Political Risk Must-Reads

Eurasia Group’s weekly selection of essential reading for the political-risk junkie — presented in no particular order. As always, feel free to give us your feedback or selections by tweeting at us via @EurasiaGroup or @ianbremmer. Must-reads "Russia to invest $1 bln in rare earths to cut dependence on China" Gleb Stolyarov, Reuters With China currently producing 90 ...

Eurasia Group's weekly selection of essential reading for the political-risk junkie -- presented in no particular order. As always, feel free to give us your feedback or selections by tweeting at us via @EurasiaGroup or @ianbremmer.

Eurasia Group’s weekly selection of essential reading for the political-risk junkie — presented in no particular order. As always, feel free to give us your feedback or selections by tweeting at us via @EurasiaGroup or @ianbremmer.

Must-reads

"Russia to invest $1 bln in rare earths to cut dependence on China"
Gleb Stolyarov, Reuters
With China currently producing 90 percent of the world’s rare-earth supplies, Russia has announced its desire to get involved too. After all, Russia’s rare-earths consumption is expected to quadruple by 2020.

"China Billionaires: Sharp Rise in Richest"
Sky News
A decade ago, China had no dollar billionaires. Now China has more than any other country except the United States. What sectors do the wealthiest Chinese hail from?

"Fertility Rate Stabilizes as the Economy Grows"
Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times
The financial crisis wasn’t just a market crash; the United States’ birth rate fell precipitously too. Has that trend finally bottomed out?

Longer read

"A House Divided: Finding Peace in Multiethnic Myanmar"
Jim Della-Giacoma, Richard Horsey, World Politics Review
Ethnic tensions in Myanmar run deep, but there hasn’t been an ethnic census in Myanmar since 1931, when the country was still under British rule. Can a government in the midst of a political opening secure peace between various ethnic groups?

Weekly bonus

"How Much Will the Defense Industry Make From a Missile Strike Against Syria?"
Ray Downs, Vice
Interested in the price tag for a limited strike against Syria? This piece conjectures and crunches the numbers.

More from Foreign Policy

A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.

No, the World Is Not Multipolar

The idea of emerging power centers is popular but wrong—and could lead to serious policy mistakes.

A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.
A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.

America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want

Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.

The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.
The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.

America Can’t Stop China’s Rise

And it should stop trying.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.

The Morality of Ukraine’s War Is Very Murky

The ethical calculations are less clear than you might think.