In The News

Future of Globalization: Foreign Policy

Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman July 7, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed society’s dependence on globalization and the challenges. Trade went from predictable to uncertain as nations blocked and confiscated protective medical gear and other needed supplies. Leaders worry about similar disruptions for food or other necessary products. “But the crisis that globalization faces has roots that go far deeper than the current pandemic,” explain...

Who Lost Hong Kong on June 30? Japan Times

Kuni Miyake July 6, 2020
Impatient after a year of massive protests, China enacted a national security law for Hong Kong on June 30 with vigorous enforcement. “That was the day when the long-eroding fiction of ‘One country, two systems’ finally disappeared in Hong Kong,” writes Kuni Miyake for the Japan Times. While multiple players contributed to Hong Kong’s plight, the author concludes that Xi is largely responsible...

Appeasement Policy for China: Project Syndicate

Brahma Chellaney July 2, 2020
India’s buffer with China is shrinking, and India’s leaders should have anticipated China’s incursions in the Ladakh region, suggests Brahma Chellaney for Project Syndicate. China opposed India’s designation of Ladakh as a new federal territory, and labeled its recent moves as defensive. “While India was preoccupied with the COVID-19 crisis, China was apparently planning its next attempt to...

Trump Briefed on Russian Bounties Report: NYT

Charlie Savage, Eric Schmitt, Nicholas Fandos and Adam Goldman June 30, 2020
US intelligence agencies briefed Donald Trump in late February on reports that a Russian military intelligence unit paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill US and coalition troops in Afghanistan, according to two sources, reports the New York Times. The White House claims the report lacked consensus or verification, and the president did not receive a briefing. Uncertainty often...

Vandalism Against Multilateral Systems: El País

Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León June 29, 2020
The United States has withdrawn from many global organizations, reducing its own leadership role while enhancing influence for China and Russia. Latin American governments could respond to the Trump administration’s efforts to place a US citizen in charge of the Inter-American Development Bank, disrupting traditional governance. The administration often selects individuals who reject the mission...

Defectors Launch Anti-NK Leaflets: Korea Herald

Ahn Sung-mi June 23, 2020
Both North Korea and South Korea agreed to stop cross-border distribution of goods and leaflet distribution since a 2018 summit between the two leaders. “A group of North Korean defectors claimed Tuesday it had sent anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border, continuing an activity that has enraged the North regime, which cited it as the reason it wrecked a liaison office with the South,” reports...

India’s Limited Options on China: The Wire

Ashok K. Mehta June 22, 2020
India failed to anticipate China’s aggression along the shared border and now must respond to a deadly clash that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and, by some reports, twice as many Chinese – along with China’s claim to Galwan Valley. Both sides have engaged in road-building and moved troops in the area. Ashok K. Mehta reviews events since early May and India’s premature assurances that the...