In The News

European Sting: Confronting Neo-Mercantilism

Paul Rawlinson January 8, 2019
Trade tensions run high, led in no small part by the US-China trade spat, Brexit negotiations and the need for World Trade Organization reforms. “Without agreed legal frameworks, the default becomes ‘might is right,’ where the most powerful countries leverage their positions to favour themselves over others,” explains Paul Rawlinson for the European Sting. “The unforeseen return of mercantilism...

Washington Post: Afghans Slam Soviet Invasion Praise

Alex Horton and Sayed Salahuddin January 3, 2019
Donald Trump continues a pattern of rejecting longstanding US national security policies and supporting Russian interpretations by praising the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan as a fight against terrorism. Both the United Nations and the United States opposed the invasion. US intelligence agencies supported Afghan rebels during the war, and the Soviet Union withdrew in 1989. The United States...

Caixin: Casualties in China-US Trade War

David Mahon December 31, 2018
As the US-China trade war continues, small nations expected to take sides will suffer economic losses. Countries, struggling to avoid coercion, must assess their relationships and values. Some like New Zealand will turn to other excuses, suggests David Mahon in an opinion essay for Caixin, but the trade war is the impetus. He points out that for New Zealand and more than 40 other nations, China...

Washington Post: Mattis and Shock Waves Abroad

Griff Witte and Isaac Stanley-Becker December 21, 2018
The United States has the world’s largest military, yet national security relies on a network of allies along with expectations that US leaders promote stability and keep their word during times of crisis. The Trump administration has demonstrated little respect for key allies. US Secretary of Defense General James Mattis resigned after Donald Trump abruptly announced withdrawal of US troops from...

NPR: Taliban Meets With US Officials

Colin Dwyer December 18, 2018
Afghan Taliban have met with US officials to discuss peace, but the group refuses to meet with representatives of the Afghan government. The focus of the meetings in the United Arab Emirates is to end the war underway since the 9/11 attacks and the 2001 US invasion that unseated the Taliban. The Afghan government has offered to recognize the Taliban as a political party and proposed ceasefires –...

New York Times: US Africa Strategy Counters China

Mark Landler and Edward Wong December 14, 2018
The United States plans to devote more funding and attention on Africa, according to National Security Adviser John Bolton. He suggests the threat for Africa is not poverty or extremism but expanding Chinese influence. “Bolton conceded that the United States had limited resources to compete with the tens of billions of dollars China is pouring into Africa,” report Mark Landler and Edward Wong for...

RSIS: G20 and Time for Greater Multilateral Role

Pradumna Bickram Rana and Xianbai Ji December 4, 2018
The world’s 20 largest economies have met annually for 10 years, since the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, to plan economic cooperation. At this year’s summit in Argentina, the US and Chinese presidents agreed to a 90-day pause on the trade war and continue negotiations. The United States will delay raising tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. G20 leaders also supported “necessary...