Foreign Policy Magazine - home page

FALL 2023 ISSUE: The Alliances That Matter Now

Primary featured article section

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
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

With a government shutdown looming, Washington’s key diplomatic assets have become a political bargaining chip.

Analysis
Raja Krishnamoorthi
Mustafa Nayyem, head of the Ukrainian State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, speaks at an event before the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.
Mustafa Nayyem, head of the Ukrainian State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, speaks at an event before the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.

‘We Don’t Want to Lose Our Second Motherland’

Mustafa Nayyem fights to rebuild Ukraine.

Profile
Luke Johnson
A Palestinian man carries his child to cross a roadblock in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2003. Rubble fills the land he walks across and barbed wire coils in front of him. A woman with a head covering follows behind them.
A Palestinian man carries his child to cross a roadblock in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2003. Rubble fills the land he walks across and barbed wire coils in front of him. A woman with a head covering follows behind them.

All the Palestinians Got From Oslo Was KFC

Thirty years of the peace process has left us with less land and fewer rights.

Essay
Dalia Hatuqa

Recent

FP Insider logo Subscribe for access to exclusive articles, insights, and more

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

The Evergrande logo appears on residential buildings in Nanjing, China.
The Evergrande logo appears on residential buildings in Nanjing, China.

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

Cultural Decoupling From China Is Not the Answer

Chinese Spies Are Targeting Access, Not Race

How China Uses Shipping for Surveillance and Control

Middle East & Africa

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (L) meets Prime Minister of northern Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG), Masrour Barzani in Erbil (R) in Erbil, Iraq on March 15.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (L) meets Prime Minister of northern Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG), Masrour Barzani in Erbil (R) in Erbil, Iraq on March 15.

Iran Is Exploiting Divisions and U.S. Inaction in Iraqi Kurdistan
Argument
Ranj Alaaldin

The Biden Administration Is Dangerously Downplaying the Global Terrorism Threat

Nigeria’s Unhappy Birthday

Wagner’s African Hosts Regret Letting Them In

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

Sunbathers enjoy Macumba Beach, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro, during a heat wave, on Sept. 24.
Sunbathers enjoy Macumba Beach, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro, during a heat wave, on Sept. 24.

South America’s Scorching Spring Has Arrived
Latin America Brief
Catherine Osborn

Green Hydrogen Isn’t a Silver Bullet 

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

How the U.S. Created Its Own Reality

Subscribers’ Picks

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.

Essay
Jo Inge Bekkevold
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.

Essay
Tony Chan, Ben Harburg, Kishore Mahbubani
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.

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
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.

A Firsthand Look at America’s Preparations for a Pacific War

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

Report
Zuri Linetsky

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

FP Live logo FP Live Events

Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts.UpcomingPastAbout

China-FPLive-Site-3-2
China-FPLive-Site-3-2

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

Ask a Question

Ask a Question

✓  

Registered

Ask a Question

Ask a Question

Add to Calendar

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

heather-fp
heather-fp

Heather Cox Richardson on American Democracy
Power-FP
Power-FP

Samantha Power on Development Diplomacy
ltg-fp
ltg-fp

The White House’s U.N. Agenda
Wu-FP
Wu-FP

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
BRC22_Biden-1000x400
BRC22_Biden-1000x400

Subscribe for full access.

We explain the ins and outs of how foreign-policy decisions are being made, and just as importantly, who is making them.

books

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?

A recent book makes the case for collaboration in an increasingly competitive industry.

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
The book cover for The Soviet Century: Archaeology of a Lost World by Karl Schlögel.
The book cover for The Soviet Century: Archaeology of a Lost World by Karl Schlögel.

An Epic History of the Soviet Everyday
Review
Sheila Fitzpatrick

Trending

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

  2. All the Palestinians Got From Oslo Was KFC
    Essay
    Dalia Hatuqa

  3. Blue Hawk Down
    Report
    Robbie Gramer

  4. What Really Happened to Dag Hammarskjold’s Plane
    Exclusive
    Colum Lynch

  5. U.S. Fears Sudan’s War Will Worsen Humanitarian Crisis
    Report
    Jack Detsch

  6. No, the World Is Not Multipolar
    Essay
    Jo Inge Bekkevold

  7. Washington Is Losing Credibility Over the Canada-India Spat
    Analysis
    Howard W. French

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

  9. What Does Nagorno-Karabakh’s Fall Mean for Great Power Influence?
    It's Debatable
    Emma Ashford, Matthew Kroenig

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

Latest

Loading graphics