew of new projects?

  • Will China's Economy Ever Overtake the U.S.'s?

    China’s ambition to be the world’s largest economy has been dented by COVID-19, the real estate crisis and an aging population. Boosting growth will be the prime focus at a Communist Party meeting.

  • A Nuclear Sword of Damocles in Orbit

    Russia is developing a nuclear-weapons-based anti-satellite (ASAT) capability, and the Western democracies must work together to prevent Moscow from deploying such a weapon. That will demand new and innovative thinking on space domain awareness and space control by the US and its allies. A continued drift forward through a strategy of hope that Russia will honor its obligations under space law even as the West is under direct threat from Moscow is a strategy for failure.