James Crabtree

James Crabtree is a columnist at Foreign Policy and author of The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age.

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Articles by James Crabtree
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping appear at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Oct. 23, 2024.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping appear at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Oct. 23, 2024.

Why India Should Not Walk Into the China-Russia Trap This article has an audio recording

Argument
James Crabtree
On the left is Elon Musk wearing a black outfit and hat with his arms crossed as he looks at Donald Trump, who is sitting down at a wooden desk.
On the left is Elon Musk wearing a black outfit and hat with his arms crossed as he looks at Donald Trump, who is sitting down at a wooden desk.

Elon Musk Just Picked a Fight He Cannot Win

Analysis
James Crabtree
An illustration shows Indian currency with Narendra Modi at center and billionaires Mukesh Ambani (left) and Gautam Adani (right).
An illustration shows Indian currency with Narendra Modi at center and billionaires Mukesh Ambani (left) and Gautam Adani (right).

How Modi and Trump Treat Billionaires Differently

Essay
James Crabtree
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2017.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2017.

Trump Could Make China Great Again This article has an audio recording

Analysis
James Crabtree
A silhouette of Donald Trump speaking into a microphone.
A silhouette of Donald Trump speaking into a microphone.

From Musk to Gaza: Issues We’re Watching in 2025

Roundup
Edward Alden, Elisabeth Braw, Steven A. Cook, James Crabtree, Agathe Demarais, Zongyuan Zoe Liu, C. Raja Mohan
A worker wearing an orange hard hat sticks his head inside a rotor as he uses a tool to work on it.
A worker wearing an orange hard hat sticks his head inside a rotor as he uses a tool to work on it.

The Fiction of Western Unity on China De-Risking

Analysis
James Crabtree
Ratan Tata
Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata’s Three Lessons for India

Argument
James Crabtree
Chinese President Xi Jinping walks to the podium to speak at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sept. 5.
Chinese President Xi Jinping walks to the podium to speak at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sept. 5.

The Coming Clash Between China and the Global South

Analysis
James Crabtree
New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds a press conference after his first cabinet meeting at Downing Street, London, on July 6.
New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds a press conference after his first cabinet meeting at Downing Street, London, on July 6.

Keir Starmer Should Rethink Britain’s China Policy

Argument
James Crabtree
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold a summit meeting in Woodside, California on Nov. 15, 2023.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold a summit meeting in Woodside, California on Nov. 15, 2023.

Can a U.S.-China Military Hotline Stop the Downward Spiral?

Analysis
James Crabtree
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appears with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the State Guest House in Beijing on April 16.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appears with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the State Guest House in Beijing on April 16.

The Strategic Unseriousness of Olaf Scholz

Analysis
James Crabtree
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump participates in an arrival ceremony during a visit in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Nov. 12, 2017.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump participates in an arrival ceremony during a visit in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Nov. 12, 2017.

Why Asia Should Sound the Trump Alarm

Analysis
James Crabtree
Indonesian Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto holds a campaign rally at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Feb. 10.
Indonesian Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto holds a campaign rally at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Feb. 10.

Why Are Asia’s Democratic Leaders So Popular?

Analysis
James Crabtree
Biden scratches his eye in front of a U.S. flag.
Biden scratches his eye in front of a U.S. flag.

America’s Strategy of Ambiguity Is Ending Now

Argument
James Crabtree
Reflections of the crains and cargo ships are visible in a reflection in the segmented panoramic windows of a moored ship. The ships are piled high with shipping containers in various colors, and a hazy sky is visible above them.
Reflections of the crains and cargo ships are visible in a reflection in the segmented panoramic windows of a moored ship. The ships are piled high with shipping containers in various colors, and a hazy sky is visible above them.

5 Issues to Watch in 2024

Roundup
James Crabtree, Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Edward Alden, Agathe Demarais, C. Raja Mohan
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