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FALL 2023 ISSUE: The Alliances That Matter Now

Primary featured article section

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, attends a press conference at Media Center in Beijing, China.
China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, attends a press conference at Media Center in Beijing, China.

China’s Foreign Minister Is Headed to Washington

The Biden administration has been laying the groundwork for a big meeting with Xi Jinping.

Report
Robbie Gramer, Christina Lu
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walks with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as he arrives for a meeting with U.S. representatives at the Capitol in Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walks with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as he arrives for a meeting with U.S. representatives at the Capitol in Washington.

U.S. Budget Deal Has Europe Questioning American Resolve on Ukraine

If U.S. military aid falls short, more Ukrainians will die, officials in Kyiv say.

Report
Jack Detsch, Robbie Gramer
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Roman Voskoboynikov, who is originally from Ukraine, after a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony inside the Robert N.C. Nix Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Roman Voskoboynikov, who is originally from Ukraine, after a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony inside the Robert N.C. Nix Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Biden Administration Is Addicted to Partnerships

The inauspicious return of the Cold War strategy of “Pactomania.”

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
A photo collage illustration shows U.S. political figures plotted on a foreign-policy spectrum from most assertive to least. From left: Dick Cheney, Nikki Haley, Joe Biden, George H.W. Bush, Ron Desantis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Bernie Sanders.
A photo collage illustration shows U.S. political figures plotted on a foreign-policy spectrum from most assertive to least. From left: Dick Cheney, Nikki Haley, Joe Biden, George H.W. Bush, Ron Desantis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Bernie Sanders.

The Scrambled Spectrum of U.S. Foreign-Policy Thinking

Presidents, officials, and candidates tend to fall into six camps that don’t follow party lines.

Analysis
Ash Jain

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U.S. President Joe Biden, center, is welcomed by United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, left, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, second from left, on arrival at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan.
U.S. President Joe Biden, center, is welcomed by United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, left, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, second from left, on arrival at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan.

A President on the Picket Line?
Insider
Adam Tooze, Cameron Abadi
Protesters in masks in front of the Bank of England in London on Aug. 3. Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images
Protesters in masks in front of the Bank of England in London on Aug. 3. Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

Why Interest Rate Hikes Don’t Necessarily Tame Inflation
Insider
Adam Tooze, Cameron Abadi
Head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power stands in front of St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv, on October 6, 2022.
Head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power stands in front of St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv, on October 6, 2022.

Samantha Power on America’s Development Diplomacy
Insider
Ravi Agrawal

Asia & the Pacific

Afghans protest against the burning of the Quran by Swedish Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan outside Eid Gah mosque in Kabul on Jan. 27.
Afghans protest against the burning of the Quran by Swedish Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan outside Eid Gah mosque in Kabul on Jan. 27.

Attention-Seekers and Autocrats Are a Combustible Mix
Argument
Elisabeth Braw

Why the Iraq War AUMF Is Still Dangerous

The U.S. Shouldn’t Worry About the India-Canada Rift

Washington Is Losing Credibility Over the Canada-India Spat

China

Alternative for Germany member Maximilian Krah gestures during an interview in Magdeburg, Germany.
Alternative for Germany member Maximilian Krah gestures during an interview in Magdeburg, Germany.

China Finds Friends in Europe’s Far Right
China Brief
James Palmer

China’s United Front Operations Are Ubiquitous—at Home

As China’s Property Sector Crumbles, Who Takes the Fall?

Cultural Decoupling From China Is Not the Answer

Middle East & Africa

Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso's coup leader, arrives at the ceremony for the 35th anniversary of Thomas Sankara's assassination, in Ouagadougou, on Oct. 15, 2022. OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images
Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso's coup leader, arrives at the ceremony for the 35th anniversary of Thomas Sankara's assassination, in Ouagadougou, on Oct. 15, 2022. OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images

Will Intervention Stabilize the Sahel?
Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi

All the Palestinians Got From Oslo Was KFC

U.S. Fears Sudan’s War Will Worsen Humanitarian Crisis

Eastern Libya’s Rulers Crack Down on Protests—Not Shoddy Infrastructure

Europe

Immigrants seeking asylum in the United States look through the border fence as volunteers offer assistance on the other side near San Diego on May 13.
Immigrants seeking asylum in the United States look through the border fence as volunteers offer assistance on the other side near San Diego on May 13.

Which Countries Walk the Walk on Migrant Rights?
Analysis
Justin Gest

The EU Is Letting Hungary and Poland Erode Democracy

North Korea’s Shell Game Is Not a Game-Changer, Pentagon Says

France’s Water War Has No End in Sight

Americas

Hand-painted wooden nesting dolls stand on a table. Two are painted with an image of U.S. President Joe Biden, shown from the torso upward, wearing a black suit and smiling against an American flag background. Next to these is a doll painted with the image of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who smiles against a Chinese flag background.
Hand-painted wooden nesting dolls stand on a table. Two are painted with an image of U.S. President Joe Biden, shown from the torso upward, wearing a black suit and smiling against an American flag background. Next to these is a doll painted with the image of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who smiles against a Chinese flag background.

The U.S. Cannot Afford to Lose a Soft-Power Race With China
Analysis
Raja Krishnamoorthi

South America’s Scorching Spring Has Arrived

Green Hydrogen Isn’t a Silver Bullet 

How the U.S. Created Its Own Reality

Subscribers’ Picks

A photo collage illustration shows U.S. political figures plotted on a foreign-policy spectrum from most assertive to least. From left: Dick Cheney, Nikki Haley, Joe Biden, George H.W. Bush, Ron Desantis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Bernie Sanders.
A photo collage illustration shows U.S. political figures plotted on a foreign-policy spectrum from most assertive to least. From left: Dick Cheney, Nikki Haley, Joe Biden, George H.W. Bush, Ron Desantis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Bernie Sanders.

The Scrambled Spectrum of U.S. Foreign-Policy Thinking

Presidents, officials, and candidates tend to fall into six camps that don’t follow party lines.

Analysis
Ash Jain
A girl touches a photograph of her relative on the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in the Russian-Ukrainian war in Kyiv.
A girl touches a photograph of her relative on the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in the Russian-Ukrainian war in Kyiv.

What Does Victory Look Like in Ukraine?

Ukrainians differ on what would keep their nation safe from Russia.

Argument
Kathleen J. McInnis
A man is seen in profile standing several yards away from a prison.
A man is seen in profile standing several yards away from a prison.

The Biden Administration Is Dangerously Downplaying the Global Terrorism Threat

Today, there are more terror groups in existence, in more countries around the world, and with more territory under their control than ever before.

Analysis
Charles Lister
Then-Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez arrives for a closed-door briefing by intelligence officials at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
Then-Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez arrives for a closed-door briefing by intelligence officials at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Blue Hawk Down

Sen. Bob Menendez’s indictment will shape the future of Congress’s foreign policy.

Report
Robbie Gramer

FP columnists

in the magazine

Current Issue: Fall 2023 Archives
The cover of Foreign Policy's fall 2023 print magazine shows a jack made up of joined hands lifting up the world. Cover text reads: The Alliances That Matter Now: Multilateralism is at a dead end, but powerful blocs are getting things done."
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.

A New Multilateralism

How the United States can rejuvenate the global institutions it created.

Essay
Gordon Brown

NATO’s Remarkable Revival

But the bloc’s future could look very different from its past.

Analysis
Jo Inge Bekkevold

The G-7 Becomes a Power Player
Analysis
G. John Ikenberry

The Nimble New Minilaterals
Analysis
C. Raja Mohan

The China-Russia Axis Takes Shape
Analysis
Bonny Lin
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What China’s Economic Slowdown Means for the World

How is Beijing navigating the country’s economic slowdown? How will China’s struggles impact the global economy? Join FP’s Ravi Agrawal in discussion with three experts: Economist Adam Posen;... READ MORE

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Heather Cox Richardson on American Democracy
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Samantha Power on Development Diplomacy
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The White House’s U.N. Agenda
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Inside Taiwan’s Foreign Policy

weekend reads

A photo collage illustration showing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau frowning, images of Canadians voting at polling centers, and Canadian and Chinese flags
A photo collage illustration showing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau frowning, images of Canadians voting at polling centers, and Canadian and Chinese flags

Why Did Trudeau Dawdle on Chinese Election Meddling?

A new inquiry may expose Beijing’s reach in Ottawa.

Report
Justin Ling
A lone wolf faces the camera appearing to snarl on a dry winter field on the edge of the forest in Hukkajarvi, eastern Finland.
A lone wolf faces the camera appearing to snarl on a dry winter field on the edge of the forest in Hukkajarvi, eastern Finland.

Who’s Afraid of Europe’s Big, Bad Wolves?
Dispatch
Ilya Gridneff
A large crowd of supporters of Nelson Mandela protest against apartheid in 1994. A group of men in the foreground carry a long white box that reads "Farewell apartheid, don't come back."
A large crowd of supporters of Nelson Mandela protest against apartheid in 1994. A group of men in the foreground carry a long white box that reads "Farewell apartheid, don't come back."

South African History From Above
Review
Richard Pithouse
Dozens of people have dinner at a rooftop restaurant at night with the water and lit-up high rises of the Shanghai skyline behind them.
Dozens of people have dinner at a rooftop restaurant at night with the water and lit-up high rises of the Shanghai skyline behind them.

How to Get Chinese Elites to Support Democracy
Excerpt
Yasheng Huang

books

A woman is silhouetted as she walks down stairs past a communist-era stained glass panel in Berlin on April 26, 2019. The early-1960s work depicts images of industry, technology, agriculture, the military, youth, family, and the working class common in socialist art of the communist bloc.
A woman is silhouetted as she walks down stairs past a communist-era stained glass panel in Berlin on April 26, 2019. The early-1960s work depicts images of industry, technology, agriculture, the military, youth, family, and the working class common in socialist art of the communist bloc.

A Tale of Two Germanies

Thirty-three years after reunification, the country’s wounds are rawer than many would like to admit.

Review
Allison Meakem
A worker stands atop a solar panel during construction on the roof of a new development in Wuhan. Buildings can be seen in the background.
A worker stands atop a solar panel during construction on the roof of a new development in Wuhan. Buildings can be seen in the background.

Can the U.S. and China Cooperate on Green Technology Again?
Review
Lili Pike
War on the Ballot: How the Election Cycle Shapes Presidential Decision-Making in War, Andrew Payne, Columbia University Press, 336 pp., $35, July 2023
War on the Ballot: How the Election Cycle Shapes Presidential Decision-Making in War, Andrew Payne, Columbia University Press, 336 pp., $35, July 2023

Why U.S. Presidents Really Go to War
Review
Julian E. Zelizer
The book cover of Homelands by Timothy Garton Ash. A black-and-white photo beneath the title shows an outstretched arm wearing a wristwatch in front of a city street. The title and name of the author are in red, all-caps lettering.
The book cover of Homelands by Timothy Garton Ash. A black-and-white photo beneath the title shows an outstretched arm wearing a wristwatch in front of a city street. The title and name of the author are in red, all-caps lettering.

Timothy Garton Ash Misunderstands Liberalism
Review
Blake Smith
Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World, Bethany Allen, HarperCollins (August 2023), $32.99
Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World, Bethany Allen, HarperCollins (August 2023), $32.99

How China Trolls Flooded Twitter
Excerpt
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
The book cover of This is Not America: Why Black Lives in Britain Matter by Tomiwa Owolade.
The book cover of This is Not America: Why Black Lives in Britain Matter by Tomiwa Owolade.

Britain’s Racism Isn’t America’s
Review
Angela Saini
The Starmer Project: A Journey to the Right, Oliver Eagleton, Verso, 240 pp., $19.95, April 2022
The Starmer Project: A Journey to the Right, Oliver Eagleton, Verso, 240 pp., $19.95, April 2022

What Kind of Prime Minister Will Keir Starmer Be?
Review
Jamie Maxwell

Trending

  1. The Biden Administration Is Addicted to Partnerships
    Argument
    Stephen M. Walt

  2. The Scrambled Spectrum of U.S. Foreign-Policy Thinking
    Analysis
    Ash Jain

  3. The Land of Lederhosen, Beer, and Political Chaos
    Argument
    John Kampfner

  4. China’s Foreign Minister Is Headed to Washington
    Report
    Robbie Gramer, Christina Lu

  5. Why America’s Far Right and Far Left Have Aligned Against Helping Ukraine
    Analysis
    Jan Dutkiewicz, Dominik Stecuła

  6. U.S. Budget Deal Has Europe Questioning American Resolve on Ukraine
    Report
    Jack Detsch, Robbie Gramer

  7. China Finds Friends in Europe’s Far Right
    China Brief
    James Palmer

  8. A Tale of Two Germanies
    Review
    Allison Meakem

  9. China’s United Front Operations Are Ubiquitous—at Home
    ChinaFile
    Jessica Batke

  10. The Morality of Ukraine’s War Is Very Murky
    Argument
    Stephen M. Walt

visual stories

El Hardi kneels next to his dog Rock, amid tangled piles of rubble, water, and some intact buildings, during their search in Derna, Libya.
El Hardi kneels next to his dog Rock, amid tangled piles of rubble, water, and some intact buildings, during their search in Derna, Libya.

‘We’ll Start Digging Here’

Unusually virulent weather and poor infrastructure have brought hell to eastern Libya.

Stefanie Glinski
Charmante Kapinga sits on a chair holding her young son as a nurse prepares to weigh him before a routine vaccination at the Mervedi medical center outside Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Charmante Kapinga sits on a chair holding her young son as a nurse prepares to weigh him before a routine vaccination at the Mervedi medical center outside Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Shadow of the Next Pandemic Looms in a Virus Hotspot

Low vaccination coverage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo raises the risk of diseases spreading and adapting undetected.

Andrei Popoviciu

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