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An expert's point of view on a current event.

A COMAC C919 narrow-body airliner on display during the 2021 China Aviation Industry Conference And Nanchang Air Show on October 30, 2021 in Nanchang, China.
A COMAC C919 narrow-body airliner on display during the 2021 China Aviation Industry Conference And Nanchang Air Show on October 30, 2021 in Nanchang, China.

If China Arms Russia, the U.S. Should Kill China’s Aircraft Industry

Beijing’s aerospace future is uniquely dependent on Western companies. U.S. and EU trade sanctions could bring its indigenous aviation sector to a halt.

Supporters carry placards displaying a portrait of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest in Karachi.
Supporters carry placards displaying a portrait of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest in Karachi.

A Coup Would Put Pakistan Squarely in China’s Bloc

An isolated junta would be cripplingly dependent on Beijing.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaks to the press in The Hague, the Netherlands.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaks to the press in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The Netherlands’ Eternal Prime Minister Survives Another Populist Wave

Dutch parties keep changing, but the politics remain the same.

Rep. Mike Gallagher presides over the first hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in Washington on Feb. 28.
Rep. Mike Gallagher presides over the first hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in Washington on Feb. 28.

The Real Risk of the China Select Committee

Why alienate the very people whose expertise and connections might help Congress understand the Chinese government?

Members of the transgender and LGBTQ community light candles as they  pay tribute to victims of hate crimes in Uganda and all over the world, in Kampala, Uganda, on Nov. 23, 2019.
Members of the transgender and LGBTQ community light candles as they pay tribute to victims of hate crimes in Uganda and all over the world, in Kampala, Uganda, on Nov. 23, 2019.

How U.S. Evangelicals Helped Homophobia Flourish in Africa

Anti-gay sentiment had previously existed on the continent, but white American religious groups have given it a boost.

Family members grieve on the coffin of murdered civilian Ruslan Nechyporenko, 47, during his graveside funeral in Bucha, Ukraine.
Family members grieve on the coffin of murdered civilian Ruslan Nechyporenko, 47, during his graveside funeral in Bucha, Ukraine.
A conveyor belt carries chunks of cobalt in the Dominican Republic of the Congo.
A conveyor belt carries chunks of cobalt in the Dominican Republic of the Congo.
U.S. sailors stand on the flight deck while an FA-18 hornet fighter jet takes off, during a routine training aboard U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the South China sea on Apr. 10, 2018.
U.S. sailors stand on the flight deck while an FA-18 hornet fighter jet takes off, during a routine training aboard U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the South China sea on Apr. 10, 2018.

What the United States Does in Ukraine Won’t Matter in Taiwan

Despite the historical evidence, this bogus credibility claim still drives U.S. foreign policy.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, give three cheers during the 104th Independence Movement Day ceremony in Seoul.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, give three cheers during the 104th Independence Movement Day ceremony in Seoul.

South Korea Could Get Away With the Bomb

The global norm against nuclear proliferation is strong, but Seoul’s political and economic ties are stronger.

Protesters raise a European Union flag as they are sprayed by a water cannon during clashes with police near the Georgian parliament building in Tbilisi on March 7.
Protesters raise a European Union flag as they are sprayed by a water cannon during clashes with police near the Georgian parliament building in Tbilisi on March 7.

Russia Is Furious at Georgia’s Protesters

Moscow issues ominous threats as Georgians fight for their imperiled democracy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni upon her arrival at Chigi Palace in Rome on January 9, 2023.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni upon her arrival at Chigi Palace in Rome on January 9, 2023.

Russia’s War Has Unified Europe’s Opposing Sides

The invasion of Ukraine has finally reconciled Europe’s liberals and nationalists.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) accompanies Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud (R) during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) accompanies Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud (R) during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, China.

China’s Iran-Saudi Deal May Not Stick

Beijing will have a tough time balancing ties with Riyadh and Tehran.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is saluted by members of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) during an international fleet review commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the MSDF at Sagami Bay off Yokosuka, Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is saluted by members of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) during an international fleet review commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the MSDF at Sagami Bay off Yokosuka, Japan.

A Solution for Japan’s Military Mismatch

Given that Japan’s primary threats are maritime, why has it invested so heavily in a land-based force?

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is seen before a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Jan. 12.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is seen before a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Jan. 12.

Ethiopia Is Not Ready for Transitional Justice

Washington should not engage with the country’s government unless it pursues accountability for war crimes.

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Amatutu, Nigeria, on Feb. 25.
A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Amatutu, Nigeria, on Feb. 25.

Nigeria’s Flawed Election Risks a Democratic Backslide

The international community cannot afford to give up on Nigeria’s vast democratic promise.

Ukrainian soldiers fire a French CAESAR self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions in eastern Ukraine on June 15, 2022.
Ukrainian soldiers fire a French CAESAR self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions in eastern Ukraine on June 15, 2022.

Arm Ukraine or Prepare for China? Wrong Question.

No matter the goal, Washington needs to quickly fill gaps in defense production.

Pro-Union, anti-Brexit Irish Sea border posters are pictured close to Larne Port near Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Pro-Union, anti-Brexit Irish Sea border posters are pictured close to Larne Port near Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Sunak Pulls a Brexit Rabbit Out of His Hat

Northern Ireland’s thorny border problem may finally have an answer.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

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China, Ukraine, and How Biden Plans to Balance Both

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Can U.S. President Joe Biden really support Ukraine against Russia for “as long as it takes,” as he has pledged? Congressional support for this aid has largely been bipartisan and wide-r...Show more

Protesters gather during a rally against the government's controversial judicial overhaul bill in Tel Aviv on March 18.
Protesters gather during a rally against the government's controversial judicial overhaul bill in Tel Aviv on March 18.

Ehud Barak on Israel’s Escalating Crisis

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Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been protesting weekly against their government’s plans to overhaul—and weaken—the country’s judiciary. Several former military officials have ...Show more

BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 05: A general view of the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech in the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2023 in Beijing, China.China's annual political gathering known as the Two Sessions will convene leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 05: A general view of the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech in the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2023 in Beijing, China.China's annual political gathering known as the Two Sessions will convene leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Inside China’s ‘Two Sessions’

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Every year, the top Chinese legislative and advisory bodies meet for two weeks to rubber-stamp decisions already made by the Chinese Communist Party. It’s called the “two sessions,” ...Show more